Pangloss is a very interesting character in this story and could be considered the driving force behind the satire which Voltaire creates. “Everything necessarily serves the best end.” This quote is essentially the very basis of Pangloss’s belief. This optimism, that everything happens for a reason, is the main target of satire for Voltaire. What makes Pangloss such an interesting character is the fact that he is completely unbelievable. He is a greatly exaggerated version of a person of faith.
An important part of the satirical nature of Pangloss is the absolutely expressive amount of hardships that he goes through, he has syphilis, is nearly killed, and put in prison and through all this he still maintains his crazy belief that all is right with the world this way. He also is the reason for a mans death. He could have saved the Jacques, but chose not to because “the bay of Lisbon had been formed expressly for this Anabaptist to drown in.” The very nature of this character is utterly ridiculous. Anyone with any sort of common sense would not follow the beliefs of Pangloss, but the fact that Candide follows him blindly is part of Voltaire’s commentary that there will alwasy be those who cannot, or do not want to think for themselves and would rather have someone do it for them.
