In Voltaire’s Candide two characters acts as foils to one another. First introduced is Pangloss, the titular Candide’s teacher. Pangloss believes that this world is the best there can possibly be and that everything will works out for the better. Later introduced after Pangloss is presumed dead is Martin, another philosopher who believes that the world has been abandoned by God and left into the cruel hands of men.
Like the title character both philosophers face set back after set back; horrible things happen to them both in their back stories and the story proper. By the end of the story Pangloss still maintains that the world in inherently good; however, he no longer seems to truly believes it. Martin on the other head remains as he was at the beginning: sure of his belief that the world is a terrible place, and he tolerates his current state because he is positive that he would be miserable no matter what conditions he lived under.
Like the balance of reason and emotion that we talked about in class last week, the balance between optimism and pessimism is important. If you are constantly cynical about life, then you will never find a reason to be happy and you will be unable to better the world. Likewise if you insist that the entire world is pure and just, then you will find yourself greatly disappointed and struggling. Understanding that things won’t work out for the better just because the world is supposed to be good and that you have to consciously try to improve your life and the lives of others if you want the world to be what Pangloss believed it to be.
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