So I have finished reading Candide for history last night. Strange book. One of the characters, Pangloss, says that"Everthing is for the best in this best of all possible worlds" meaning basically that whatever bad stuff happens to you it is always for a good reason. So the death of millions is actually a good thing because those people were put there to die...or some-such idea. The premise of the book is that Voltaire is satirizing this theory, which was created by a guy named Leibniz. In the book Voltaire puts his protagonist Candide through terrible hardships, and has the philosipher Pangloss always reason, "It is for the best". Murder, theft, rape, torture, earthquakes, partial cannibalism...many terrible things happen to the characters in this book. Pangloss sticks to his guns about it being for the best because that is what was meant to happen...I think....but Candide luckily smartens up a bit. Although a more satisfying ending would have had Candide punch Pangloss in the face.
I don't quite get the book yet... I have to read the essays in the back and try to think of soemthing intelligant to put in my 2000 words essay.
Oh Gosh...
Prehaps I should be doing that now instead of later...
Research here I come!
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