Candide Quotes And Analysis

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Candide Candide was thought to be the bastard son of the sister of Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh in Westphalia. He was raised in his uncle's castle under the tutelage of the house oracle, Pangloss, who instructed Candide in the philosophy of metaphysico-theologo-cosmonigology, which states that human existence is designed so that all things happen for a reason and therefore must be for the best. Candide accepts this belief without question and, upon entering manhood, finds this belief challenged at every turn. Candide begins his journey after discovering first love with the beautiful Lady Cunegonde, daughter of the Baron, and presumably Candide's cousin. The Baron discovered their improper affair (Candide's father only had…show more content…
He subjects the poor characters of his novel to every imaginable evil that man has been wont to commit in order to prove that this could not be the best of all worlds. Secondarily, Voltaire also seems to have other bones to pick. Hardly a paragraph is written that does not contain a sarcastic comment about or outright mockery of some person, idea, or institution. It is a credit to the skill of the author that he is able to present his criticisms with a humor that is as intoxicating as it is relentless and controversial. The sheer number of insults and implications made by the author coupled with a healthy sprinkling of aristocratic inside jokes would indicate that he essentially wrote this book for himself and other like-minded intellectuals of the enlightenment that disapproved of the status quo or could at least appreciate his cheeky sense of humor. I found the book very enjoyable and caught myself laughing out loud many times at the boldness of Voltaire’s slickly woven asides. He spent so much time attacking other people and their ideas though, I began to wonder if he would ever express his own ideas. Amid all of his negative commentary, I think it
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