Voltaire's Candide is a novel which contains conceptual ideas and at the
same time is also exaggerated. Voltaire offers sad themes disguised by
jokes and witticism, and the story itself presents a distinctive outlook
on life. The crucial contrast in the story deals with irrational ideas
as taught to Candide about being optimistic, versus reality as viewed by
the rest of the world.
The main theme which is presented throughout the novel is optimism.
Out of every unfortunate situation in the story, Candide, the main
character, has been advised by his philosopher-teacher that everything
in the world happens for the better, because "Private misfortunes
contribute to the general good, so that the more private misfortunes
there are, the more we find that all is well" (Voltaire, p. 31).
Pangloss, the philosopher, tries to defend his theories by determining
the positive from the negative situations and by showing that
misfortunes bring some privileges.......
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