Voltaire's Candide Analyzed

the Baron was powerful, the doors and windows of his castle have nothing to do with the Baron’s power. Candide was obviously naïve, but so were most of the characters in the story, since they didn't bother to question Pangloss' philosophy either. Voltaire was not writing th

The first event that Candide encountered should have been proof enough that all was not well in the world. Voltaire uses an Ironic approach when talking about the war. When Candide had been wondering the streets after getting kicked out of the Baron’s castle, two men came up to him and asked him if he was five feet tall, when he answered “yes, gentlemen, that is my height”, civilly they invited him to dinner. They said, “men were meant to help each other”. Candide was then trained in the Bulgarian army and forced to train to fight the Abarians in war. Candide’s belief in Pangloss’ Philosophy was tested for the first time. How can all be well when so much killing is going on around him? Candide was confused on why he couldn’t just walk away from the training camps, since he believed that “to use his legs as he pleased was a privilege of the human species as well as of animals”. Eventually, many months later, Candide escapes and makes his way to Holland. An Anabaptist named Jacques offers Candide his help. The next day he runs into a beggar who turns out to be Pangloss. Candide asks Pangloss about the whereabouts of his Cunegonde, to which he responds that she is dead. “Cunegonde dead! Ah! Best of worlds, where are you?” was Candide's response. This is the first time that Candide questions Pangloss’ philosophy. The doctor explains that he has contracted a disease from Paquette which traces back one of the companions of Christopher Columbus that was with him when he went to the new world. Even when in obvious misery and near death, Pangloss defends his philosophy saying that it was all for the best, because if Columbus had not gone to the new world, they wouldn’t be able to enjoy the treat that is chocolate and cochineal. Jacques helps Pangloss get cured and hires him as a bookkeeper. The three of the men sail to Lisbon and while on the trip, a storm strikes the ship.

You should know that your student didn't write this himself; he downloaded it from a free essay site. Jacques falls overboard and as Candide was about to throw himself after him, Pangloss “proved to him that the Lisbon roads had been expressly created for the Anabaptist to be drowned in them”(17). After setting foot in Lisbon, they experience an earthquake. Thirty thousand inhabitants of every age and both sexes were crushed under the ruins. Pangloss explains that, since Lima had an earthquake the previous year, Lisbon's earthquake was caused by an underground train of sulphur running from Lima to Lisbon because, “similar causes produce similar effects”. Pangloss and Candide were arrested by inquisitionists who decided to sacrifice them to prevent future disasters. Pangloss is hanged and Candide was saved by and old woman. Candide questions once again Pangloss’ philosophy by saying, “If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others? Let it pass that I was flogged, for I was flogged by the Bulgarians, but, O my dear Pangloss! The greatest of philosophers! Must I see you hanged without knowing why?” The old woman takes Candide to Cunegonde, who escaped getting killed by the Bulgarians. Candide again regains some optimism but soon finds that Cunegonde

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