Monday, September 6, 2010
The Best of All Possible What?
I consider myself an optimist, but I do not think I could remain so if I led the life of any of the characters in Voltaire’s Candide. The horrors that they all went through would test even the toughest of all souls. But the matter of contention here is this: why keep the optimism? We all know that Voltaire has a problem with optimism and is letting everyone know about with the character Pangloss who has been diseased, almost hanged, dissected and imprisoned but stays on the bright side of life by justifying everything that happens. He even goes so far to claim that “the bay of Lisbon had been formed expressly for the Anabaptist to drown in” to justify not saving him (Voltaire 527). Think of how ridiculous it is for someone to think that a bay was formed expressly for the purpose of drowning one man? Or did he merely say it to justify not trying to save him at all? But, we do see Candide’s optimism waver when he says “It is mania for saying things are well when one is in hell” (552). He finally sees that maybe when things are bad, they are just bad. I understand that when things go bad maybe it is better to look on the brighter side things, but when it clouds your mind so you cannot see the truth it can be more of a hindrance to you than a benefit. Maybe if Candide would have thought about things more instead of being so naïve. He might not have had all of the horrors in his life because he would have been a little more cautious.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
We think alot alike but you put it in words better than I. It would be near impossible for most men of today to endure the things the men of yesterdy had to endure.
ReplyDeleteI think that Voltaire did an excellent job of showing his character Candide to be an optimist. Maybe even on a higher level than any of us could probably commit. This is actually where the fiction sat in for me. He was surely naïve, green even but he seemed to approach most of his situation looking at the glass half full and believing in his teaching form his master Pangloss,”His supplies gave out when he reached Holland: but having heard that everyone in the country was rich and a Christian, he felt confident of being treated as well as he had been in the castle of the Baron before he was kicked out….”(Candide 524). Here you have a guy that has been beaten, chained and even slapped by a 300 pound woman, OUCH!! But he believes that everyone in the country is rich and a Christian. Now that’s optimism, again green but optimistic. Even when “He asked alms of several grave personages, who all told him that if he continued to beg, he would be shut up in a house of correction..”(Candide 524) he still approached another.
ReplyDeleteCandide believed in his teachings so much that his acts of duty and selflessness was even controlled by it, “he wanted to dive to his rescue; but the philosopher Pangloss prevented him by proving that the bay of Lisbon had been formed expressly for the Anabaptist to drown in”(Candide 527). Was the philosopher saving Candide’s life buy preventing the rescue attempt? The question I would like to ask Pangloss is “was that rope made just for you to hang from or would you have let Candide save you a second time if he was able?”
i guess when you are naive there is not much left but optimism. if you do not know about the boogie man you have no reason to be afraid of it.so, maybe optimism and naive could go well together.here's the thing how many times can you get knocked down before you have to wonder if it is really for the best? Candide makes me think of a man walking through life taking it as it comes and expecting life to come to him until the end after all of his tribulations, when he finally understands that "we must cultivate our garden"(Voltaire 580). No matter what we do in life it is our responsibility to take care of our lives(gardens). at that point i believe Candide is no longer as naive but a little wiser.
ReplyDelete