Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Question of the Week (10/1/10)

Don't forget to sign in BEFORE you start blogging. Don Quixote might be seen as not simply crazy in his refusal to see things as they really are, but more like a person who wants to accomplish a greater good and so refuses to compromise his ideals. Examples of such people include Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. Discuss (with examples in the manner of citations from books, magazines, or the web) whether or not you think Quixote deserves to be put in the company of real-world idealists or is merely delusional. Make sure we know where you received your information. Enjoy your weekend!

21 comments:

Hudson Schuchman said...

I believe that Quixote doesn't deserve to be grouped together with real world idealists like Amelia Earhart or Martin Luther King Jr. While Martin Luther King Jr. strived to take down the wall of segregation in America and Amelia Earhart was working to set an iconic record that portrayed freedom, Don Quixote gets into fights with innocent people. He leaves inns without paying for his stay, he takes peoples possessions, and injures people along the way. He may have an idealist image of helping the world and upholding his chivalric duties, but his actions display the opposite and he ends up hurting the people around him. People like Martin Luther King Jr. also listen to the opinions of the people around them and justify why they are incorrect and how they could be revised. Quixote forces his opinions on others and when people disagree he gets into fights and often injures himself or others.

Parker said...

I agree with Hudson, Don Quixote does not deserve to be classified as a person who wants to accomplish a greater good. I believe that he is a mentally insane man, who really has no idea what he is actually doing. I don't think a man who battles with windmills thinking they are giants should be classified in a group with Mandela, Earhart, or Martin Luther King Jr. All of those people accomplished something that helped to shape the world into what it is today. Mandela was imprisoned for 26 years because he and other african national congress members were accused of plotting against the South African National Party. He was fighting for the greater good of his country. He was elected president after his release, and unified the white and black population of South Africa, making it a much better country to live in for both blacks and whites.(nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html) Martin Luther King helped to end racism and segregation in this country. Amelias Earheart was the first Female Pilot to fly across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She died trying to fly around the world. A man who is so insane that he thinks he is knight, because an inn keeper supposedly knighted him, does not deserve to be compared to these international icons.

Carl Tischbein said...

I agree with all the above. I think that while Don Quixote is doing something he believes in (helping people around Spain), the cause needs to be found needed by others and it needs to be something that others think is important as well. DQ is insane and gets a random idea to go out into the countryside to help the common people, but there is no definitive goal or number of supporters who believe in the same goal. In the case of Martin Luther King, there was a need for change and many people believed in the same cause. Over 150,000 people attended his funeral celebrations, which showed that his values were important. (naacphistory.org) Another example would be Stuart Miller and Donna Thompson, who started the American Coalition for Men and Children, a men's rights activist group (ncfm.org). Many people believe that in the quest for women's rights, men's rights have been overturned and battle issues concerning alimony, lack of abortion rights, education and false rape accusation injustices (ncfm.org). There are over 600,000 members (ncfm.org). All of these activists believe in some sort of idea that is possible to make happen, and that has many supporters and similar thinkers. Don Quixote simply threw his plan together to go out into the country, which may have been for more selfish reasons including governing countries and personal ego. DQ does not deserve to be put into the real-world idealist categories and is merely delusional.

Haiti quilter said...

I agree with carl. I think that DQ cant be put into the same category as people like martin luther king, Amelia Earhart, and Nelson Mandela. DQ went around the country not intending to, but leaving a trail of chaos where-ever he went. Ameilia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the atlantic ocean, but died trying to become the first woman to fly around the world. http://www.acepilots.com/earhart.html this could be compared some-what to DQ because in his time he seemed crazy trying to set out and fight giants and leave a life of chivalry. In Amelia Earhart's time she might have seemed alittle bit crazy trying to be the first woman to fly around the world. But they are still very different situations because Amelia Earhart's idea was much more probables than DQ's. Nelson Mandela was put in jail for objecting to apartheid (legal segregation in africa) and later became the president of africa. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela Nelson Mandela objected peacefully whereas DQ wasn't peaceful at all. But both DQ and Nelson mandela belived very stongly in their ideas and even after their ideas aren't accepted they didn't give up. The similar thing between martin luther king and DQ was that they both believed in fair rights. DQ tried to help the slave boy when he was treated unfairly. But the difference was that DQ was violent and Martin luther king was not

Unknown said...

