Analysis Of Candide And The Pen Name Of The Frenchman

Cameron Donald Candide Book Critique Candide was written by Voltaire, the pen name of the Frenchman, Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, and was first published by Gabriel Cramer in Geneva during early 1759 . This book was assigned by our teacher because it expresses the beliefs of Voltaire who was a prominent thinker during the Enlightenment Age in Europe. Such thinkers held various philosophical beliefs which were a major cause of social change at the time. This ties in perfectly with our class’s current unit on the French Revolution. By understanding the satirical tone of the book, we can understand what specific topics Voltaire strongly opposed. The book provides practical information that is useful for the unit, such as the philosophical beliefs†¦show more content†¦In the book, Voltaire showed that blind optimism should be replaced by rational thought and life experience. The characters look foolish when they deal with such exaggerated and horrible events and still stay optimistic. This influences the reade r’s comprehension of Voltaire’s point. Candide grows up in a castle in Westphalia believing the teachings of his tutor, Pangloss, specifically the optimistic belief that they are living in the â€Å"best of all possible worlds.† When Candide falls in love with Cunegonde, the daughter of the baron, he is thrown out of the castle and his hardships begin. Candide vows to find Cunegonde again. During his travels he experiences and witnesses much human suffering, but remains optimistic, especially when he is reunited with Pangloss. Candide eventually finds Cunegonde, but he begins to question the validity of Pangloss’s belief and to accept the idea of pessimism which is expressed by the character of Martin. Candide learns that â€Å"cause and effect† are a result of life experiences, not just optimistic thinking. He reaches the conclusion that hard work and objective results are what is most important, not extreme wealth. This is illustrated in the conclusion of the book when Candide meets a successfu l farmer. Candide and several of the other characters cultivate their own garden in which each person has his or her own role. With hard work and