"The Enlightenment era" was the name of a movement which embodied the power of reason and rational thought. Most enlightened thinkers attacked the nobility, the church, and the belief in petty fallacies and fears. Candide reflects the thoughts and sentiments of Voltaire who is considered to be a truly enlightened thinker. This paper will further analyze the character Candide, and Voltaire's usage of the novel to present his views on blind optimism and the double standards of religion.
At the beginning of the novel Candide is introduced as "honest mind with great simplicity of heart" (520). He is told from is mentor Pangloss, that everything is always of the best in their best of all possible worlds. This attitude of "everything-happens-for-reason" is exactly what Voltaire is trying to mock. Showing Candide endure all sorts of hardships and troubles, yet keeping a positive outlook on life, illustrate how "unreasonable" it is to have the same position as Candide. Voltaire was......

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Title: Candide
Approximate Word Count: 601
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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