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Analysis Of Voltaire 's ' Candide '

Decent Essays
In Candide, Voltaire introduces many different characters, some which represent the implementation of mockery and sarcasm. The role of Pangloss in particular embodies this portrayal of satire towards the Enlightenment. Voltaire uses his book to reflect his own critical view of the time period, mostly against those who were reluctant to change their methods of thinking. Much of this judgment is through the commentary of Pangloss, Candide’s tutor and the Baron’s philosopher, who seems to always have an optimistic view even in the worst situations possible and refuses to see it any other way; this can be interpreted as a metaphor for the Enlightenment.
According to Pangloss the world was always good and anything that seemed evil was simply for the greater good in the end. He was ignorant to any other thoughts, even if challenged by others who disagreed; he strongly stood by this belief. The Enlightenment was similar in the sense that those who chose to ignore new findings and understandings kept to their old traditions and refused to pursue any further knowledge. For example, Voltaire uses absurd scenarios, but no matter the case Pangloss will remain in his ways of believing in universal reason. When there is both a shipwreck and earthquake that kills the Anabaptist and nearly everyone else on the ship he says, “all that is is for the best. If there is a volcano at Lisbon it cannot be elsewhere. It is impossible that things should be other than they are; for everything is
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