Candide Outline - Pangloss's Optimism or Martin's Pessimism?

Which do you prefer: Pangloss's optimism or Martin's pessimism? Why?

I. Although it takes strength and faith to be optimistic like Pangloss in Volataire's Candide, Pangloss's optimism is an example of satire and lacks reason because his belief is merely based on religion, however; Martin's pessimistic view prepares one for the challenges and unexpected occurrences in life, which Candide faces many of.

1. Voltaire uses satire and mockery in this book to easily point out believable details and those which one could not fathom to be true, and he displays to the reader how optimistic and pessimistic views can influence someone, both positively and negatively.

2. The contrast in ideas between Martin and Pangloss causes the reader to choose which character is more realistic, which character supports his ideas better, and which character is more creditable.

2. Pangloss's optimism is truly satirical and leads Candide to have a false impression on the world and life events, and his optimism is a parody for Gottfried Leibniz, who questions why bad things happen to good people.

1. Pangloss's optimism has brought Candide to believe that the world should be full of rape, enslavement, and war because these are events that occur in his life, and if this world is the best of all possible worlds, then these events are the best events that could happen.

2. Candide is influenced in a way such that everything he does is the best thing that could happen and is what should be done, despite it being murder, such as his murdering of Don Issachar and the Grand Inquisitor and putting a sword through the innocent baron, Cunégonde's brother.

3. Candide befriends Martin when he is traveling, and Martin is a cynical scholar whose pessimistic view on life is based upon hardships that have happened in his life experiences.

1. Martin has more knowledge than both Pangloss and Candide, and he is also more intellectual, therefore his ideas are more substantial.

2. Martin is one of the characters that can be most easily identified with because he has a more realistic outlook on life based on real life experiences. He is honest and looks at situations as they really are at face value, instead of trying to make everything seem good. He uses his experiences to shape his thinking.

4. The optimism of Pangloss is the utmost satirical detail in this book, while the pessimism of Martin is the most believable detail, and he is the most believable character.

1. It highly unlikely for someone to remain as optimistic as Pangloss when they have been almost hanged, infected with syphilis, and imprisoned, therefore Pangloss does not seem like a real character whose philosophy on life one could agree with or study.

2. Candide is a satire, therefore Voltaire himself thinks that Pangloss's optimism is ludicrous because it is being made fun of and mocked in this book.

5. It is difficult for one to take Pangloss's optimism seriously when it is being exaggerated to the point where Pangloss remains optimistic by ignoring any evidence that could possibly contradict his thoughts.

1. Candide is completely influenced by outside opinions, and being influenced by Pangloss means that he believes everything in life is good and nothing can go wrong. He believes that every decision he makes, whether it is truly good or bad, is good because it is happening is he best of all possible worlds.

2. Because Voltaire does not take Pangloss and his beliefs seriously and mocks them means that readers are not suppose to take Pangloss's optimism seriously; they are guided more towards taking Martin seriously because he is not being mocked to the extent that Pangloss is.