Voltaire is right in Candide, where he argues that life on earth is hell in many ways. Voltaire accurately describes how people are often selfish and how they inflict misery on others as a result. Voltaire also accurately describes common forms of cruelty in society. Although he may be mistaken in thinking that all wars are equally senseless and avoidable, Voltaire is correct in showing that war inevitably produces atrocities, which constitutes hell on earth. In support of these claims, let us examine Voltaire's precise description of human selfishness. An example would be the behavior of the sailor that Pangloss and Candide met during their trip to Lisbon. This sailor was saved from drowning by James the Anabaptist. However, when Jacques himself fell into the sea, the sailor refused to risk his life to save him. Because of this selfishness, Jacques died. Later, when the sailor arrived ashore, he ignored the suffering of those horribly injured by a recent earthquake. Instead, the sailor took money from them to get drunk and hire a prostitute. This sailor was totally self-centered and indifferent to others and by not helping anyone he was actually inflicting misery on them. When terrorists destroyed the World Trade Centers and many police officers and firefighters were killed, many people received money for loved ones who did not die and used the money for gambling, drinking alcohol and prostitute themselves. Human nature in this regard has not changed since the book was written. That being said, Voltaire's description of how human selfishness can often turn life on earth into hell is accurate. Voltaire's description of the frequency of cruelty in society is also well supported. For example, Voltaire describes how Candide arrived in the middle of a paper...again as an example, there have been many cases of people who have risked their own lives to save others and have therefore received quotes and promotions. as well as the admiration of their family and friends. This objection to my argument, however, ignores an important idea of ​​Candide. That is, Voltaire felt that he had to use exaggeration and one-sided presentation to ensure that his audience did not refuse to deeply contemplate how much cruelty and selfishness exist all around them at all times and how much people suffer because of it. Works cited and consulted: Frautschi, RL Barron's Simplified Approach to Voltaire: Candide. New York: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1998. Lowers, James K, ed. "Cliff Notes on Voltaire's Candide". Lincoln: Cliff Notes, Inc. 1995. Voltaire. Candid. New York: Viking Publishers, 1976.