Candide | Essays and Criticism

  • Voltaire's Satirization of Optimism and Pessimism

    In the following essay, the author explores how Voltaire satirizes both extreme optimism and extreme pessimism through his characters' reactions to the world's evils.

  • Companionship in "Candide"

    In the following excerpt, the author argues that the fulfillment of Candide's need for companionship is essential to resolving the problem of "how a good man can live in an evil world."