The Justification Of Optimism In Voltaire's Candide

Candide is a man that never backs down from his word and he portrayed that through the novel Candide. Candide was no ordinary man in the time period he lived in because many people he associated himself and came across were no way near the person he is. Candide remained the humble, caring, loving man he was until the end. He carried out his honor to Miss Cunégonde like he promised her from the beginning, when he had to depart from her before he would get caught by The Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, all because he wanted to find love and experience how it felt to be cared about. He was a man that would not stop if someone tried to stop him, he was beaten numerous time, treated like he was unhuman, and witnessed a great deal of things that was

Voltaire’s character Pangloss differed from Candide by one main reason that stood out which the argument over optimism. Pangloss thought that the optimism is illusory and there was no hope in looking forward to what the future holds. He viewed optimism as a doctrine, meaning that it had to be abided by at all times (Ashley 1) Voltaire wanted to destroy Pangloss’s philosophy by having to repeat the truth. Sayings, such as, “"no effect without a cause” which means that his philosophy and reality are not relating. At this point Ashley does not think Pangloss character is going to change views (Ashley 1). Candide thought the opposite and he was optimistic rather than being pessimistic about the future. He believed there could be a change to all things if you just believe and do not think of negativity. Historical figures such as Martin Luther once said “everything that is done in the world is done by hope,” and the 20th-century author Norman Vincent Peale, who was an advocate for “the power of positive thinking,” have argued encouraging outcomes and thoughts about the future (Gallagher, Lopez, and Pressman 429). These historical figures were trying to get others to see what they were experiencing so they can get that optimistic back that they once had but lost it due to terrible experiences. Voltaire represented this in Candide and Pangloss

He says that it may not cover all aspects as Candide, but it is a good comparison because the Heliodoran tradition results from a desire to improve and make earlier traditions of romance that both novels have in common (Lynch 35). He thinks by comparing both novels, that it will show the uniting romance structure of the novel and romantic elements in the characters of Candide and Cunégonde (Lynch 35). The Heliodoran, and Candide expectations in the end are thwarted by the ending of the novel. Lynch uses these two novels to show that the endings will turn out good. When Candide met Don Ferdinando d'Ibaraa he could not dare to tell a lie, Candide is tempted but unable to go through with telling him that Cunegonde is either his wife or his sister. Since Candide could not tell a lie, it reminded Lynch of his persistent naivete, although the narrator thought differently and called it a romance convention displacement (Lynch