Optimism in Candide Essay

Candides Optimistic Roller coaster

As we know, the alternate title for Candide by Francois- Marie Arouet de Voltaire is Optimism. The story is about a man named Candide who is living a decent life in a nice castle. Candide is a good man with good morals and intentions. But suddenly, out of an innocent act of affection, Candides life is changed forever. This is where he embarks on a life journey with miracles, horrors, misfortunes and luck. Candide, in the beginning of the story, is wholeheartedly optimistic. But when life shows the not-so-fair aspects to Candide, he somewhat loses his optimism. Throughout the story, Candide encounters a roller coaster ride with his optimistic views on life, but still keeps it. In some parts of the story, his optimism is high, and in some other parts, it is low.

At the beginning of the story, Candide lives in a castle with the Baron and Baroness and their daughter, Lady Cungonde. Hes a young, nave, optimistic boy who falls in love with the Lady Cungonde. He truly believes all is for the best and that good will triumph over evil. But after his first kiss with Lady Cungonde, Candide finally bites off a piece of the real world. Life has many misfortunes, especially in the life of Candide. The Baron kicks Candide out of the castle, to never see his ladylove again. He wanders the streets with hunger in his belly and no place to sleep for a long time. Two men pick Candide up and treat him to supper, and Candide is sure that life will get better. But unbeknownst to him, the two men are part of the Bulgar army and kidnap Candide. Candide is forced to serve in the Bulgar army in which great crimes are committed and murder is essential. After finally escaping the Bulgar army, Candide is back on the streets. He is publicly humiliated by a group of villagers, and his optimism is bruised.

But soon, a good man named Jacques, who is an Anabaptist, takes Candide in. He gives him a place to lay his head and eat dinner. He makes him his sidekick. Soon, Candide finds the old tutor Pangloss who lived in the castle with the Lady Cungonde. Pangloss says that Lady Cungonde went through great torture and was disemboweled. In this one part of the story, the readers know Candides optimism is completely shattered, if not just numbed. But even still, Candide finds the will to live on, and finds out that Pangloss is suffering from a disease in which he was given by the maidservant Paquette, who also lived at the castle. Candide brings Pangloss to Jacques, who agrees to pay for the treatment of Pangloss. It is Jacques who keeps the willpower and optimism of Candide intact during this part of the story. But after Candide, Jacques, and Pangloss ship off to Lisbon, Portugal, their hope is shattered. A great storm kills their entire ship full of people besides Candide, Pangloss, and a crewman who happened to push Jacques overboard. After the two characters struggle their way onto the shore of Lisbon, an earthquake happens. This section of the story is probably at the lowest part of Candides optimistic level. The Lisbon people soon have an auto-da-f, where many people are tortured and killed. Candide is forced to watch his beloved tutor hung, and finds himself beaten miserably. Soon enough into the auto-da-f, another earthquake takes place, freeing Candide. An old woman takes Candide to shelter. She feeds him, dresses his wounds, and lets him recover for awhile.

At this point, Candides optimism is obsolete to him. Survival is the main point of his life. After recovering in the old womans shelter, she takes him to another home. Here, she unveils the Lady Cungonde. Candides view on life changes completely here. Before, his view on life was pessimistic and scarred. And now, with Lady Cungonde, his love, still alive, his optimism is fully restored. Life, in the eyes of Candide, is for the best in the end. But this is only the beginning of a great struggle with what Candide holds dear to him.

Soon enough, Candide finds himself murdering two men, and runs away. Candide, Cungonde, and the old woman run away to another country and try to make ends meet to keep food in their bellies. They deal with pirates, where Lady Cungonde is enslaved, and Candide has to steal her back. At the end of the story, though, Candide, Pangloss (who is indeed still alive), Cungonde, the old woman, and Candides friend Cacambo reside at a farm. Theyre at peace finally, but find themselves restless with the tenuous boring work. But after meeting a farmer who tells them that the work on a farm is good work that keeps the soul at peace, Candide realizes that this is true. After all the troubles they all went through, they are still alive and well. The optimism of Candide at the end of the story is good and well.