Self-discovery

Throughout one’s lifetime changes in a person’s views toward life are inevitable. Those changes can be seen as either positive or negative based on the experiences a person goes through. Some changes are seen as internal while others are seen as external. For instance, in Monkey by Wu Cheng-en and Candide by Francois-Marie Arouet De Voltaire, both authors are using their characters to portray self-discovery by having them go through a series of obstacles. As a result the characters changed their attitude toward life through the many obstacles that they had to undergo. Self-discovery is an essential part of a person’s life which can be seen internally or externally through a person’s characteristics and actions. The novel Candide is centered around the character of Candide who sets out on a journey to self-discovery in which he has “his eyes opened up to the true ways of the world” (www.associatedcontent.com). However, in this novel changes in Candide’s character can only be seen externally. Even though his opinions of the world change, he seems to hold on to the same essence throughout the entire story. At the beginning of the novel we see that Candide is very naïve and we also see that he only believes whatever he hears. Candide believes everything that Pangloss teaches him. Candide’s ignorance is shown when he sits with the Bulgars and says “You are quite right, it is just as Dr. Pangloss always told me, and I see clearly that everything is for the best” (Voltaire, 522). In the beginning we can see that Candide is living a pretty normal life however, things quickly change for Candide. Since he only believes in certain philosophical beliefs, he must act and live according to them. The basis for all that Candide believes in lies in the teachings Pangloss. These teachings are summarized when Pangloss says