Don Quixote - Summative Comments

I spent a large part of my summer -- pretty much all of July -- reading this novel. While it has stimulated my thinking and served as the catalyst for my bloggings, I must say that I am disappointed with the novel as a whole. Perhaps my hopes were set too high. After all, many critics place Cervantes among the top three writers of all time. That's a pretty high standard to meet, no matter who you are. For me, the novel lacked depth and consistency, was more sprawling than I care for, over-developed some themes, and plodded along like a broken-down mule in places. Not exactly what I would consider monumental.

On the flip side, the writing improved -- "matured" is a better word -- between the two parts, and Sancho Panza became a much more interesting character. The second half was more polished than the first, certainly, though it didn't really develop any new themes or provide a new perspective on themes developed in part one. I will remember some of the 400+ characters (Marcela, the duke and duchess, and of course Sancho and Quixote) as well as some of the stories and scenes (Quixote and Sancho vomiting in each other's faces, Sancho succumbing to the pressure in his bowels while standing next to Quixote, and Quixote's successful attack on the puppets), but largely I do not feel that my life was changed, nor my world-view dramatically altered after having read the book.

Rob points out that it is widely considered the first "novel," and as such Cervantes deserves kudos for attempting something so broad in scope when he had virtually no competition. Nowadays, authors must strive to be original in comparison to a few hundred years of literary history. Cervantes was original almost by definition, yet he still made his novel interesting in many creative ways. Overall, I am glad I read the novel, but I doubt very much if I will ever re-read it. I may seek some critical perspective on it to help enhance my understanding of its canonical prominence, however.

Probably the most enjoyable aspect of reading the novel was that I did so with two good friends. Their insights and comments have pushed me to consider the novel from a variety of perspectives and have ultimately helped me enjoy reading it. Honestly, if not for them, I would probably never have even picked it up much less finished it. Literary pursuits can be lonely: Reading is nearly always a solitary act, Italo Calvino notwithstanding. Discussing a work always yields both greater enjoyment and greater understanding, especially when that discussion involves experienced readers who care about literature.

Don Quixote's Knightly Purpose

I’ve long been ruminating on the theme of the novel and Quixote’s role in the fictional world in which the novel is set, so please forgive the verbosity of this posting. Berry mentioned that Quixote is on a quest for honor and glory, and though I partially agree, I think that this desire is more of a means to an end. Part 2 begins with a brief (for this novel, Quixote’s two-page paragraph is brief) discussion by Quixote in which he addresses the reasons for his adventuring interests. He says, “My only endeavor is to convince the world of the mistake it makes in not reviving in itself the happy time when the order of knight-errantry was in the field.” However, he continues by saying, “But our depraved age does not deserve to enjoy such a blessing as those ages enjoyed when knights-errant [performed their role].” Yet he still goes out on his often-dangerous adventures, bravely facing whatever threats he encounters, imagines, or creates. He has given up a life of relative luxury – he is a “don” after all – and undertaken a dangerous role for noble reasons. He can’t live in a world of “depravity,” so he’d rather invent a much more romantic and noble reality, even if it means suffering bodily for it. Dostoevsky talks about a similar concept in The Brothers Karamazov (I think Father Zosima gives the speech) when he discusses the benefits a life of asceticism has on the soul. Self-denial is, in some people’s opinion, the height of religious expression and fervor – and one cannot ignore or mitigate the impact of Christianity on the novel as a whole and all the characters therein. Therefore, Don Quixote’s delusions of his own knighthood – amusing as they are – are at the core born of his deep-seated religiosity, his selflessness, and his nobility. Since his perceptions of himself and, in some cases, of the world are flawed (self-delusional or not) and he is not often successful in improving the world around him (here, I am disagreeing with Berry who notes that other people become better in his presence – see below), he becomes a tragic hero.

One of the things I find myself disliking most about the story are the occasions when the people Quixote encounters take advantage of him or play jokes on him. Examples abound: The slew of people Quixote meets and travels with toward the end of Part 1, Samson Carrasco (though he got what he deserved), Sancho Panza (esp. the incident with the peasant “Dulcinea”), and the duke and duchess (who really ought to know better) and their servants. Such people, in the presence of Don Quixote (who is really adventuring on their behalf) become worse for their encounter with him. Another example of a person who does not improve as a result of an encounter with Don Quixote (at least, he has not yet shown improvement) was Gines de Pasamonte who, as a criminal, was freed from bondage by Don Quixote early in Part 1, then immediately lead the prisoners’ attack on Quixote and Panza. A couple days later, he stole Panza’s ass in the mountains. In Part 2, he shows up as a con man, trying to take advantage of Quixote’s pride (though, to his credit, Quixote resists this ploy) and bilking people out of their money. He doesn’t even get his just desserts, as Quixote pays him for inadvertently destroying his puppet show (hysterical scene, by the way). I hope we see more of the “Carrasco”-type scenes, where those who try to play on Quixote’s delusions are, at the very least, thwarted, if not punished for their actions.

I agree whole-heartedly with Berry, though, when he points out that at his core Quixote is really a good man doing good things to help others and that the world needs more of this. Again, in his speech in Part 2, Chapter 1 (this is really an awesome speech and illustrates the heart of the novel, if not the theme), Don Quixote decries the sloth, indolence, vice, arrogance, and materialism that exist in his world. We could issue that same indictment of our society today. Thus, the book instantly becomes timeless in this sense, for would our world not benefit from a revival of knight-errantry?