Paper Two

Ashley Yanchuck

May 8, 2019

ENG 225-IN

Paper Two

Don Quixote - Harmful Message

Contemporary readers develop by seeking for novels and messages that can held close to their heart, soaked in, and acted on. Within this category of readers, you will find many that are drawn to works with deeper hidden messages, others scream the moral of the story. In some cases, the reader may even have to look through irony to understand the developing theme. One of these ironic and satirical pieces is Don Quixote. The piece exposes readers to many adverse topics. Through reading Don Quixote, a reader will encounter themes of mental illness, which can hinder the progression and growth of such a developing contemporary reader.

Don Quixote, a satirical, mock-heroic novel, was constructed by Miguel de Cervantes in the Spanish early sixteenth century. The plot revolves around middle-aged, controversial hero, Don Quixote, who becomes consumed by the acts of chivalry witnessed in a series of books he has read. He sets off on a journey with fellow, Sancho Panza to act on these chivalric impulses and defeat all evil. A classic fairytale setting, otherwise noted in this two part novel, are strategies for embracing chivalry and keeping its pulse, but also finding oneself. The question becomes, at what limits to readers reach before distinguishing between the present day life and one that does not exist?

Mental illness consumes the victim it leaches onto. In reading the same books about chivalry over and over again, Don Quixote obtains a cycle in his mind of recurring experiences saving others; "[f]inally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up he went completely out of his mind" (Cervantes). Quixote is mad because of his own doing. He holds an inevitable drive to make the world accept chivalry, to any and all extent.

It is questioned: “I’d like to know now which is the madder, he who is so because he cannot help it, or he who is so of his own choice?”(Cervantes). This is pondering whether Quixote was always mad, or made himself mad with the books he was reading. In turn, it relays the message that by continuously reading and delivering the same message, one has the chance to turn into a madman. Of course, the subsequent actions and how much it is allowed to consume a contemporary reader must be factored in. However, the novel is embracing the insanity to provide an ironic storyline, continuing to promote the other aspects of mental illness.

Living in a fantasy world may not necessarily be by choice to those suffering from mental issues. Through the repetition and continuous cycle of reading fantasy in his everyday life, Don Quixote eventually begins to form a fantasy world around him. The madness he is incurring consumes even his daily life, “he is so ridiculous, inhabiting a universe of his own concoction,” (Stavans). This went so far as to live the stories he was reading, such as believing an inn to be a castle. When questioned about money, he stated he “[h]ad not a farthing, as in the histories of knights- errant had never read of any of them carrying any” (Cervantes). The madman even went as far into his false world as to change his name, “...he made up his mind to call himself “Don Quixote,” (Cervantes). With the protagonist living in a fantasy world, imagining scenes, one can definitely argue that Cervantes decided to invoke the creative mind, however much harm can come from that mental state.

Don Quixote’s only desire was to be a successful knight-errant, however nothing was truly ever accomplished through his long endured quest for chivalrous greatness. He lived only for the world created in his mind. Nancy McCray writes, “Quixote had ‘neither realistic expectations nor clear successes’”. With this statement, it signifies that with no clear path, the protagonist is simply walking in circles, achieving nothing from the works he was indulging in. This contrasts the simple point that contemporary readers strive to obtain knowledge and a sense of purpose from their reading, rather this piece gives them what appears to be an endless cycle of madness.

Although stepping out and attempting to accomplish feats that one truly is passionate about can be commended, in the instance involving Don Quixote, it is looked down upon. Partly because he is considered mad, and living in his fantasy, but also because it is frowned upon within society. Defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to conform means “to be similar or identical; agreement; obedience; compliant”. These words follow the trend that the society surrounding Quixote follows. As the innkeeper speaks, “I shall never be fool enough to turn knight-errant. For I see quite well that it’s not the fashion now to do as they did in the olden days,” (Cervantes). Although not conforming to society and residing in his fantasy world, there is a fine line between insanity and simply standing out to the world to make an impact. According to the line, Quixote falls into the side where he does not stand out to make a difference, but simply because he is ill minded and refuses to live anything but his false life, until he realizes that no one does believe him.

A theme of conformity is one that no reader, contemporary or not should not follow. To conform to someone else’s ideals and theories eliminated the unique personalities of the individual. Pierre Ullman noted that at the time of his claim to returning to sanity, Quixote “has finally succumbed to society’s madness”, alluding to the need to conform and be like the rest of the population eliminating the knight-errant. Readers should not strive to succumb to others, rather read to increase the literature in their mind and flow with new ideas and theories. Stavans continues by adding, Quixote was “consumed by the grief of countless defeats” that he encountered throughout his mad trial to greatness, and could not bear to continue without successfully spreading chivalry to all, as he experienced through his fantasies in his books, almost also signifying that when one does not succeed, defeat is the only answer.

On the contrary, Don Quixote could in fact be viewed as a praised leader, who sets apart from the rest of society to simply follow a calling to bring peace and safety to all. In Stavans online LitHib response to his love for the novel, he commends the abruptness to which Quixote flips his switch by writing, “[h]e can no longer sit tight, passively reading books. He is ready to go out and conquer the world,”. This proves to be an exceptional quality of a leader, to simply drop everything to pursue a dream and spread a wealth of information and good to his surroundings, something that developing contemporary readers should be influenced by. Further, the heroic novel sheds light on “how imagination, persistence, and joy are necessary elements for successful leadership,” (McCray). These adjectives describe an innovative character, one with many anticipated successes in their future. Those strong descriptive words and traits that are wished among all, to increase the metacognitive thinkers and help create new ideals in society. However, only one positive element must not deter from the original standings of the capabilities, or lack thereof, that the protagonist holds, due to the undeniable hovering of a mental illness.

All in all, a contemporary reader must understand that leadership qualities may be established during multiple other aspects of developing character. One must realize and understand, to change the world, they may in fact be considered one who is suffering from a mental illness. The ideas of a fantasy world, conformity, and defeat are all themes that will not assist this generation of readers, rather hinder them with heavy, dark ideals. Subsequently, it should be proved eventually that such a vast continuation of an idea, concept, or invention must be backed with evidence that it in fact still has a beating heart, without a defibrillator. That is the main difference between Don Quixote’s character and those of contemporary readers. In order to utilize literature to be an example, the positive example must be set to eliminate confusion amongst the perspective of such protagonists.

Works Cited

de Cervantes, Miquel. Don Quixote. Pearson Revel, online textbook.

McCray, Nancy. “Passion and Discipline: Don Quixote’s Lessons for Leadership.” Booklist, vol. 100, no. 11, Feb. 2004, pp. 987–988. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=12967152&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Stavans, Ilan. “Don Quixote at 400: Still Conquering Hearts.” Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 51, no. 18, 7 Jan. 2005, p. B11. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=16202544&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Stavans, Ilan. “Don Quixote: Sloppy, Inconsistent, Baffling, Perfect.” Literary Hub, Oct. 7, 2015, Lithub.com, https://lithub.com/don-quixote-sloppy-inconsistent-baffling-perfect/.

Ullman, Pierre L. “Romanticism and Irony in Don Quixote: A Continuing Controversy.” Papers on Language & Literature, vol. 17, no. 3, Summer 1981, p. 320. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=7729398&site=ehost-live&scope=site.