The French social and political situation in the eighteenth century became the basis for Voltaire’s fruitful writing experience. Candide was a scandalous, yet exemplary, literary piece that exposed, through the use of satire, the threat philosophical doctrines presented to devoted listeners. With its abundant religious references, the philosophical tale examines whether Optimism can justify the omnipresent evil.
The ambivalent meaning of the title Candide ou l’Optimisme can be explained as the author’s intention of introducing the predominant theme of evil if the conjunction is translated as Candide or otherwise said the Optimism. However, ou suggests that the compatibility between the protagonist and the doctrine is impossible and while the …show more content…
Another danger lurks over his mental progression– Manicheism, embodied by Martin, the second official philosopher in the story. His presence casts a light of frustration over Candide and he begins to rove between two opposing philosophies in order to understand why everyone is foredoomed to suffer. Voltaire uses real life figures in order to build up the characters of Pangloss and Martin. At their core these two philosophies differ, one suggesting that everything happens for the best and does not question God’s benevolence, and the other build on the belief of incessant bad consequences and doubts about God’s omnipotence. Nevertheless, they are denied as the correct mean of measurement because they both cease the will for action. Seen from another perspective, Optimism can be perceived as the following instruction: “One must leave everything the way it is for there is nothing better that can be achieved” and pessimism as: “One must leave everything the way it is, because everything else would be just as bad or even worse”. Since these are wrong, there must be a right model of judging the events that take place in the tale and it is represented by ordinary people like Candide’s loyal valet Cacambo, the Old Woman and Jacques. They have always directed the protagonists towards taking the best decision and have therefore proved themselves as the true “philosophers” of the story. For instance, the Old Woman urges the young man to leave Buenos Aires in Chapter XII for the sole purpose of survival and Cacambo advises him to flee Paraguay after killing the Baron, which is a repercussion of the “great many scrapes in his
The ambivalent meaning of the title Candide ou l’Optimisme can be explained as the author’s intention of introducing the predominant theme of evil if the conjunction is translated as Candide or otherwise said the Optimism. However, ou suggests that the compatibility between the protagonist and the doctrine is impossible and while the …show more content…
Another danger lurks over his mental progression– Manicheism, embodied by Martin, the second official philosopher in the story. His presence casts a light of frustration over Candide and he begins to rove between two opposing philosophies in order to understand why everyone is foredoomed to suffer. Voltaire uses real life figures in order to build up the characters of Pangloss and Martin. At their core these two philosophies differ, one suggesting that everything happens for the best and does not question God’s benevolence, and the other build on the belief of incessant bad consequences and doubts about God’s omnipotence. Nevertheless, they are denied as the correct mean of measurement because they both cease the will for action. Seen from another perspective, Optimism can be perceived as the following instruction: “One must leave everything the way it is for there is nothing better that can be achieved” and pessimism as: “One must leave everything the way it is, because everything else would be just as bad or even worse”. Since these are wrong, there must be a right model of judging the events that take place in the tale and it is represented by ordinary people like Candide’s loyal valet Cacambo, the Old Woman and Jacques. They have always directed the protagonists towards taking the best decision and have therefore proved themselves as the true “philosophers” of the story. For instance, the Old Woman urges the young man to leave Buenos Aires in Chapter XII for the sole purpose of survival and Cacambo advises him to flee Paraguay after killing the Baron, which is a repercussion of the “great many scrapes in his