I agree with all the people above that Don Quixote can not be put into the same category as Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr., who are real world idealist. Don Quixote is simply delusional. When he sets out on his adventures, he has the greater good in mind, but in reality, he's attacking innocent bystanders who are unable to defend themselves. He leaves inn without payment, he takes the possessions of others, kills about ten sheep that don't belong to him, and hurts people. For all of the above reasons Don Quixote is the exact opposite of Martin Luther King Jr, who was promoting a new idea which helped hundreds of thousands of people.

sam merrens said...

I agree with Hudson and Parker that Don Quixote doesn't deserve to be classified along with such amazing innovators and reformers. While Don Quixote is akin to them in the sense that he too is an idealist who wishes to do good for people, his methods of carrying this goal out are askew and he always seems to hurt people more than help them. He is often caught between two goals, the first being to help those in need and the second being to assist Dulcinea. Most of the time he believes that these are the same goal, but really when he is assisting Dulcinea he often attacks innocent people in her honor. He assures himself and Sancho that what he is doing is right, by conjuring up non-existent enemies and impossible scenarios in which he does battle. In the end he just ends up hurting innocent monks, killing sheep, or getting himself beaten up. To anyone that just observed one of these incidents, Don Quixote would seem to be just a common thug, not anything close to the likes of an idealist. So in conclusion, Don Quixote may think like an idealist, but it takes a lot more than that to make idealism into realism.

daniel said...

I agree with everyone above that Don Quixote can't be put into the same category as Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr who were real world idealists. Nelson Mandela tried to get his country to become one and to not hate each other. Don Quixote is not doing that he is provoking hate among people who he encounters and they all want to hurt him. Don Quixote has the right idea but it seems that he can't do the right things like not paying for the inn or killing a Sheppard sheep.He should not be part of this category cause Don Quixote does not represent what all three of these idealist did but he is more in the delusional category.

Monica said...

I strongly agree with Hudson, Daniel, and all the other comments in saying that Don Quixote does not deserve to be categorized with Nelson Mandela,Amelia Earhart, and other real world idealists. Don Quixote, although his ideal is to help those in need, ends up hurting the innocent in that process. Also I agree with Daniel's opinion that he inspires hatred rather than peace. Nelson Mandela refused to conpromise his political beliefs in order to gain his freedom because he felt so strongly in them (http://nobelprize.org/...mandela-bio.html). DQ's ideals are vague, how he achieves his "victories" is through violence, and he is hallucinatory. He sees things that are not there and is therefore mentally compromised and dangerous; not deserving of the title given to those who follow their idealistic beliefs for a good cause with a sound mind.

Kate Kerin said...

I agree with Sam Merrens that Don Quixote is similar to Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. because he is an idealist, but he cannot be classified with these influential people. Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. were all visionaries who fought for what they believed in. Nelson Mandela fought against the aparthide and was jailed for objecting to a government he did not agree with. (http://www.nelsonmandela.org/in dex.php/memory/views/biography/) Amelia Earhart died trying to fly around the world, trying to proving that women could do anything. (http://www.acepilots.com/earhart.html) Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who fought for equal rights for people of his race. (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/p eace/laureates/1964/king.html) These people all had one thing in common with Don Quixote, and that was their new ideas to promote the greater good of all. At one point Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. might have been called crazy for the new ideas, like Don Quixote. The difference is that Don Quixote is actually crazy and he does not end up doing good. Only injuries and laughter come from the quest he goes on.

Charlie Umland said...

I for sure agree with everybody else, that DQ is defenitely not the same as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, or Amelia Earnhardt. I agree with Sam and Kate however that DQ is similar to these heroes. He means well, and he trys to do good, but he is not succesful. The other people have support and gain a lot of popularity. But Quixote just makes people dislike him. He has no support, except for occasionally Sancho, who also thinks that Quixote is crazy.

Parker Gardner said...

