The books Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse and Candide, by Voltaire are alike in many ways. The main characters in these books both attempt to find their own personal happiness in different ways. Throughout these books, Siddhartha and Candide both embark on separate journeys to find themselves and where they belong in the world. Both Siddhartha and Candide try many things and experience some of the same situations in different ways.
In the book Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, the main character Siddhartha had many teachers along his quest for happiness. Throughout his life he denounced teachers and their teachings. In his last meeting with his lifelong friend, Govinda, he mentions five in which he was indebted: a beautiful courtesan, a rich merchant, a dice player, a Buddhist monk, and a ferryman. In contrast, Voltaire's Candide is a philosophical tale of one man's search for true happiness and his ultimate acceptance of life's disappointments. Candide grows up in the Castle of Westfalia and is taught by the learned philosopher Dr. Pangloss. Candide is abruptly exiled from the castle when found kissing the Baron's daughter, Cunegonde. Devastated by the separation from Cunegonde, his true love, Candide sets out to different places in the hope of finding her and achieving total happiness. The theme of Candide is that one must strive to overcome adversity and not passively accept it in the belief that all is for the best.
The first of these teachers along Siddhartha’s way is Kamala, a beautiful courtesan. Kamala taught him the wonderful pleasures of love and the importance of wealth and riches in society. “It had never been my experience that a Samana from the woods should come to me and desire to learn from me. Never has a Samana with long hair and an old torn loin cloth come to me. Many young men come to me, including Brahmin's sons but they come to me in fine clothes, in fine shoes; there is scent in their hair and money in their purses. That is how these young men...