Voltaire's Candide: "All is Not for the Best"
Voltaire's Candide is the story of an innocent man's experiences in a
mad and evil world, his struggle to survive in that world, and his need to
ultimately come to terms with it. All people experience the turmoil of life
and must overcome obstacles, both natural and man-made, in order to eventually
achieve happiness. In life, "man must find a medium between what Martin
(scholar and companion to Candide) calls the "convulsions of anxiety" and the
"lethargy of boredom"" (Richter 137). After a long and difficult struggle in
which Candide is forced to overcome misfortune to find happiness, he concludes
that all is not well (as he has previously been taught by his tutor, Dr.
Pangloss), and that he must work in order to find even a small amount of
pleasure in life.
Candide grows up in the Castle of Westphalia and is taught by the
learned philosopher, Dr. Pangloss. Candide is abruptly exiled from the castle
when found kissing the Baron's daughter, Cunegonde. Devastated by the
separation from Cunegonde, his true love, Candide sets out to different places
in the hope of finding her and achieving total happiness. On his journey, he
faces a number of misfortunes, among them being tortured during army training,
yet he continues to believe that there is a "cause and effect" for everything.
Candide is reunited with Cunegonde, and regains a life of prosperity, but soon
all is taken away, including his beloved Cunegonde. He travels on, and years
later he finds her again, but she is now fat and ugly. His wealth is all gone
and so is his love for the Baron's daughter. Throughout Candide, w ...