Candide, by Voltaire Voltaire's Candide is a novel which contains conceptual ideas and at the same time is also exaggerated. Voltaire offers sad themes disguised by jokes and witticism, and the story itself presents a distinctive outlook on life. The crucial contrast in the story deals with irrational ideas as taught to Candide about being optimistic, versus reality as viewed by the rest of the world. The main theme which is presented throughout the novel …showed first 75 words of 1486 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1486 total…for its zest, and not try to find a deep hidden meaning. Candide's learnings and the events that happened to him affected his character in many ways. He had learned to become his own person, to accept life for what it had to offer, and that not everything had to be analyzed to decide whether it was good or bad. In this way Candide can be an example for all those who read his story.