No one person in this world has experienced the same struggles in life, and even the times where one scenario lines up many do not react in the same way. This is what Candide by Voltaire is all about, being what the differing views are on the tragedies we face in life. With that being said Candide the main character encounters five men who all have opposing views. One man he faces is named Martin and he states, “Man is born to live either in a state of distracting inquietude [high anxiety] or of lethargic disgust [unhappy boredom]”. He feels that God does not care at all about us, for he has abandoned us as a whole. His view is extremely pessimistic and unhappy. Another man he encounters is James who said, “Mankind has a little corrupted nature,
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He strongly followed the golden rule, “do onto others as you would want them to do unto you”. His view is more understanding and accepting of the fact that we will sin; it was not God’s will to bring certain things in this world we have created evil all by ourselves which unfortunately is our nature. The next view is by a man named Pangloss. He believes “this is the best possible of all worlds; all that happens is for the best”. This idea falls under the concept of philosophical optimism, which states that “whatever is, is right”. One of the men that resonates the most with Candide is the good old man. He tells Candide, “I never trouble myself with public affairs; I content myself with the garden which I cultivate . . . our labor preserves us from three great evils -- weariness, vice, and want”. He believes the meaning in life in derived from hard work, and we should try and stay away from the evils of the world and focus on what is more important. Finally, is Candide’s own belief on tragedy. He states, “this honest Turk [the good old man] seems to be in a situation far preferable to that the six kings with whom we have had …show more content…
I believe that if you do good and follow God’s word the life you lead will be a happy and fulfilled one. Yes, bad things happen to good people, but it is how we react to the circumstances that molds us into the people we want to become. I see it as God places obstacles in our lives so we know we have the strength to overcome things, as well as learn from them. I find my own view of tragedy to be similar to James’s because I completely see the golden rule as something God wants us to exercise in our everyday lives. The golden rule is simply just about being kind and loving towards everyone you meet. I also agree with the point that there is lots of good in the world, but it is our nature as humans to sin which has created evil in the world that God did not place on this earth. The view that is the least like my own is Martin’s. His pessimistic outlook on life is something I am not fond of and do not agree with. At times we are faced with anxiety or unhappiness, but this is not something that we are forever bound by. In times like these is when we must turn to God for guidance, for he did not put us in these situations for to feel as though he has turned his back on us. Everything in this world happens for a reason, but good or bad it is not for us to just sit back and not react to. Each experience is one that God placed in our lives for a reason
He strongly followed the golden rule, “do onto others as you would want them to do unto you”. His view is more understanding and accepting of the fact that we will sin; it was not God’s will to bring certain things in this world we have created evil all by ourselves which unfortunately is our nature. The next view is by a man named Pangloss. He believes “this is the best possible of all worlds; all that happens is for the best”. This idea falls under the concept of philosophical optimism, which states that “whatever is, is right”. One of the men that resonates the most with Candide is the good old man. He tells Candide, “I never trouble myself with public affairs; I content myself with the garden which I cultivate . . . our labor preserves us from three great evils -- weariness, vice, and want”. He believes the meaning in life in derived from hard work, and we should try and stay away from the evils of the world and focus on what is more important. Finally, is Candide’s own belief on tragedy. He states, “this honest Turk [the good old man] seems to be in a situation far preferable to that the six kings with whom we have had …show more content…
I believe that if you do good and follow God’s word the life you lead will be a happy and fulfilled one. Yes, bad things happen to good people, but it is how we react to the circumstances that molds us into the people we want to become. I see it as God places obstacles in our lives so we know we have the strength to overcome things, as well as learn from them. I find my own view of tragedy to be similar to James’s because I completely see the golden rule as something God wants us to exercise in our everyday lives. The golden rule is simply just about being kind and loving towards everyone you meet. I also agree with the point that there is lots of good in the world, but it is our nature as humans to sin which has created evil in the world that God did not place on this earth. The view that is the least like my own is Martin’s. His pessimistic outlook on life is something I am not fond of and do not agree with. At times we are faced with anxiety or unhappiness, but this is not something that we are forever bound by. In times like these is when we must turn to God for guidance, for he did not put us in these situations for to feel as though he has turned his back on us. Everything in this world happens for a reason, but good or bad it is not for us to just sit back and not react to. Each experience is one that God placed in our lives for a reason