Voltaire's Use Of Optimism In Candide

When all hope becomes shrouded in hopelessness and despair, can anyone remain optimistic? In the story of Candide by Voltaire, the idea of optimism and philosophy is heavy satire. In his writing, Voltaire puts Candide in situations that are heavily fantasized with exaggerated coincidence. Voltaire played with this idea to keep readers interested in Candide’s adventure and always have a reason not to create new scenarios and characters as the story progress. Candide’s adventure would also serve Voltaire as a means to reflect to his reader on how he felt on certain topics at the time. Over time Voltaire’s work became popular due to the way it parodied serious topics and grab the intention of readers. The story of Candide challenges the idea …show more content…
One of the topics reoccurring in the story is the association of greed. In Candide’s adventure, he stumbles upon the lost of city of El Dorado, where the city is made entirely out of gold and the people live in utopian society. Sadden that this perfect society lacked his love; he leaves the city to continue his search for Cunegonde and is given rarities from the island to aid him. These rarities consist of gold, diamond, etc. which lead to problems. He was robbed in multiple occasions and he was often deceived by people. Candide used his fortune to free several of his friends, due to many of them falling prey to slavery. For example he runs into Paquette (now a prostitute) and a monk named Brother Giroflee, who are miserable following the events that led them here. Seeing their dismay, he gives them each enough money to ease their sorrows. Martin (his companion) states that his money “may make them even unhappy then they once where”. Paquette and Brother Girofleee make an appearance at the end of story, now being shadows of their former selves. Voltaire continues his belief on greed by having Martin remark that his “gifts would soon be squandered and would only render them