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Optimism In Voltaire's Candide

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In the Candide by Voltaire, there are two well-known and popular characters that are reflected upon from the beginning to the end of the story. Voltaire allows his story Candide to express the way people are able to agonize and grieve after a catastrophe strikes and their knack to handle the aftermaths of the tragedies. His main goal in this story is to use the beliefs of Optimism through the relationship and situations that the two main characters, Dr. Pangloss and his student Candide, encounter. These characters are shown off to be the perfect optimistic people; however, they make choices throughout the story that does have a huge impact and effect on their lives. Pangloss and his student Candide have an agreement that, “everything is for …show more content…

His tutor Pangloss instills in him a doctrine of optimism whereby "everything is for the best." One day, the Baron discovers Candide and Miss Cunégonde, the eye-catching daughter of the Baron, kissing and due to his action he finds himself banished from the castle. Candide is then taken in by the Bulgars, Prussian troops, where he fights in their army. In time, he is accused of abandoning the army being forced to choose between two options, death or the gauntlet. Candide subsequently flees and runs away, coming into contact with Pangloss again. Pangloss then informs him that Westphalia was attacked by the Bulgar soldiers and everyone had been killed. It can be assumed that the attack on Candide’s home was due to him fleeing away from the troop. Following this drastic news they fled off to Portugal with the help of a welcoming gentleman. As all good things seem to be followed with a dramatic ending in this story thus far, due to a terrible storm at sea, the friendly man dies. At this point in the story, the quality of lives that Pangloss and Candide are living is very poor and risky. Due to the fact that they are trying to run away from their problems in search of a better life but along the way horrible things are happening to innocent

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