Compare and Contrast Happines in Candide, Rasselas Essay Example

he has interpreted God's design and wishes for others to understand it too. This essentially encourages a type of innocence.

Despite the perceived flaws and evil in the world, everything operates under the divine laws of God. The perception of imperfection and wickedness can be attributed to our restricted thought processes and lesser intellectual capacity. One might question the strong connections, beautiful dependencies, fair gradations, and whether the whole can be contained in a part? Is it you or God who upholds the grand chain that aligns everything and supports them? (Pope 369). Pope suggests we should embrace our place in the cosmic hierarchy. By doing so, we can lead contented and joyful lives.

The position of humans in the hierarchal order is placed above beasts yet beneath angels, implying that we are merely a fraction of the larger scheme of God. We then encounter Voltaire, the author of Candide. Contrary to Pope who accepted life in its existing condition, Voltaire was amongst those individuals who initiated questioning their existence. Although he was a believer in God and not an atheist, he struggled with religious belief and posed questions about biblical texts. Essentially, he was a perplexed person in search for clarification.

The driving force behind Voltaire's decision to pen Candide were these inquiries. In this literary work, Voltaire satirized numerous facets of religion and life perception, particularly those held by individuals like Alexander Pope. An Essay on Man by Pope was a significant subject of ridicule in Candide. Contrary to Pope, Voltaire acknowledged the existence of evil in the world. Initially, Voltaire admired Pope but later he disowned such a

hopeful outlook that he once adhered to, upon realizing that the immense hardships and suffering experienced by humankind made it illogical.

He concentrates on the conviction that "all is for good." Candide is an unsophisticated and impressionable individual who is inclined to unquestioningly accept the perspectives given by his mentor, Pangloss. “Exemplifying superbly, he argued that there can't be an outcome without a cause. And in this optimal world, the baron's castle is deemed the most majestic among all others, and his wife the best among baronesses. —It's evident, he stated, things couldn't possibly be different because everything is created to serve a purpose. Therefore everything necessarily serves the best purpose” (Voltaire 378).

Pangloss, a character in the narrative of Candide, mirrors Pope and other philosophers who unwaveringly assert that our world is the finest one possible. This conviction is continuously reinforced by Pangloss throughout the story. Throughout their journey, both Candide and Pangloss encounter numerous obstacles and misfortunes. Despite witnessing these hardships, Pangloss remains steadfast to his beliefs while Candide becomes skeptical about his own convictions. Even when faced with evidence of worldly cruelty, he continues to spread misplaced optimism and justify appalling global predicaments till the narrative's conclusion.

Nevertheless, Candide manages to disconnect from his mentor's beliefs and formulates his own outlook after facing myriad horrors. In the end, they opt for a secluded lifestyle, engaging in gardening for the rest of their existence, away from society. The myriad contrasting viewpoints about life they initially possessed, have resolved into a shared lack of any. Dismissing concepts of optimism or pessimism, they simply focus on tending to their garden. The very

act of gardening eliminates the room for philosophical contemplation about life and happiness, thereby resulting in a greater degree of contentment for everyone.

Samuel Johnson's The History of Rasselas shares significant similarities with Voltaire's Candide, albeit with less humor and more straightforwardness. It implies that the idea of perfect happiness is a myth and what constitutes genuine happiness varies from person to person. Although it requires substantial proof to insist that one cannot achieve happiness, we often see our friends and family as experiencing this emotion, prompting us to aspire for it too. Essentially, Johnson puts forth the concept that things may appear better elsewhere but this perception isn't always accurate.

Having chosen to vacate their existence in the blissful Happy Valley - a place often characterized as the epitome of paradise - in pursuit of novel experiences, Rasselas and his crew learned the hard truth about this choice. They arrived at the conclusion that life has to offer more, and they yearned to instigate a transformation. At some point, we all face a phase in our life where we examine our existing lifestyle and ponder on questions like, "Do I fit in here?" "Am I missing out on more life has to offer?" To find answers to such inquiries, one necessarily needs to engage in exploration and be open to observing varied lifestyles.

Rasselas and his acquaintances precisely did this. They investigated their environment and had the opportunity to perceive what others believed to be real joy, but they disagreed with all views. They found themselves back at their starting point, where they were originally meant to be, but now

they possessed a more lucid understanding of how they desired to lead their lives. “The Europeans, replied Imlac, are less miserable than us, but they aren't joyful either. In every corner of the world, human life is a condition where much has to be tolerated and little can be relished” (Johnson 451).

The concept of happiness is not a universal truth for everyone. Just as our faces are unique to each individual, so too are the workings of our minds—there are no two exactly alike. Some find pleasure in music, while others interpret it differently. Ultimately, happiness is subjectively determined based on personal perception and interpretation. Alexander Pope proposes that we all form links in a chain and even amid life's hardships; it's essential to keep hope alive and trust God's plans for us. In contrast, Voltaire argues that acknowledging the multitude of evils is superior to naive optimism which only jeopardizes future gains and makes us look foolish—as exemplified by Pangloss in Candide. Samuel Johnson believes that the pursuit of happiness can be an infinite journey because it varies from person to person.
These three authors each have their distinct perspectives on what constitutes happiness but share a common interest in understanding its core nature. They all sought to make sense of the world and delve into the notion of happiness to truly comprehend its essence and gauge its attainability.