<p style="text-align: center"><em></em><a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bannedbooks_candide.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1838" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bannedbooks_candide-243x300.jpg" alt="" width="243" height="300" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F-pwmL5Zr9M/TSddaGXmOaI/AAAAAAAAALE/whPxF46ECR8/s1600/bannedbooks_candide.jpg">http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F-pwmL5Zr9M/TSddaGXmOaI/AAAAAAAAALE/whPxF46ECR8/s1600/bannedbooks_candide.jpg</a></p>
<em>Candide</em>, originally written in French, by Voltaire was written in Geneva, Switzerland in 1758; it was published in 1759 and translated into English within six weeks (Acosta). This book is about a young man who was exiled from his castle after being caught kissing the Baron’s daughter, Cunégonde. This story takes us through his adventures around the world trying to find her while along the way, encountering corruption, hypocrisy, and war, he finds enlightenment and wisdom. The world’s classic, <em>Candide</em> by Voltaire, should be preserved because of its satirical and philosophical view of society. <!--more-->

The Seven Years War (1756<em>-</em><em>1763) between England and France influenced and encouraged Voltaire to write Candide. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 also influenced Voltaire’s (and possibly many others) “darkened worldview” and demonstrated and exampled the disasters that happen in this world (Burt). In the 1750’s, the production of evangelical magazines, which the evangelical public believed the “temporal and the spiritual were suddenly and violently juxtaposed,” ceased (Snead).</em>

During the Enlightenment satire became a popular form of literature. A few examples would be “A Modest Proposal” written in 1729 by Jonathan Swift, and Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” in 1714. It was also typical to find French writers questioning human dignity and morality (Fiero). Most Enlightenment thinkers and writers did not intentionally bring religion into conflict with science, though it was perceived to be that way. Writers and philosophers in the Enlightenment questioned civil and religious authority, along with good and evil. This was definitely reflected in Candide. “Influenced by the English philosopher John Locke, Enlightenment thinkers by and large believed that through the application of reason, human beings could create better societies and better people” (Taylor).

This work is innovative for its time because it was original in its philosophy on optimism. It was different because it focused on thoughts and ideas rather than feelings (Burt). Candide stands out from its peers because Voltaire had “ferociously accumulated catastrophes to make the optimist's stand untenable” (Sareil). It was unusual because Voltaire decided to start “dangerous attacks” during an age when people were generally searching for peace and quiet (Sareil). In Candide, Voltaire “ridiculed Optimism by refusing to discuss a metaphysical theory in its usual and proper philosophical context” (Sareil).

One thing that all Candide readers agree is its “sheer exuberance as a piece of writing” (Wright). When the book first came out it was a huge success, but was condemned by the French and Swiss authorities and banned by the Catholic Church because of its “intolerance of religion” (Wendy). Geneva denounced Candide as “full of dangerous principles concerning religion and tending to moral depravation” (Burt). People believe it is timeless and as relevant today as it was when it was written. Candide was considered an indictment of its time, as a parody of adventure literature and as an example of disillusionment (Horn).

Today, people think it is one of the greatest satires of all time - a “world classic.” It took time after the publishing of Candide for contemporaries to see the impact that we see today because at the time, it represented danger for the Church. Even though it kills the theory of optimism, it is considered “the best-written and the most famous of the philosophical tales,” simply because it deals with the “problem of evil” (Sareil). Candide is an “enduring favorite with readers, young and old, everywhere” (Horn).

I agree with the point Voltaire is trying to make about the seemingly ridiculous views on society. I agree that it is ridiculous how people see horrible, evil stuff going on in the world (natural disasters, war, etc.) yet still believe it is the “best of all possible worlds.” I agree that once we know that we have no control over certain things, we have a peace of mind in knowing that, and we are able to enjoy the other things in life.

