As this course is coming to an end, I reflected on the works of art and texts that I had the opportunity to examine and explore. I believe my favorite piece of work is Voltaire’s Candide. Not only did Voltaire expressed his views against Leibniz’s optimism, he did so with wit, style, and humor through Candide. Since Voltaire had seen the realities of natural disaster and human cruelty, he constantly mocked the belief of “the best of all possible worlds” as he placed Candide through every disaster and suffering possible. Even though Candide desperately clung onto the optimistic belief throughout the book, he finally realized that not all is for the best in this world. This discovery contradicted the teachings of his mentor, Pangloss, whose words and teachings he worshipped.
Another aspect of Candide that I especially enjoyed was its unpredictable events and situations. The events that Candide encountered are sometimes so outrageous and ridiculous that I sympathized him and despised his ignorance. However, it was through these events that readers are able to see the growth in Candide and highlight his qualities.
Voltaire’s Candide also succeeded in giving me a good understanding of satiric work and opposition of views basic to Enlightenment optimism. He addressed the question of how evil exist in a universe when created and governed by the good. Candide is Voltaire’s ridicule on blind optimism and the use of human reason in hope of dispelling evil.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment