Page 142 - Middle Georgia State University - Knighted 2019

Reconciliation between Naïveté and Worldliness: Voltaire’s Candide
Justin Dowd

Candide, or Optimism has always been the most famous work of its author’s incalculably
influential career (Puchner 354). Voltaire uses satire and parody to bring awareness to some of
the most troubling injustices of the times as well as what he believes is the flawed philosophy of
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Candide, the most famous character of all of Voltaire’s works, is the
protagonist of this philosophical tale. The story primarily follows the trials and tribulations of the
titular character Candide. As Michael Wood states in his paper “Notes on Candide,” “Candide
inhabits a world which may seem freakishly full of disasters, of war and earthquake, repeated
rape and the persistent exploitation of the frail and innocent by the rabid and the strong” (192).
Though Candide faces these terrible truths and chases what seems like fruitless hope, he never
gives up.

After being kicked out of the castle of the Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh in Westphalia,
Candide has decided he will do whatever is necessary to get back to the dearest Miss Cunegonde.
His journey leads him from Westphalia to Waldberghoff-trarbk-dikdorff by crawling on his
belly, later fleeing battle to Holland, surviving the Lisbon earthquake, sailing to Buenos Aires,
discovering El Dorado, detouring to France, heading to Italy by way of England, and finally
finding refuge at his farm. It is Candide’s naïve, persistent nature, and seemingly unwavering
optimism indoctrinated in him at youth by the adamantly misguided Professor Pangloss that
helps him to survive so he can once again see his dearest Miss Cunegonde.

Along this journey Candide finds his professor and his love, as well as meets several new
people who help shape the outcome of this story, but the most important are Professor Pangloss,
whom he thought he had lost forever; an old woman who is the daughter of Pope Urban the

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