Candide a Candid Satire - 941 Words

Candide is a humorous, far-fetched story satirizing the optimism promoted by the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. Voltaire uses satire as a means of pointing out injustice, cruelty and bigotry that is commonly found in the human society. Although the tale seems light and comical, Voltaire has more serious intentions behind the laughable plot line. Candide can therefore be classified as a satire because it combines humor and wit to bring about a change in society’s view on matters such as religion, war, and the level of optimism one must contain. Throughout the book, Candide, the main character, is introduced to a number of religious characters including the Protestant minister, the Grand Inquisitor, and the Jesuit Baron.†¦show more content†¦Pangloss, Candide’s mentor, to represent the illogical beliefs of Leibniz and his followers. Dr. Pangloss teaches Candide that they are living in the â€Å"best of all possible worlds† and â€Å"there is no effect without a cause†. Candide, very naà ¯ve and impressionable in his youth, regards Pangloss as the greatest philosopher in the world, similar to the way many of Leibniz’s followers may have acted. Voltaire then creates the character Martin, a pessimist, to accentuate the flaws in this ridiculous philosophy. Martin tries to convince Candide that there is little virtue, morality, and happiness in the world. Candide begins to believe this after encountering one terrible disaster after another, such as the brutalities of war and the injustice of religious groups. One way Voltaire illustrates the irrationality of Pangloss’ philosophy is when Candide is reunited with the diseased and dying Pangloss, who had contacted syphilis. Candide asks if the Devil is at fault. Pangloss simply responds that â€Å"the disease was a necessary in this ‘best of all possible worlds’, for it was brought to Europe by Columbus’ men, who also brought ch ocolate and cochineal, two greater goods that well offset any negative effects of the disease† (17). Candide begins to realize the ludicrousness of what Dr. Pangloss is saying and eventually abandons his belief in optimism. At the end of the book, when asked what is optimism, Candide replies, â€Å"Alas†¦it is a mania for sayingShow MoreRelatedEssay on Use of Satire to Attack Optimism in Voltaires Candide1358 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Satire to Attack Optimism in Voltaires Candide       In its time, satire was a powerful tool for political assault on Europes corrupt and deteriorating society. Voltaires Candide uses satire to vibrantly and sarcastically portray optimism, a philosophical view from the Enlightenment used to bury the horrors of 18th century life: superstition, sexually transmitted diseases, aristocracy, the church, tyrannical rulers, civil and religious wars, and the cruel punishment of the innocentRead MoreCandide by Franà §ois-Marie Arouet 979 Words   |  4 Pagesknown as Voltaire, wrote Candide. Voltaire â€Å"was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state (Wikipedia).† He was born November 21st 1694 into an upper-middle class family. Voltaire started showing an interest in writing at a young age. Candide was published in 1579. It was a French Sat ire. 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