Assignment 2: Literary Analysis
The major assignment for this week is to compose a word essay on a central theme that appears in one of the selected reading: Candide. In this paper you will write an in-depth analysis using your own ideas and excerpts from the text in the form of quotes, paraphrase, or summary.
As you prepare to write this essay, make sure you understand what you are being asked to do.
Topic
• Good and evil in Candide: Voltaire’s character, Candide, is naïvely innocent to the corruptness of the world, and, as he comes of age, he struggles to remain optimistic in the face of evil. Although raised to believe in goodness over evil, during his travels, Candide suffers a loss of innocence when he witnesses horrific acts of cruelty, natural disasters, and experiences human suffering. Afterwards, he grapples with the problem of evil and questions the existence of a benevolent God. Examine representations of good and evil in Candide and elaborate on the character’s loss of innocence and his struggle to remain optimistic.
**Write a literary analysis on good and evil in Candide.**
