I felt like “Candide, or optimism” was a look into one man’s struggle with with accepting that evil does exist. In the best of circumstances we’d all like to be like Candide and Dr. Pangloss and believe that everything is for the best. I wish that like our friends Dr. Pangloss and Candide I could believe that personal tragedy’s and mass atrocities exist to serve the greater good, but I was given the gift (curse?) of thought and rationality instead of blind acceptance. I don’t believe that this is the best world and all is for the best. I think some things in life simply suck (death, illness, famine, Twilight movies, Real Housewives of wherever ETC…) and serve no greater purpose and should be acknowledged as such. I believe that every human starts out similar to Candide, accepting the world as it’s presented to them and not questioning it. This world is all we know so if everything isn’t for the best then what can it all be for? If we don’t believe that there’s some underlying good behind the tradegy that we see every day then why even bother waking up in the morning?
It’s an easy way to get through the day, but it doesn’t change the fact that ignorance is not bliss as Candide learned the hard way. But as the story develops it seems like Candide begins to question his mentor Dr. Pangloss’s belief system as the horrors in his life continue. As he reminisces about the hanging of his lifelong mentor, and the murder of his true love, and drowning of a comrade he wonders to himself “If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are others like?” Voltaire is saying that just because this is the only world we know that doesn’t mean we need to blindly accept it. When I see a person swimming in refuge begging for change on the side of the street I don’t think that serves the greater good in any way. The world is just unjust and there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging it. Voltaire is showing how denial is a dangerous thing and as our main character learns will force you into the same problems over and over again.
