Setting

Voltaire's satirical novella Candide takes place in the mid-18th century, during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe. The story unfolds against the backdrop of major historical events of the time, including the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. This turbulent era of philosophical debate, political upheaval, and natural disasters provides a rich canvas for Voltaire's biting social commentary.

The narrative spans a vast geographical area, with the characters traveling across Europe, South America, and the Ottoman Empire. Key locations include Westphalia in Germany, where Candide begins his journey; Lisbon, Portugal, where he witnesses the aftermath of the devastating earthquake; El Dorado, a utopian city in South America; and Constantinople, where the story concludes. This global scope allows Voltaire to critique a wide range of societies and cultures.

Within these broad regions, Voltaire depicts a variety of specific settings that highlight different aspects of 18th-century life. These include the idyllic castle of Thunder-ten-tronckh, Jesuit missions in Paraguay, Venetian palaces, and humble farms. The contrast between opulent and impoverished locales underscores the novel's themes of social inequality and the illusory nature of optimism in the face of widespread suffering.

Characters

• Candide: The naive and optimistic protagonist who gradually becomes disillusioned with optimism through his misfortunes
• Pangloss: Candide's mentor and teacher who stubbornly clings to philosophical optimism despite endless hardships
• Cunégonde: The beautiful daughter of a baron who Candide falls in love with
Cacambo: Candide's loyal and resourceful valet
• Martin: A pessimistic scholar who becomes Candide's traveling companion
• The Old Woman: A mysterious woman who helps Candide and tells her own tragic life story
• Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh: Cunégonde's brother who opposes her relationship with Candide
• Paquette: A servant girl who spreads syphilis and later becomes a prostitute
• Brother Giroflée: A unhappy monk who becomes entangled with Paquette
• Don Issachar: A Jewish merchant who “shares” Cunégonde with the Grand Inquisitor
• The Grand Inquisitor: A corrupt Catholic official who also keeps Cunégonde as a mistress

Quick facts

• Voltaire wrote Candide in just three days, according to a popular legend (though this is likely untrue).
• The book was banned immediately after publication for its criticism of religion and government.
• Candide was a bestseller, selling 20,000-30,000 copies in its first year despite being banned.
• Voltaire published Candide under the pseudonym “Monsieur le docteur Ralph".
• The phrase “Let us eat a Jesuit” from Candide became a popular saying after publication.
• Candide was listed on the Catholic Church's Index of Forbidden Books.
• The book was temporarily banned from entering the United States as late as 1929.
• Leonard Bernstein adapted Candide into an operetta in 1956.
• The conclusion where Candide decides to “cultivate our garden” is widely debated by scholars.
• Candide is considered Voltaire's magnum opus and a classic of Western literature.

About the author

François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, was one of the most influential writers and philosophers of the 18th century Enlightenment. Born in Paris in 1694, Voltaire established himself as a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in nearly every literary form including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He was known for his wit, his criticism of the Catholic Church, and his advocacy for freedom of speech and separation of church and state.

Voltaire's philosophical views were shaped by his experiences in England, where he lived in exile from 1726 to 1728. He was impressed by British constitutional monarchy, religious tolerance, and freedom of speech, which contrasted sharply with French absolutism. These ideas influenced many of his most famous works, including Letters Concerning the English Nation and his satirical novella Candide. As a historian, Voltaire helped pioneer a new approach that emphasized social history and the arts and sciences rather than just military and political events.

Though Voltaire was a deist who believed in God, he was highly critical of organized religion, particularly the Catholic Church. He saw religious intolerance as one of the greatest evils in society and campaigned against civil injustices carried out in the name of religion. His famous saying “Écrasez l'infâme” ("Crush the infamous thing") referred to his lifelong battle against religious persecution and superstition. Despite his criticism of religion, Voltaire believed that belief in God was necessary for social order and morality.

Voltaire spent the last 20 years of his life in Ferney near the Swiss border, where he continued to write prolifically and correspond with other leading Enlightenment figures. He died in Paris in 1778 at the age of 83, having produced over 2,000 books and pamphlets and 20,000 letters in his lifetime. Voltaire's ideas on religious tolerance, freedom of speech, and social reform had an enormous influence on the French Revolution and the development of liberal, secular democracies in Europe and around the world. He remains one of the most celebrated and controversial figures of the Enlightenment era.