When reading the book Candide, it is impossible to ignore that the main character, Candide, has to deal with some traumatizing events and intense punishments. He is kicked out of his home, which he considered to be the most beautiful castle in existence, for an innocent kiss with the daughter of the king. He is unknowingly recruited into a savage army and flogged almost to death by other soldiers. His tutor and friend was executed. He was split from his love interest. He experienced hunger, poverty, constant displacement, death and seperation, and general sadness. Was this all necessary?
From a literary standpoint, yes. The point of the book is to challenge the philosophy of Liebniz and his followers that all is for the best. Though what happens to Candide during his adventures is a bit extreme, it is meant to prove the point that there are times when all isn't for the best and all is stressful, but to tell ourselves that it's for the best is an unrealistic and irrational assumption. Some things may be for the worst and we have to face that. To ignore that life is sometimes unpleasant is a bit foolish. Voltaire therefore dramatized Candide's punishments to the extreme. Realistically, Candide didn't deserve what was served to him. All his punishments were much too severe and rash. But without these cruel and unusual punishments, Voltaire's story would be just a story and it wouldn't serve its purpose of criticizing and questioning.
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