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  • Essay / Candide by François-Marie Arouet - 989

    The Enlightenment philosopher François-Marie Arouet, commonly known as Voltaire, wrote Candide. Voltaire “was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, attacks on the established Catholic Church, and advocacy of freedom of religion, free speech, and separation from the Church and the State (Wikipedia). » He was born on November 21, 1694 into an upper-middle class family. Voltaire began to be interested in writing at a young age. Candide was published in 1579. It was a French satire. A satire is "the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, especially in the context of contemporary politics and other issues current affairs (Oxford Dictionary)”. Candide mocks the ideas of the philosopher Leibnitz through the character of Pangloss because Leibnitz believed in an optimistic world and Voltaire believes that thinking that way makes someone a hypocrite. Candide defines optimism as “a mania for pretending that everything is going well when things are going badly” (Voltaire, p. 48). Throughout the book, many themes and symbols are present. One of the major themes present throughout the book is love. Love is what guides Candide on his journey and helps him overcome the obstacles he endures. His love for Cunégonde is unconditional and his spirit is determined to join her regardless of the problems he encounters. The second half of Candide takes place in the utopian society of Eldorado. Eldorado is used to symbolize the ability associated with humans to create a non-violent society. This is Voltaire's perception of an ideal society. Eldorado is perfect, but after a month Candide realizes that he can't be there without Cunégonde, so he starts...... middle of paper...... ged and if I had not had the misfortune of killing the Baron, I would swear that it was they who were rowing on this galley (Voltaire, p.80). It was them and they explained the mishap of their deaths and how they had not been killed. I found it very interesting that Pangloss and the Baron were still alive and no one had any idea. Throughout Candide, the themes of the corruption of money and love are present. Candide tolerates false friends, allows himself to be exploited and constantly throws his money away to dishonest people. Despite all this, he continues his journey to find Cunégonde because he truly loves her. They all retire to the garden, which symbolizes a new beginning. They avoid philosophizing too much and keep busy cultivating the garden. Throughout life, you must work to get what you want, regardless of the challenges that may arise..