Why should a sincere, honest, and good man die and not the evil one? Does there have to be evil as well as good in this world to maintain a balance of nature? I personally didn't expect the Anabaptist's death at all because I though his role in the story was going to be crucial for understanding various of Voltaire's theories. Although, I think his death leaves us a really important message, which is Voltaire's criticism of the optimistic belief that evil is always balanced by good.When the Anabaptist saves the sailor, he ends up sacrificing his life as a result of his hospitality and kind spirit for an individual who is totally the opposite thing; selfish and evil. In this scene of the story we can see how in some cases its not about balance in nature, but of either good or bad surviving, in this case the evil survives. This scene totally critiques Pangloss's theory of optimism because no matter how optimistic an individual is, events such as these are unpredictable. Although the Anabaptist was more of a realistic human being, he had no bad intentions with anyone. We can also see how useless the christian values can be and that faith won't guarantee a safe destiny.
I'm not saying that optimism is a bad quality, I just think that we as human beings shouldn't rely on it because life is just unpredictable. Optimism helps us face certain events in a more positive way, which is great because with this attitude towards life, difficult situations won't be as hard to overcome later on.
Sorry if I'm being insistent or repetitive, but I'm so glad we're reading this book because it not only narrates a story, but it interprets the reality of our society and our thinking. By our thinking, I mean our beliefs about destiny and progress, which are greatly criticized in this book. According to Voltaire the reality of our society is barbarous and wicked.
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ReplyDeleteCamilo… the universe is full of surprises. Good-naturedly we would think that good things would in effect bring good things. W rely on Karma to do its job and balance everything out. However, as you said this is not possible. Unfairness takes place constantly around the world with failing attempts to stop it. In the end, the selfishness of human beings overpowers everything. Having optimism is a mask that hides reality. It helps us keep going and see the glass half-full, but Voltaire makes it clear in his mocking that it actually is ridiculous.
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