Candide explained

Candide, a young man of gentle disposition, lives in the castle of the Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh in Westphalia. He is taught by the philosopher Pangloss that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Candide is expelled from the castle after being caught kissing Cunégonde, the Baron's daughter. He is then forced into the Bulgarian army, witnesses a brutal battle, escapes, and travels to Holland where he meets a beggar who turns out to be Pangloss, now disfigured by syphilis. Pangloss recounts the destruction of the castle and the deaths of the Baron, his family, and Cunégonde. Candide is taken in by the charitable Anabaptist James. They travel to Lisbon, where a devastating earthquake occurs. Candide and Pangloss are seized by the Inquisition for their optimistic philosophy, and Pangloss is hanged. Candide is beaten and later finds Cunégonde alive, who tells him her story of survival. Candide kills her captors, the Jew Don Issachar and the Grand Inquisitor, and flees with Cunégonde and the Old Woman to Buenos Aires. There, they are pursued, and Candide leaves Cunégonde behind, fleeing to Paraguay with his servant Cacambo. In Paraguay, Candide kills Cunégonde's brother, the Jesuit Baron, and escapes with Cacambo to the land of El Dorado, a utopia of immense wealth. They leave El Dorado with great riches, but Candide is robbed by the Dutch skipper Vanderdendur. In Surinam, Candide meets the pessimistic scholar Martin and they sail to France. In Paris, Candide is swindled and falls ill. They travel to Venice, where they witness the supper of six deposed kings. Candide finds Paquette and Friar Giroflée, both miserable. They sail to Constantinople, where Candide finds Pangloss and the Baron alive, working as galley slaves. He ransoms them, and they reunite with Cunégonde, who has become ugly. Candide marries her despite his reluctance, and the group settles on a small farm. After much philosophical debate, Candide concludes that the only way to find contentment is to 'cultivate one's garden,' rejecting Pangloss's optimism and Martin's pessimism for practical work.