Voltaire (1694-1778), Candide, or Optimism
Reading Assignment
Voltaire, Candide: p.1-33, up to the end of Chapter 13
Study Question
For this assignment, I'd like you to choose one episode or quote from Candide that you found especially funny or strange. Please write down the page number(s) or if it's a quote, write down the quote.
Then, explain why you think it is funny or strange: does it remind you of anything you have ever heard of? Do such things happen today, or could the quote you chose be applied to today's world?
Also, more generally: What kind of world is Voltaire describing? What type of character is Candide and what point of view does Pangloss represent?