Voltaire's Candide is one of the great books of European literature. Candide is remarkable because it is a comedy derived from tragedy. What is also remarkable is Candide has many themes to it that were controversial for its time. It touched on the topics of deism, toleration, humanitarianism, optimism, and even freedom.
The story of Candide is a story of blind optimism in a pessimistic world. Candide is naïve. For a time, he reacts to such events as torture, war, and catastrophe by recalling the favorite sayings of his tutor, Pangloss, among them “Every effect has a cause” and “All is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.” As the situation only seems to get worse, his doubts begin to increase. Pangloss tends to show up throughout the story to give Candide further examples of illogical logic. One example is when he claims that syphilis needed to be transmitted from the Americas to Europe so that Europeans could enjoy New World delicacies such as chocolate. This blind optimism is countered by pessimistic characters such as Martin and Cacambo. They see no good in the cruel world they live in. Candide started out a blind optimist but shifts towards pessimism after he spends time with Martin. Voltaire uses corrupt, hypocritical religious leaders to satirize religion in his novel. The first religious leader that Candide encounters is a Protestant orator who believes that the Pope is the antichrist. Candide gets banished for not believing that the Pope is the antichrist. The irony is that the orator is the opposite of what a Christian would believe, as he is full of hate. It is here when Candide meets Voltaire’s first true good person, James. James is a member of a radical Protestant movement called the Anabaptists. He is perhaps the most humane and generous character in the novel. He drowns trying to save sailor from drowning. This parody is of Pangloss’ theory that evil and good are always balanced. The sailor he saves is a representation of evil. Candide then comes across an officer of the Inquisition. The Inquisitor mocks Pangloss by saying “Apparently you don’t believe in original sin, sir, for if all is for the best, there can be no fall or punishment” (27). This is an example of hypocrisy of religious ideals. Pangloss is hanged for this, but is later found to be alive. Perhaps this is a parody of the Crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Later, Candide encounters the daughter of a Pope, a Catholic priest who should have been celibate. Then Voltaire introduces a Jesuit colonel with homosexual tendencies. Homosexuality is condemned by the Jesuits. Towards the end of the story Candide meets his friend Paquette, who is now a prostitute. Paquette tells Candide, “Oh sir, if you could only imagine what it’s like to be forced to caress without discrimination an old merchant, a lawyer, a monk, a gondolier, or a priest” (91). Two of which took vows of chastity. The final hypocrisy is found in chapter 30 when Candide, Pangloss and Martin meet a Holy Man and try to discuss philosophical questions about good and evil. The Muslim slams the door in their face after telling them, “What does it matter whether there’s evil or good?” (111).This shows his rejection for all organized religions he rejects. The religious institutions are not the answer. The answer lies within. It was no denying that Voltaire was against organized religion. The city of El …show more content…
They were looking for a world with more freedom. Freedom to travel. Freedom of speech. Freedom to be who you want to be. Not much freedom is given to the characters. They are all pretty much forced into their roles. Candide gets forced out of Westaphilia for loving Cunegonde. He is forced to join the Bulgarian army. Cunegande as well as Cacambo, Pangloss, and Cunegonde’s brother are forced into slavery. Paquette is forced into prostitution. Brother Giroflee is forced into becoming a monk. Freedom is but a wish for these characters. When Candide and Martin visit the Venetian nobleman, Martin spots some shelves with English books and says to the nobleman, “I think that any republican would enjoy reading most of those works written with so much freedom.” To which the nobleman replies, “Yes it’s a fine thing to write what you believe…”