Throughout Candide, Voltaire introduces historical reality to further promote his encompassing ridiculous views. The six deposed kings Candide and Martin have dinner with are real and actual embellishments that are now dispossessed. In chapter twenty-three, Candide witnesses Admiral Byng being executed because he did not kill enough enemies. In reality, there really was an Admiral Byng who was killed for not killing enough enemies. Candide comments that in his country, “It is useful from time to time to kill one admiral in order to encourage the others” (Voltaire 1599). Voltaire references the Lisbon earthquake that actually occurred on November 1, 1755, just four years before writing Candide. In reality, this is a horrific predicament to be involved in. Here, Voltaire trivializes the fact that humans don’t care about certain incidents unless they are actually affected by it. For instance, the events of September 11th were intensely horrific. However, many people simply sat at their televisions watching the events unfold, not having any idea how the people in New York were affected by the event. It’s

the world. Consequently, although the world of Candide is crammed with absurd and ridiculous events, the existence of El Dorado suggests that something better could exist if men were more in harmony with the nature of the world and of God. Nevertheless, parallel to Voltaire’s views, Candide did not want to stay in El Dorado. For literal reasons he wanted to go back to Cunegonde, but more importantly, he could not reason with the views of religion the people of El Dorado practiced. Here, Voltaire suggests his idea that the random events that taking place throughout the course of his novel simply happen, uncontrolled by the existence of God. Voltaire realizes that humans seem to love the chase of finding perfection, but realistically don’t care about the result. For instance, Jehovah’s witnesses see heaven as a glorified place and they spend all their dreams are to rush through their lives to be in heaven, but can they take their houses or cars to heaven? Most people, like Candide, search for perfection only to realize that its not all as it seems.

world?” (Voltaire 1614). Pangloss responds and pronounces, “I am still of my first opinion; for after all I am a philosopher” (Voltaire 1614). The reader is exposed to Pangloss’s views as a means of revealing Voltaire’s rebellion against such an attitude. Voltaire hated optimism and parodied it efficiently and brilliantly though Pangloss’s character he specifically created for this reason. Candide illustrates the means in which Voltaire could voice his dissatisfaction.

reached self-gratification. By integrating the gardens into Candide, Voltaire trivializes that people can only realistically take care of themselves. This is satirized in Pangloss, as he wanted to make the entire world a better place. By Candide assembling a beautiful garden full of flowers and lush landscaping, he was improving his own life. Realistically, the world can be a better place if everyone solely takes care of their own world. Candide finally understands that happiness requires taking part of something he finds himself content in. This is important to the satire of the whole, because it is Voltaire’s summ

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