All For The Best..

The book Candide is a satire written by Voltaire, it is a hilarious book I really enjoyed. After finding myself laughing alone at home I thought about the genius Voltaire is and how he mocked everyone in his society while writing a great and entertaining novel. This novel has many targets many of which include philosophers such as Pangloss, the aristocracy such as Count Pococurante, and just mocking things like death, war, and the idea of happiness and mostly "all is for the best" although the characters were stabbed, hanged, robbed, etc. 

First making fun of philosophers by constantly mentioning Pangloss and what he would have done, and his way of seeing things when the reader is actually thinking: What kind of moron thinks that after going through such tragedies all is for the best? Clearly nobody in our society today. Voltaire also mocks the aristocracy through out the book, a great example is Count Pococurante, this man is a Venetian noble who does not appreciate anything, a perfect statement of a satirical tone is the following: "You must admit he is the happiest man alive, because he is superior to everything he possesses." (Pg. 123) 

I also think he makes fun of the idea of death and the pursuit of happiness. He mocks death by having everyone dyeing and then bringing them back to life, like most of the characters in the book.  And I think one of his targets is the idea or the pursuit of happiness, there is a point in the book were Martin and Candide make bets and go around asking people about their lives, and Candide always looses because they don't manage to find people that are actually happy with their lives, they ask nobleman and poor people and after finding everyones life was miserable Candide finally gives up saying "There is nobody so happy as I shall be when I see Lady Cunegode again." (Pg. 124) This phrase is another example of satire because when Candide actually finds Cunegode, she is a horrible woman that Candide would actually rather not marry although he does, and his destiny winds up with him working in a garden.

I think the book is great and I would absolutely recommend it to somebody who enjoys laughing, and although I read some grotesque parts in the book I think "all is for the best."