Voltaire's Candide

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Candide, written by Voltaire and published in 1759, is based in the Age of the Enlightenment. Candide is a satiric tale of a virtuous man's search for the truest form of happiness and his ultimate acceptance of life's disappointments. The illegitimate son of the Baron's sister; Candide is raised in the Castle of Westphalia and taught by his friend and philosopher of metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology, Dr.Pangloss. Candide is abruptly cast out from the castle when he and Lady Cunegonde are found indiscreetly kissing behind a screen. Broken hearted and emotionally lost by the separation from Lady Cunegonde, his true love; Candide wanders off. After being tricked into servitude with the Bulgar army, Candide discovers that his one and only love Lady Cunegonde is dead and his friend Dr. Pangloss is deathly sick; Candide then decides that all is not lost and that a cure must be found for Pangloss. Tragedy, adventure and a series of horrible events follow Candide as he is forced to overcome misfortune to find true happiness; in the end he determines that all is not well and that he must work in order to find even a small amount of pleasure in life.

The principal theme presented throughout majority of the novel is "Optimism" by the main character Candide and how that theme is incorporated into his winning outcomes of terrible situations. His good friend and philosopher Dr.Pangloss first introduces this Optimism that Candide believes. Yet this optimist foundation is being con...

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