Effective Use Of Satire In Voltaire's Candide

Candide is a work of satire written in 1759. The author of this novella was born François-Marie Arouet, but he is better known by his pen name Voltaire. This work was condemned by both the church and the government due to its unforgiving nature concerning the ideas of philosophy, religion, and optimism. He even denied that Candide was his work, writing under another name of “Dr. Ralph” to keep his identity further secret. The original title of the novella was Candide, or Optimism. Translated from the German of Dr. Ralph. Voltaire was known for having opinions that stretched further than what was accepted at the time. Candide can be used as a legitimate resource for studying history, as it presents issues and themes that were prevalent in society at the time, even if the story itself is not truth.
Candide tells the story of a man bearing the same name. He revolves around the philosophy of “everything is for the best in the best of worlds” (pg. 7) yet is constantly faced with recurring problems that shake his faith in these words. The three main themes in the telling of Candide and his companions’ tales are blatantly obvious. The largest theme of …show more content…
While satirical in nature, Candide presents many issues that the people of Europe were facing in their time. He uses the misfortune of fictional characters to present the extreme of each problem. Having blind optimism results in many of the characters being cheated, the sheer wickedness of man and subjugation of women is shown in the repeated offenses against Cunegonde, Paquette, and the old woman, and the terrifying power that money held over man brings downfall to many. We see these problems facing many in the world at the time while the Enlightenment was an attempt to cover the horrible lives that numerous people were facing. Voltaire’s tale was a direct jab at the ruling class of the secular and religious