Examples Of Satire In Candide

Voltaire is well known for his evocative satirical work, especially his prize piece, Candide. Candide is an immortal piece of work still significant today, that was written to warn the public about the ramifications of rebellious optimism. Candide, who is the main character, is a gullible and trusting man who is exiled from his house. Despite his life being filled with freakish disasters, Candide steadily holds on to his optimism – which proves to be an example to readers. Voltaire pinpoints the dangers of radical optimism by including tone, themes and appropriately using satire in Candide. Naturally, tone is used in any written piece. Voltaire uses this tool to dramatize his attitudes towards those who are wholly optimistic, creating a two sided attitude arrangement. This helps to prove his point by compelling us to see from his point of view. For instance, in the …show more content…
In one example, Candide doubted the theory stating that, “If this is the best of all possible worlds, then what must the others be like?” however, he quickly pushed those doubts to the back of his mind when he got lucky. This not only makes Candide look pathetic and naïve, but it shows a glaring truth to people already in Candide’s position: especially those following religion aimlessly. In reality, disasters can strengthen ones beliefs, but they are more likely to destroy or weaken them because the person begins to question the theory. A good example of this is the Jews following the Holocaust. Because of their poor treatment, many got away from Judaism and stopped believing in God. Candide seems clueless to the faults in his optimism because each time he doubts it something good always follows. This irony is used quite often, causing the readers to think of Candide, and other impulsive and blind followers, as