Editing Candide (section)

===Satire===
The main method of ''Candide''{{'}}s satire is to contrast ironically great tragedy and comedy.<ref name = davidson54/> The story does not invent or exaggerate evils of the world—it displays real ones starkly, allowing Voltaire to simplify subtle philosophies and cultural traditions, highlighting their flaws.<ref name="starobinski194" /> Thus ''Candide'' derides optimism, for instance, with a deluge of horrible, historical (or at least plausible) events with no apparent redeeming qualities.<ref name = aldridge251254/><ref name=barasch3/>

A simple example of the satire of ''Candide'' is seen in the treatment of the historic event witnessed by Candide and Martin in [[Portsmouth]] harbour. There, the duo spy an anonymous admiral, supposed to represent [[John Byng]], being executed for failing to properly engage a French fleet. The admiral is blindfolded and shot on the deck of his own ship, merely "to encourage the others" ({{langx|fr|pour encourager les autres}}, an expression Voltaire is credited with originating). This depiction of military punishment trivializes Byng's death. The dry, pithy explanation "to encourage the others" thus satirises a serious historical event in characteristically Voltairian fashion. For its classic wit, this phrase has become one of the more often quoted from ''Candide''.<ref name=davidson54/><ref name=havens843>Havens (1973), p. 843</ref>

Voltaire depicts the worst of the world and his pathetic hero's desperate effort to fit it into an optimistic outlook. Almost all of ''Candide'' is a discussion of various forms of evil: its characters rarely find even temporary respite. There is at least one notable exception: the episode of [[El Dorado]], a fantastic village in which the inhabitants are simply rational, and their society is just and reasonable. The positivity of El Dorado may be contrasted with the pessimistic attitude of most of the book. Even in this case, the bliss of El Dorado is fleeting: Candide soon leaves the village to seek Cunégonde, whom he eventually marries only out of a sense of obligation.<ref name = aldridge251254/><ref name=barasch3/>
<!--
==== Picaresque ====-->

Another element of the satire focuses on what William F. Bottiglia, author of many published works on ''Candide'', calls the "sentimental foibles of the age" and Voltaire's attack on them.<ref name=bottiglia8992>Bottiglia (1968), pp. 89–92</ref> Flaws in European culture are highlighted as ''Candide'' parodies adventure and romance clichés, mimicking the style of a [[picaresque novel]].<ref name=bottiglia8992/><ref>Vannini (2011), pp. 106–107</ref> A number of archetypal characters thus have recognisable manifestations in Voltaire's work: Candide is supposed to be the drifting [[rogue (vagrant)|rogue]] of low [[class structure|social class]], Cunégonde the sex interest, Pangloss the knowledgeable mentor, and Cacambo the skillful valet.<ref name=aldridge251254>Aldridge (1975), pp. 251–254</ref> As the plot unfolds, readers find that Candide is no rogue, Cunégonde becomes ugly and Pangloss is a stubborn fool. The characters of ''Candide'' are unrealistic, two-dimensional, mechanical, and even [[marionette]]-like; they are simplistic and stereotypical.<ref name=wade1959b303>Wade (1959b), pp. 303–305</ref> As the initially naïve protagonist eventually comes to a mature conclusion—however noncommittal—the novella is a ''[[bildungsroman]]'', if not a very serious one.<ref name = aldridge251254/><ref>Waldinger (1987), p. 20</ref>