Candide

As much as I love Voltaire' Candide, I can't seem to wrap myself around this satire as an epic. First off, the story seems to begin more ab ovo. There is a clear beginning; it almost starts with a once upon a time. Through a series of unfortunate events, Candide begins a journey that doesn't seem to be as straight as those in other epics. He is often taken off course and pursues other adventures. His entire quest is for the lovely Cunegonde. In the end, he does find Cunegonde, but she is not the girl of his dreams. His entire "epic" journey has been a bit of waste. She isn't beautiful, she's sun-burnt, with bloodshot eyes, a withered neck, wrinkled face, red scaly arms. His prize is rotten! At the end of a hero's journey, he is supposed to have something to show for it. He doesn't have a beautiful girl; perhaps, Candide is one of those fellows he ends up with wisdom only the hero may gain—but he seems to reject all of the knowledge he has gained through his experiences and refuses to better society, content to live the remainder of his days cultivating his garden. He is too selfish to share his wisdom (if he has gained any, which I don't believe he did, he just kind of quit). Don't get me wrong; Candide's an amazing satire—I cannot classify it as an epic.