The Nature of Unhappiness in Candide

Candide is well known for its critique of optimism by Voltaire. The title character, along with his companions, bears many hardships throughout the novel and philosophizes about the nature and necessity of good in the world. Whether there is truly any good in the world is debated between the characters, particularly between the very discouraged Martin and Candide, who carries with him the optimistic words of Dr. Pangloss, a believer in the good nature of the world. While the characters debate why man must carry such burdens, Voltaire shows us that it is dealing with the bad that makes us human. While discussing Cunegonde Martin says to Candide, “I wish…that she may one day make you happy. But I very much doubt she will. ‘You are a bit hard,’ said Candide. ‘That’s because I’ve lived,’ said Martin”.
To live is to experience the good and bad. For our characters in Candide, their experiences are largely negative. As the novel......

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Title: Candide Paper
Approximate Word Count: 1316
Approximate Pages: 6 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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