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If this is the best of possible worlds, what then are the others?…
Optimism was one ridiculous point in the text that Voltaire criticized, as evidenced by the needless deaths and the unbearable suffering of people. When he asks, “If this is the best of possible worlds, then what then are the others?” Candide, like in the text, exudes optimism. The humorous fashion in which he is being whipped in this moment embodies optimism. Voltaire criticizes the optimism displayed here, pointing out that not only did the Lisbon disaster force the people to hold an auto-da-fe, but Candide himself suffered as a result of these beliefs, and he questions whether this is the best that could happen, considering the suffering he is going through right now. Additionally, “Biscayner, and the two men who had refused to eat bacon, were burnt; and Pangloss was hanged” as he is being lashed rhythmically. Additionally, this picture symbolizes the needless deaths that followed the earthquake that wrecked most of Lisbon and the people’s “beautiful auto-da-fe,” which involved the “burning of a few people alive by a slow fire, and with a great ceremony.” Furthermore, this auto-da-fe would prevent further earthquakes that would devastate Lisbon. This is the view that Lisbon residents hold to be true in order to keep earthquakes from occurring naturally again. However, all of these deeds were carried out “the same day the earth sustained a most violent concussion,” in a sarcastic manner.
“A hundred times I was upon the point of killing myself; but still I loved life.”
One particularly ridiculous scene in Voltaire’s “Candide” is when Candide meets the elderly woman, who tells him of her terrible experiences and calamities. The elderly woman talks about being the daughter of Pope Urban X, going through the horrors of war, losing her family, being sold into slavery, and going through a lot of humiliations in this episode. She ends her story with the words, “A hundred times I was upon the point of killing myself; yet I loved life,” in spite of these insurmountable challenges. One of our most deadly vices may be this foolish inclination. After all, what could be more ridiculous than wanting to always bear a load that one can always drop? Voltaire criticizes the unreasonable commitment to life despite the extreme misery and difficulties people may encounter with this ridiculous story. The elderly woman’s incredible fortitude in the face of hardship serves as a remark on the larger subject of human endurance and the contradictory nature of holding on to life even in the face of overwhelming circumstances. Voltaire’s condemnation of Pangloss’s philosophy and the larger societal difficulties he addresses in “Candide” are reinforced by his satire of the foolish optimism that endures in the face of harsh reality.
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