Where to Find Happiness

A question every human being must wonder about. Happiness expresses itself through many ways, and Voltaire makes it a recurring theme in Candide. Every character has his own definition of happiness. 

  For Dr. Pangloss, almost everything was full of joy, everything from teaching the Baron's children in the "best of all possible mansions" the wonders of education to lying on the streets of Amsterdam with an STD. His optimistic views made this possible, since he saw only the good things in life and thought they happened for the best. 


Finding happiness for Candide was a whole lot different. For a very naïve guy, he had his definition of being happy very clear in his mind. When he is in ElDorado, he says that even though "... the house where I was born won't bear comparisons with the mansions of this country; but still, I shall never be happy without Lady Cunegonde..."(82). Candide's way of being content was very different from Pangloss' ways. He could only be at peace if he was with his childhood love, Lady Cunegonde, even though he was surrounded by all the riches he could ever imagine.


Is happiness really being in love with a person? Can it be found without the love of anyone? Or can you find happiness everywhere you go just by seeing the positive side of everything? Certainly, there are a  lot of other views on happiness, but these two are the ones that can be easily identified in Candide. As of my views, I agree with this quote:

"There is only one success - to spend your life in your own way."