In “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, written in 1729, Swift satirizes the poverty and famine in Ireland (DeGategno). Similarities we see between this and “Candide,” other than they are both satires, are the reactions to these works, the fame and success, that they both involved real life situations to try to change people’s views about the problems in society, and their timelessness. They both were controversial, and they both had people that liked the works and people that hated them.

In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift used the real life situations of famine and poverty to make his point in his work, and Voltaire used the real life situations of the war and the earthquake to support his point. Candide was so controversial it was banned, and though “A Modest Proposal” was never banned it was also considered offensive to many. “A Modest Proposal” is “free from those restrictions that would make it dated (Rogal),” while Candide is also considered timeless.

Differences between these two works are that Candide is a journey story with characters and plot, while “A Modest Proposal” is, as its title suggests, a proposal stating a problem and suggesting a resolution. Another difference is that Candide touches on philosophy, and Swift’s work does not, and of course that Candide was banned, unlike Swift’s work.

Candide by Voltaire should be preserved because of its satirical view of society. Its ability to perceive tragedy as comical to the reader is powerful and enables us to agree that this is not the “best of all possible worlds.” Candide encourages us to understand that evil is every where, and is one of the “masterpieces of world literature” (Sareil). Candide is important because it allows the reader to realize that “once humans accept that they are limited in their capacity to understand the world and to affect events around them, they are ready to live life on its own terms and to accept its simple joys as well as its disappointments” (Racevskis). From this book we learn that “when illusions dissolve, the resolve remains to make the best of every situation by concentrating on the practical and tangible aspects of life” (Racevskis), and then we are thus able to “cultivate our garden” which Candide suggests in the end of the story.

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<p align="center">Works Cited</p>
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Acosta, Fajardo. "Candide." (2001): n. page. Web. 19 Sep. 2011. &lt;http://fajardo-acosta.com/worldlit/voltaire/candide.htm&gt;.

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Burt, Daniel S. "<em>Candide</em>." <em>The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Novels of All Time</em>, Revised Edition. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. <em>Bloom's Literary Reference Online</em>. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&amp;SID=5&amp;iPin= NOVLR080&amp;SingleRecord=True 26 Sep. 2011.

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DeGategno, Paul J. and R. Jay Stubblefield. "'A Modest Proposal'." <em>Critical Companion to Jonathan Swift: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work</em>, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. <em>Bloom's Literary Reference Online</em>. Facts On File, Inc. 4 October 2011.

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Fiero, First. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 13. 2. McGraw-Hill, eBook

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Horn, Pierre L. "Candide." <em>Masterplots II: Juvenile &amp; Young Adult Fiction Series</em> (1991): 1-2. <em>MagillOnLiterature Plus</em>. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.

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Racevskis, Karlis. "Voltaire." n. pag. <em>Gale Literary Databases</em>. Web. 10 Oct 2011.

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Rogal, Samuel J. "The Timelessness of <em>A Modest Proposal</em>." <em>English Record</em> 18.4 (Apr. 1968): 48-53. Rpt. in <em>Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800</em>. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 101. Detroit: Gale, 2004. <em>Literature</em><em> Resource Center</em>. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.

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Sareil, Jean. "Voltaire." <em>Scribner Writer Series</em>. 4. (1984): 367-392. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. &lt;http://galenet.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/servlet/Scribner/s1562&gt;.

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Snead, Jennifer. "Print, Predestination, and the Public Sphere." <em>Early American Literature</em> 45.1 (2010): 93-118. <em>World History Collection</em>. EBSCO. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.

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Taylor, Karen L. "Enlightenment in France." <em>Facts On File Companion to the French Novel</em>. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. <em>Bloom's Literary Reference Online</em>. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&amp;SID=5&amp;iPin= CFN161&amp;SingleRecord=True 26 Sep. 2011.

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Wendy, . "Candide - Wendys Book Review." <em>Banned Books</em>. (2007): n. page. Web. 24 Sep. 2011.

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Wright, Johnson. <em>Candide, Voltaire, and the Enlightenment</em>. Web. 24 Sep.