I definitely agree with everybody that DQ is not in the same category as nelson Mandela, MLKJ, or Amelia Earhart. Mandela stood for equality and fought for the betterment and freedom of others. On may 10th 1994, when Mandela was giving his inaugural speech as the elected president of south Africa he gave this quote, “We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free. Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is their reward.” MLKJ also stood for equality and the freedom of others. In his famous I have a dream speech, he says “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” Here he shows that he works towards a time when all people can be equal. As wit the previous two, Amelia Earhart also stood for freedom and equality. She stood for gender equality in a time when women were discriminated against by society. Earhart says, “I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others.” She shows that she believes women are equal to men, can and must attempt equal feats, and should be respected for their accomplishments. All three of these people stood for the equality and freedom of others. DQ, However goes on his adventures, fights his fights, and does what he does, all for personal gain, fame, wealth, and glory. He does not help others as the three previously mentioned people do, nor does he see people as equals. He refuses to pay lowly innkeepers and asks that his squire be silent and treat DQ with more respect as the squire is DQ’s subordinate. Unlike MLKK, Mandel, and Earhart, DQ is motivated for selfish gain and does not deserve to be in the same category as MLKK, Mandel, or Earhart.

Parker Gardner said...

forgot to cite my quotes:
(in order of appearance) here they are

http://www.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/memory/views/biography/

http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=amelia+earhart+quotes&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

David said...

I strongly agree with everyone who said that Don Quixote can't be viewed in the same light as Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr because all of these real-life examples had a mission or goal that their ideals led them to and helped them to achieve. For example, Martin Luther King Jr's most famous quote, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" shows that he had ideals that guided him to fight for a better future for African Americans.Don Quixote, on the other hand, has ideals, but those ideals are not for the betterment of mankind. Don Quixote's ideals are about how great he is as a knight-errant and how he has his own rights and deserves special treatment because of who he thinks he is. Don Quixote cannot be compared to any of those people because his ideals do not help anybody, they just cause him to lash out on innocent people when he perceives them as disrupting his idealistic world.

quote from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth115056.html

Eleanor S. said...

I agree with Carl's comment on DQ's lack of supporters and a definitive goal. Don Quixote is an idealist in the sense that he refuses to compromise his principles in his fight for the greater good. However, his concept of the "greater good" is the world that he wants to live in, not the world that the people want. Whereas visionaries like Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equality, justice, and a better tomorrow for everyone, Don Quixote attacks innocent people because he wants adventure for himself. He wants to be the knight in shining armor who brings Spain back into a "Golden Age" of outdated ideals. He expects recognition and gratitude for his actions, as demonstrated by his refusal to pay the innkeeper and his certainty that he will meet a king who will give him an island to control. Don Quixote's deluded fantasies lead him to believe that he is a hero, but you cannot truly attempt to make a positive change in the world if you can't see how it really is to begin with.

erbear508 said...

No, Don Quixote is not like Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, or Martin Luther King Jr. This is because the three are all very honorable people because they sacrificed their safety for discovery, the rights, and safety of their people. Although Don Quixote showed admirable courage like the others, he was mainly doing these things for his owns pleasure. He is not like the three because his actions where almost never beneficial for others where as the things N.M., A.E., AND M.L.K Jr did, where always done for others. AMelia Earhart was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She showed courage and helped empower other women. Martin Luther King Jr. helped fight for the rights of African Americans because he knew they deserved them. Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid activists who was helping his people fight the controlling apartheid. He went to prison for 27 years which showed how hard he would work to fight the apartheid. These three are all heroes to many people around the world, but Don Quixote is only a hero to himself, thats the difference.
Source: Wikipedia
I agree with everyone that he can't be compared to those three at all. I also agree with Eleanor and Carl that his lack of supporters made a large difference.

Oren said...

