Overview of Candide Essay

Candide was written by Voltaire and takes place in the middle of the 18th century. The story is about a man named Candide who grows up in the Barons castle in Westphalia while following the teachings and beliefs of his mentor Panglos. He teaches Candide that, this world is the best of all possible worlds. Basically he tries to teach the most optimistic view about the world they live in. However the Baron whose castle Candide has lived in for all his life catches him kissing Cunegonde which happens to be the Barons daughter, so he exiles Candide from the castle.

This is when Candides adventure begins and he is exposed to the true outside world beyond the walls of the Barons castle. He finds that people in the outside world dont think much of his optimistic view on the ways of life. Like when he tries to talk his way out of the gauntlet from the Bulgar Army by saying he shouldnt have to decide between death and extreme pain because the human will is free. However the Bulgar soldiers dont care to see any logic in his theory and in result he is forced to run the gauntlet. Another example is when Candide goes to the town where an earthquake has just occurred and he begins to help the wounded and hurt people but as he does so, he is tells them that somehow in gods divine will this earthquake was for the best. This is one of the many ways Voltaire shows how untrue Candides current beliefs are and how this is not the best of all worlds, but in fact that life in this world can be more unfair and hellish than anyone could have imagined.

Voltaire in a sense is kind of making fun of the philosophers during the Age of Enlightenment because they believed that religion and reason could be used to explain everything that happens in the world. Voltaire shows how Candide slowly realizes this logic when he encounters constant conflict and disaster after leaving the Barons castle and his old perfect world. Candide sees how almost everyone in this world acts selfishly only to reap benefits for themselves and take away from their fellow humanity. Some people probably think that Voltaire may come off as a pessimistic, but he really is just trying to show how foolish optimistic people and corrupt religion can be when you live in a world that constantly challenges you and makes you suffer so much. Essentially Voltaire is trying to tell us that the happiness of humanity is impossible, because the only real life is the life where you endure good things and bad things and not the life where you live in the best of all worlds and have no problems and everything is handed to you.