Volitaire Candid

Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire, in his satirical masterwork Candide, critiques both society and humanity wit little mercy. The author obviously seeks to expose all of the human race's self-deceptions and weaknesses, but he does so with great humor. Voltaire gives delight with his humor while planting the deeper message about the fallibility and corruption of humanity. This contradiction holds the power of Voltaire's writing. Candide provides a horrific portrait of the human condition, but it …

…defining standard by which human beings act. Evil certainly exists in the world but every human being can effectively combat it by doing good in his own personal life, by nurturing rather than destructive behavior. Voltaire apparently agrees with the Turk that tending one's garden "keeps us from the three great evils, boredom, vice, and poverty" (401). Work Cited Voltaire. Candide. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton, 1992. 334-402.