Voltaire was a famous French writer, historian and philosopher during the age of Enlishentment. His writing affected lots of people during that time. One of his novel, “Candide” represents his satire of Optimism through the “ special traveling” experience of Candide. This short novel is interesting because it separate the whole novel into pieces of story that make readers keep reading it without feeling boring. Candide has “honest mind with great simplicity of heart” and believes what Pangloss’s optimistic thought that “the best of all possible world.”In Chapter one, Voltaire exactly explains the meaning of the name of this novel “Candide or Optimism” Its opening answers me my question for this title and helps me understand it better. When I keep reading this novel, I realize the difficult live Candide had experience and how he changes his believe that not all things are best in the world. Candide was kicked out of castle where he lived in because he loves Cunegonede. His traveling let him know that the world is cruel, not always optimistic. He escapes from Bulgars and then faces Earthquake in Lisbon. He views the darkness and autocracy of church, and then he meets his love and knows her experience. Although he makes some kindness people, he still sees how the world is. He realizes that the all things in the world are not perfect and best. Factors outside and experience change Candide‘s believe.
When I read this novel, I realize that thoughts always change when people experience more. For a child, food and playing will make them very happy because they are not worried about other things. As a student, they believe that their most important things are study. When they grow up as adults, they experience a lot and know how to survive in the world. They are more mature and know how to deal with different problems. In the situation of adults, Study and playing are not their major things in their life. They believe that they should work study and earn money for their families.
When people live in the protection world, they do not think the out side realistic world. Life is helpless, is not what you think that easy. When Candide lived in castle, he did not think about the unpeace and cruel out side of castle. This links to our lives. Whe we are young, we are protected by parents. When we grow up and studying, we gradually accept the world. Then, we can survive in the world when we work.
People would learn more after they people experience more. As I was a child, I believed that all the things I could see were the whole world. After I grew, I learned that the real world is not just about what we can see. Sometime, we just see the good side of the world and don’t realize the darkness. Education can help people build up their critical thinking and help people to justify the real world. Besides, we also need to combine our knowledge with our experience.