François-Marie Arouet wrote under the nom de plume of Voltaire, and produced works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. Candide, a pampered nobleman, is suddenly thrust out of his sheltered life into a cold uncaring world that does not care about his gentle upbringing. Candide witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world and must depend on his wits and quick actions to survive. Candide is sarcastic, erratic, fantastical, and fast-moving. This wonderful novel parodies many adventure and romance clichés Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers through allegory.