... the church, atheism, and uncertainty. The bodies in which these philosophies take shape in are Pangloss as optimism, Martin and the world as pessimism, and Candide as the uncertainty. This uncertainty is also a representation of a person entering the world for the very first time, as John Locke had called it, ... with a Portuguese- (76). This man's name was Martin, and ultimately became the embodiment of pessimism for the rest of the book. Martin and Candide then make their way out to sea. They speak of many things including optimism and pessimism and the existence of God. Their conversa...

• Word Count: 1490
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... be considered as a bleak story where main characters compare life stories to distinguish whose life is worse. Just when you think this novel cannot get anymore depressing, it does. While Candide is generally considered a universal castigation, it is optimism that Voltaire is attacking. However, there are several other humorously critical themes throughout this novel worth talking about. These themes of mockery ... aristocratic snobbery, religious intolerance, militarism, and human nature. There is plausible reason to why Voltaire was so disgusted with optimism, or more particularly, Leibn...

• Word Count: 1624
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... that all is for the best and that good can be found in everything. Candide fell in love with a girl by the name of Lady Cunegonde who is described as having extravagant beauty. Early into the novel Candide is driven out of his home and left was left out in the cold ... and happiness. They go through many obstacles such as thinking Panglos was dead for a large part of the novel, Candide loses contact with his beloved Cunegonde and almost kills her brother, Candide travels to El Dorado where he finds a large group of content people who give him lots of money and jewels ... Lady Cunegonde...

• Word Count: 524
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... his face. He combined sound judgment with affected simplicity." [1] (Voltaire, 19) Despite the noble claims that all is for the best, we find Candide exercising his enlightened perspective when he says "I must admit that regrettable things happen in this world of ours, moral and physical acts that one cannot ... thousand feet long filled with mathematical and scientific instruments." (Voltaire, 82) Voltaire uses the character of Dr. Pangloss ("everything" "shine") who is Candide's religious tutor, to represent the Church and its Christian theology. Pangloss is noted for projecting the op...

• Word Count: 934
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

The Journey of a Nave Young Man Candide, written by Voltaire and published in 1759, is the story of a young man that has to leave his castle in Westphalia, and travels through South America and ... Voltaire makes light of the European aristocratic beliefs of that time. He views the belief of natural superiority belief to be absurd and constantly points this out to the reader. Candide's mother "would never agree to marry, because he could only claim seventy-one quarterings,"" (19) while she could claim seventy-two. Showing how ridiculous all of this ... is. Voltaire also shows this in the nov...

• Word Count: 407
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School