Voltaire was a Frenchman, an author, a philosopher and a poet. Voltaire was born and raised in the ideas of the Enlightenment period of early 18th century Europe. He wrote and spoke on all topics; raising eyebrows and sparking controversy among all who have heard of him. He said of Christianity that it was "the most absurd and bloodiest religion that has ever infected the earth". He called Muhammad a “sublime charlatan.” His defiance of religions, philosophies and institutions sometimes led to his exile from whatever country he resided at the time. Voltaire was known for his wit and satirical tone that made readers laugh and shudder at the same time. Of course, Voltaire's writings were not only intended to infuriate those around him (although in some cases that appears to be one of his goals), but also to address the many social ills of that period. Specifically in his book Candide, Voltaire uses satire regarding characters and situations to address and/or explore social evils in his society. There was at that time a growing following of Leibnizian optimism which simply stated that everything happens for the best. This has been distorted into the idea that everything is fine in the best of all possible worlds. Voltaire saw the flaws in this “logic” and was particularly disillusioned when the Great Lisbon Earthquake struck in 1755. This particular tragedy not only inspired a scene from Candide, but also left tens of thousands dead in its wake. This gave Voltaire greater justification for his argument against Leibniz and his followers. In addition to philosophies, Voltaire also used his various writing techniques to express his opinion on issues such as the class system, the w...... middle of paper... ....his optimism. Voltaire was so enraged that anyone could take comfort in the deadliest earthquake in the history of the Earth by simply saying that it must have been for the best or that it must have been that way. He carries this philosophy through the rest of the novel where many more injustices and tragedies occur. But optimism survives until the end. Living on a small farm, having lost all his wealth and married to an ugly woman, Candido is finally disappointed that everything is going well. Candide finally understands what Voltaire has tried to clarify throughout the story. Candide sees that nothing is meant to exist and everything we have is nothing more than everything we have done. Candido finally understands that he must cultivate his own garden so that something grows, not only from his land, but also from himself.