The Problem with Optimism in Habral and Voltaire :: Free Essays Online

The Problem with Optimism in Habral and Voltaire Bohumil Hrabals I Served The King of England follows Ditie, a vertically challenged hotel busboy, through his experiences and adventures, which, in effect, alter his philosophies about life. In an eighteenth atomic number 6 parallel, French satirist Voltaire takes his title character, Candide on a long, perilous move that results in a similar shift in beliefs. Characteristically, Ditie is similar to Candide, both men are very nave by nature and forever and a day optimistic about the worlds they live in. Only after these worlds are glum upside down by wars, natural disasters, inquisitions, and political changes, do Candide and Ditie occupy that in order to be happy with their lives they must cultivate their garden 1 create an individualized path for themselves based on their own philosophies. The parallels surrounded by Candide and Ditie are most obvious at the get goingning of the novels. The stories of the two characters begin with them living substantially in grand residences under fairly mature circumstances. Ditie is a busboy at the Golden Prague Hotel where, while non on duty, the staff is treated like guests of a slightly lower class. He makes enough money in his side business as a hot dog vendor that he is able to indulge his puerile fantasies weekly at a local whorehouse. Candide is living in palace Thunder-ten-tronckh with the beautiful Cunegonde, with whom he is in love. Neither boy realizes how little the masses think of them. Candide is looked down upon as an inferior because though he was natural of a noble mother, she never married, so he is in concomitant a bastard. Ditie, much to his later frustration is limited by his smooth stature. In addition to these similarities, they are both wide-eyed young boys, super impressionable and eager to please. Candide accepts Doctor Pangloss theories of metaphysico-theologoco-cosmonology without question. In laymans harm this is a ridiculous take on the belief that everything happens for a reason. Voltaire is qualification a satirical jab at religion as well as philosophers 2 Candide blindly follows the teachings of Doctor Pangloss, even though he does not fully understand the ideas, as if they were words from a god. Ditie awards the same awe and blind faith to his first boss at the Golden Prague Hotel, who reminds him to underwrite and hear everything and nothing at the same time.