My perspective regarding suffering.

The theme of suffering is bleeding throughout this text as if this is all Voltaire knows. He discusses many unfortunate events as if it is nothing. In addition, Voltaire in some sense by listing every occurrence without any indication of flow or opening to interpretation creates in a way a feel that he may be cold-hearted and that death and suffering is plainly inevitable in life. However, I believe he tells it how it is, which I admire. At times generally reading texts may get tiresome and you just want the author to get to the point so in Candide which I am very fond of is exactly just that. It is definitely very eventful in every chapter. For my blog post I simply want to discuss how darkness which is carried throughout the reading is in my opinion symbolic. It is often said that there is no life without death, good cannot exist with out the balance of evil. Additionally heaven must coincide with hell, because where else may we condemn those who are unrighteous. As humans we all want answers and reasoning for everything and anything. We yearn for certainty; however to know we all are eventually destined to reach our final breathes and enter an unknown existence for an unknown amount of time scares the bejesus out of us; well maybe not everyone there’s always a select few, but speaking on my behalf it does. Many upstanding characters were dying leaving you thinking but why them? (For example, Pangloss or Jacques). However sometimes you should think why not. Death is consistently linked to feelings of sadness, sympathy, and/or heartbreak however in a way it can also represent rebirth. I am not saying it literally like reincarnation I mean rebirth in values and principles. To elaborate, rationally speaking we tend to learn more from hardships to remind us we are strong individuals that are motivated to want better for ourselves, and who are never fully content with life. Seeing that will help you realize the idea that trying to move forward and grow into more of ourselves is important to advance to the next level of understanding. We must understand developing oneself continually is essential in order for progression to occur. So with death which we as a whole can agree is all around us, reminds us that life is short and the good may die therefore live for them, live to create a better society, live to never be fully satisfied and to keep growing in order to achieve success and ultimately live a fulfilling and grateful existence.

While reading Candide, one of the characters I found most intriguing was Pangloss. Voltaire made Pangloss out to be the optimistic philosopher which can relate to me since I try to say optimistic in most of my views as well. Although reading about the encounters Candide faces in every chapter is very interesting, I cannot help but think why Voltaire would kill off the character that gave not only Candide, but the readers hope. With almost every encounter that Candide faced, before the death of Pangloss, he remained optimistic as to why events unfold the way they do. Pangloss states to the sufferers of the earthquakes in Lisbon, “”For,” said he, “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 right.” Pangloss’ optimistic views, that everything happens for a reason and for the best did not play out in favor with the Portuguese authorities when they hung Pangloss for voicing his thoughts. I used to think that if you stay optimistic and positive that good things may come your way, however, I never thought an upbeat, positive person would face such fate as Pangloss did, which kind of saddened me. Along with the death of Pangloss, came the death of Candide’s hope that everything is for the best. Hopefully through all the journeys and hardships he encounters, he can gain back the hope that everything is for the best and not face the same fate Pangloss did.