Voltaire wrote Candide in 1759 at a “time…when the conventions and inequalities of European society were being questioned and attacked from all sides” (v). It is clear from the text that his ultimate goal in writing this novel was to highlight the flaws of French society, such as the emphasis on money, unconditional adherence to religion, and foolish philosophical speculations. The reader is bound to find Candide, the main character, and his adventures amusing and humorous, but the underlying messages of this seemingly light-hearted story are evident. One of the devices Voltaire uses is an ironic tone, which helps him expose his feelings about the class system in France at the time, in which Candide represents the elite. Voltaire particularly achieves irony by making fun of his characters, placing them in ridiculous situations and exposing them to the light of humor. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Candide maintains an overly optimistic view of the world throughout the story, even though he witnesses and experiences many disasters. His love for Cunégonde is so questioned that it seems impossible that anything could come of it. He travels the world, having been banished from his home for being seen kissing her, and struggles to survive. But Candide believes he lives in “the best of all worlds” (7), an idea repeated so many times that he and Pangloss seem idiots, because they seem to live in the worst of all worlds, prey to tumultuous situations. Candide maintains a sunny view of the world because he counts on blind luck to save him. His perpetual luck closely resembles that of the aristocracy of the time, whom Voltaire despised for their inherently unjust privileges. Voltaire's choice of diction also castigates Candide and the blissful ignorance of the people he represents. Each incident is depicted as greatly affecting Candide, although nothing has any lasting effect on him. After being chased out of the castle where he lived, Candide “walked for a long time without knowing where, crying, rolling his eyes to heaven” (3). Candide is in great pain, but Voltaire's choice of words gives the impression of how a child would behave after being sent to his room. A child would view his punishment as catastrophic, until he is distracted by something else, just as Candide is by the dinner he is about to attend. After a while, Candide's unrealistic series of adventures begins to seem endless. He sees a bloody battle taking place, learns that Cunegonde and his entire family have been killed and sees the man who took him in, Jacques, drown in a horrible storm. The reader is then led to think that things could get better or become easier for Candide. But he continues his journey and upon his arrival finds Lisbon destroyed by an earthquake. Pangloss was hanged for heresy, and Candide is beaten for believing in Pangloss's philosophies after hearing the news of his death. It's bittersweet news for Candide when he discovers that Cunégonde is not dead, but rather that she was raped and turned into a sex slave. The two plan to get married; However, Candide's bad luck is far from over. He loses Cunégonde to a richer man who proposes to her. He resumes his tumultuous adventure, which includes almost getting eaten by a Biglug tribe, and having the fortune he finds in El Dorado stolen. Candide is neither a noble nor intelligent man, so the fact that he went through all this, let alone remained optimistic, is scandalous;.