The main characters, through whose eyes we see the Administration, the Village, and the City—together with their girlfriends—are in a specific relationship with power and society. Kandid and Perez are scientists, people of thought; they reject violence and persecution. Both are “ill with longing for understanding” and will strive for the truth until the very end, but each by his own path… Perez, who had recently still dreamed of freedom and joy of life for everyone, having obtained power, is afraid to confront the state. Kandid is stronger and happier than Perez; he manages to understand what’s happening and challenge him. Confronted with the horrors of the forest and the Administration, he decides — despite his obvious helplessness — not to surrender under any circumstances. He wants to become a stone that slows down the “millstones of progress” and remains a winner — a snail on the slope…