Is it the best of all possible worlds?

From the start, Candide’s theme is the best of all possible worlds. Dr. Pangloss taught Candide that indeed it was the best of all possible worlds. However a few chapters later we find the main character’s life completely destroyed. To pile on his beloved Pangloss is hanged. So the question throughout the horrible events that happen during the book is: is this the best of all possible worlds?

“ ‘To think of Pangloss and my dear Cunégonde, and all that has happened to them! What do you make of this world of ours?’ ‘I find it senseless and detestable piece of work,’” Pg 110

Questions like these frequent the book with no end. This theme, I would say also ponders people’s lives today. How can the world be best when so much suffering and injustice occurs every day? As Voltaire I have conclude that the world just is the way it was made. It is the best of all possible worlds because there are no other worlds! That is how I think Voltaire incorporates Eldorado. He invents it to show that only imaginary places are perfect. Wherever there are people, problems will occur.

“Candide’s melancholy increased, while Martin kept proving to him that there is little virtue and little happiness in the world, except perhaps in Eldorado, where no one could go.” Pg 113

As you can see, Voltaire clearly believes that there is no way everyone could be happy in the real world. However the prevailing question in this last part of the book has gotten sadder and sadder. Martin, Voltaire’s friend is like the little devil that always appears on cartoon’s shoulders in the movies. They convince the cartoon character of evil and make them pathetically sad. Martin looks like such a character but is actually of a very reasonable man. He always seams to be a realistic and quite rational, he always thinks of the worst of people. This character is a great addition to the book because of the realism he entails. With Martin we are able to understand how absurd and dumb is our beloved Candide. Having so much money in diamonds and gold from Eldorado, why would he track down a woman when he could easily get another?

“ ‘What a pessimist you are!’ exclaimed Candide. ‘ That is because I know what life is,’ said Martin