I remember mentioning in past blogs that Pangloss apparently was right and everything was for the best. But now that I have read the old woman's story I realize that I might've been wrong. I used to agree with Pangloss based on the fact that Cunégonde and Candide had been reunited, and yes, that is certainly very good. But now, I kinda have a different view: I think Voltaire created Pangloss's character as a mockery, he created him to mock him, to make the book even more sarcastic. Every event, every story does nothing but contradict Pangloss's philosophy of "everything is for the best in the best of -all possible worlds," it's a mockery of that view. Why did he introduce that element into his book? To make fun of the philosophers that had that view? Or to criticize that view and say it's nothing but a lie? I don't really know, but it does make the book very ironic, because at the beginning the story starts with that amazing optimism, and then everything goes down. What happened to Candide, what happened to Cunégonde, what the lady went through simply shed light upon an immense quantity of evil things in our human society.
The mockery of religion, nobles, and people who apparently want to do good keeps going as strong as ever, in fact, that is one of my favorite parts of the book. I had previously talked about the Franciscan friar who stole Cunégonde's jewels, but I'd like to look at other examples. The strongest criticism to religion comes in the old lady's story when she says she's the daughter of Pope Urban X. This was actually pretty funny to me (because I don't really agree with the Catholic church) seeing how Voltaire says that not even the head of the Catholic Church can keep his vow of celibacy. It's practically saying that the whole institution is a lie, that no one can really be honest, or no one can resist the earthly pleasures that get Candide kicked out of the mansion and give syphilis to Pangloss.
Finally, by far my favorite criticism to the Catholic Church comes here: "I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. …for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away…." (Candide, by Voltaire. Pg 57). The old woman says these words at the end of her woeful story, saying that although she more than once wanted to kill herself, she never did it, and expressing her confusion on why do people with awful lives want to keep living. We have to take into account that the church in that time, said that anyone who committed suicide would burn in hell for all eternity. So we could easily imply that people didn't take their lives for fear of hell. But I think that the old lady (and hence Voltaire) disagree with that. In a way, I think that when she says "…somehow I am still in love with life." she is implying that not only her, but anyone with such awful lives don't kill themselves not because they are scared of hell, but because despite their misfortunes, life is still beautiful. Despite everything, they are still in love with life, because something attracts them to it. In the entirety of her story, that small phrase (although kind of ironic, seeing as how someone with the old woman's life would hate their life) gives me a sense of hope, and I cannot help but think: "if she loves her life after everything, I should be the most grateful person in the world." 
The title of this entry is what brought me here. You have made me ask myself that question without me wanting to do it, and I do love life, but I still believe that one could get to hate it when existence becomes unbearable. What you mentioned in the beginning about Voltaire criticizing the optimistic philosophies of his time with the character Pangloss is true. You might want to take a look at Christian Wolf, Leibnz, or Shaftesbury to see what he was talking about. But I don't agree with you on the later part where you say that when the old woman says she’s still in love with life, she means it. On the contrary I think it's a beautiful example of irony, completely illogical, even bordering ridicule. I think what Voltaire really means is that we have a strong bond with life, stronger than we ever imagine, and know that injustice and grief are a part of it, or that we deserve them, and therefore don't end our own lives out of guilt.
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