Human suffering is a problem that haunted Voltaire. Not only did he have tremendous sympathy for those who suffered, but he also experienced many misfortunes throughout his life. Voltaire recognized different types and causes of suffering and how it affected humans all over the world. In the novel Candide, Voltaire writes about the painful life of a man named Candide. Throughout his travels across the globe, Candide experienced and witnessed human suffering everywhere. He sees many different types of people affected by this problem. Only through education, experience and reflection does Candide realize that human life will always have suffering, and people should work to their best abilities to acquire happiness. Voltaire explored the different sufferings in his novel Candide. Although Voltaire thinks human suffering is inevitable, he also believed there are certain things that can increase or decrease the amount of suffering one must endure throughout their lifetime.

Voltaire had a several opinions about where suffering came from. He thought suffering was inevitable and undiscriminating. "Voltaire rejects the idea that evil can be eliminated" (Gordon-5). Because evil cann

Human suffering is inevitable to an extent. There is no way for humans to avoid it, and there are no guarantees concerning the degree of suffering one will have to endure during a lifetime. People can however make several changes in their lives to possibly lower their suffering. Education is the key. When people learn that hard work and dedication are the two best ways to be content in life, they will not suffer as much. Voltaire explains this method for self- improvement in Candide. Voltaire shows the importance on one's whole attitude concerning their life. An attitude that is either too optimistic or too pessimistic will always result in that person's misery. The optimist is always disappointed with reality and the pessimist never has hope or faith in the future. A healthy medium is the best attitude to have when attempting to improve one's future. Man is responsible for his own destiny to large degree.

(Voltaire-116). Candide feels responsible for the suffering of the two people and in return he suffered more. Candide also rescued the Baron from suffering, and ultimately his death. In return, the Baron still was disapproving of Candide marrying his sister due to his inferior social status. "I would never allow myself to be disgraced in this way. No, never will my sister marry anyone but a Baron of this country" (Voltiare-115). Humans can in some ways bring suffering upon themselves.

Humans can do several things to reduce their suffering throughout a lifetime. Education is one of the most important methods. Voltaire's whole purpose with writing Candide was to inform the reader about human suffering and the possible causes. In the

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