Pangloss's Use Of Optimism In Candide

Candide is introduced as a young man living a very privileged life in the castle of the Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh in Westphalia. He is revealed as being quite a naïve and easy trusting young man who is banished from the castle for his love of the Baron’s daughter, Miss Cunégonde. His banishment and desire to be with Miss Cunégonde sets him on a path to discover another way to make their love story possible. Even though his life is filled with unfortunate bizarre happenings that range from losing the love of his life, being forced to join the army and from rags to riches, he sticks to optimism hoping all will be well. He philosophically thinks everything happens for a reason and therefore one has to live through the positive and negatives

His philosophy of life advocates for complacency which has no place in the real world. For instance when Jacques drowns in the bay of Lisbon, Pangloss holds back Candide from saving him by stating that the bay of Lisbon had been created “expressly for this Anabaptist to drown in.” Through Pangloss teachings Candide makes a realization that no one has the power to alter the past and the future happenings. According to him the only reasonable thing is to deal with life as it presents itself. This can be seen as a major alteration of Candide’s philosophical thought. This thus gives the foresight that he has eventually transformed from the person he initially was. At the end, he prefers to adopt the practical labor philosophy that is sold to him by the old farmer. Even though the change in philosophy happens, his personality is still unaltered. He is thus incapable of making his independent opinions he has rather just swapped the idea of a change of ideology from Pangloss to that of the

Cacambo and Candide make a decision to leave Eldorado in their search for Cunegonde after much thought. This is an illustration of their independent thought, in the process, they come across a one legged slave and Candide laments in mockery of Pangloss that “You had no notion of these abominations! I’m through, I must give up your optimism after all. This shows his willingness and transformation into his own man. In the process of trying to find a way to arrive at Venice, Vanderdendur dupes him and this totally makes him devastated but instead of thinking on the philosophical lines of Pangloss that Vanderdendur was present for the purpose of him being duped he makes his own independent