Candide

Candide

Candide is a very interesting story to read about. Candide goes through many adventures. Some of them are funny, some are sad, and some are strange. Voltaire writes about how Candide experiences laughter and uncovers evils like arrogance, cruelty, selfishness, and immorality. This story reminds me of when I was young, and when I would think about little adventures I wanted to experience or dream about, and then I would hit reality!

Candide is a very innocent young man living in the castle of the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh in Westphalia. Some of the old servants believe that he is the son of the Baron's sister. The Baron's sister refuses to marry Candide's father because his degree of dignity is less than hers. Candide lacks knowledge of the outside world. He believes that this castle is the best place to live in. He considers it ideal. One day he and Cunegonde, the Baron's daughter are seen in romantic positions.

English: Frontispiece and first page of chapter on...

Voltaire's chateau at Ferney-Voltaire, France.

The Auto de fe of Pangloss in Voltaire's Candide, ...

So he is kicked and thrown out of the castle.

Candide goes through many adventures to find his true love. The silliness of Candide is that the sadness combined with humor to make it lighter. There are times when I was shocked at the weird incidents that he would encounter. Nevertheless, the heartbreaking happenings, the point of the story is still romantic. The hero goes through various places and many adventures. He meets many people. All the time he is hungering to find and achieve Cunegonde. There is laughter in Candide, but it is disapproving laughter rather than the laughter of joy. He often finds Cunegonde and loses her. Again the search for Cunegonde continues. He is ready to sacrifice anything in order to get her. Her memory fills him with hope and joy.

Furthermore, all the confusion...