I think that ultimately, Don Quixote stands for the same ideals as the three aforementioned leaders, but can not be categorized with them, because of many reasons. Don Quixote believes he is on the Earth to become the greatest Knight Errant ever, and while he has great morals and values to accompany that mission, they are not his main objectives. Nelson Mandela strived to crush the apartheid rulership in South Africa, and although he had separate goals, his main goal was for the good of his country. Don Quixote has good values, but his main goal is to become a great knight which is not for the good of the people. He does not singularly fight for the equality of everyone, but he mainly fights to gain fame and glory. Nelson Mandela once said, "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." This quote exemplifies who Don Quixote wants to be, but can't because he is not fighting for a worthy and just cause. Don Quixote shows great determination and strength over fear, but is not a great hero as Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, or Martin Luther King Jr. because he does not truly standup for what his good morals are. He shows great courtesy, and treats everyone with respect but he does not shout them out as he travels, and fight for them as he fights for the Dulcinea.
I agree with all that have said that Don Quixote is not equal to the heros. Especially David who mentioned why MLK Jr. was more of a hero than Don Quixote.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html

anthony said...

I agree with Oren that Don Quixote's ideals and his devotion to upholding them could have put him in the same group with these other leaders, but the fact that his fantasies lead him to harm innocent people kind of negates that. He is not acting for the good of the people and really doesn't listen to anyone else. Nelson Mandella acted against the government because a lot of the people also disagreed with it and he wanted to help them. Don Quixote is acting the way he does because he is obsessed with knights. Also, instead of fighting to accomplish a specific thing like Martin Luther King junior or Nelson Mandella, Don Quixote is fighting for the idea of knighthood and chivalry. He is trying to preserve something from the past and prevent change instead of trying to move society forward like the other leaders.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html

Marlou Taenzer said...

It wouldn't let me post my whole blog at once so I did it in two parts.
I agree with everyone above that Don Quixote does not belong on the same list as Amelia Earhart, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr, to a certain extent.
Amelia Earhart is the world's most famous female aviator. She was the first female to fly over the Atlantic. And by doing so helped bring women world round to the realization that we can do so much more than take care of children.(http://www.acepilots.com/earhart.html)
Nelson Mandela was the first South African President to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. He fought for what he believed in so much that he would have died for it. “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” (http://www.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/memory/views/biography/)Martin Luther King Jr fought for equal rights and inspired millions. He was also the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Don Quixote has not any of the above.

Marlou Taenzer said...

Although I don't think it is completely unjustified that Don Quixote does many things for selfish reasons I believe it is important to acknowledge the positive things he is achieving, even if that is perhaps not the goal or purpose of his mission. I disagree with Kate when she says that only injuries and laughter come from his adventures. Yes on the surface that is what one first sees, but one must search deeper into Don Quixote and the novel than that.
I think that when one reads about Don Quixote you are almost forced to what is in my opinion a rather horrible truth. Don Quixote tries to stand up for others like the apprentice, and instead of listening to Don Quixote his master beat him anyway. Don Quixote treated the prostitutes with kindness and respect, which they were not accustomed to. Yes it is true that Don Quixote only does these things because he is insane, or so deep in his own imagination that he can no longer see the real world. Nonetheless his respect and helpful attitude towards strangers forces the reader to reflect upon their life. And perhaps come to the conclusion that they like Don Quixote should try harder to treat every single person with kindness and respect, and stand up for those that can for whatever reason not stand up for themselves. Overall I don't think Don Quixote belongs on that list however, I think that he is somewhat of a wake up call to what society not only then but also today is like.
Is that really what society has come to? That we have to be insane or so deep in our imagination to stand up for other or show everyone kindness and respect. If so then it is obvious that some significant changes need to be made.

Meryl said...

I think that though DQ is idealistic about his ideas, he is fairly delusional. I agree with everyone above as well that he does not belong in the same list as everyone. If he wanted to be put in the same category, he would have to change is actions. He puts so many people in danger and doesn't even realize it. I think that if he were to change is actions and realize that there are people around him who are in danger, and he changes is actions, he would be eligible to maybe be in the category. There is also the fact that he has not done anything all that notable. Like Marlou said, you should treat everyone with respect and kindness which is DQ's main problem. If he were to change is actions and start acting like a knight and treating people with kindness and not fight with everyone he comes across, he would be much more eligible for the chance to be considered on the same level as others.

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