Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Question of the Week (9/17/10)

Choose one of the following and respond. Don't forget to post to a fellow classmate's post. 

1) Citing quotes from the text discuss how Don Quixote always explains away any adverse events or circumstances which arise?

2) Citing quotes from the text discuss Don Quixote's illusions that cause him to do battle with strange things.

22 comments:

Haiti quilter said...

In this first circumstance DQ thinks that a windmill is a giant. "Just as they came in sight of thirty of forty windmills that rise from the plain and no sooner did Don Quioxte see them he said to his squire...Do u see over yonder friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants?" DQ thinks that the windmills "arms" are the giants arms. Since the windmills are so big he imagines that they are giants. And DQ wants so badly to prove himself he imagines this fanciful thing. Another time DQ imagines that maids at an inn are fair maidens.

Carl Tischbein said...

Don Quixote still believes he is a true knight, and dismisses any problems or anything that shows that he is wrong. For instance, take the following example: "While they were thus talking, two friars of the Order of Saint Benedict appeared on the road mounted on mules big enough to be dromedaries...As soon as Don Quixote saw them, he said 'Either I am deceived or this will be the most famous adventure ever seen, for those black, bulky objects over there must surely be the enchanters who are abducting in that coach some princess.'" Sancho then tries to explain they are simply monks on a journey: "'Take heed sir, for these are monks and that coach must belong to some travelers. Take heed what you are doing; don't let the Devil lead you astray.'" DQ then responds to Sancho by saying: "'I have told you before Sancho,' answered Don Quixote, 'that you know precious little about adventures. I am telling you the truth and you will now see for yourself.'" This is just one of many examples where DQ tries to deny reality. I think that Sophie's quote and mine just really show that DQ is crazy and wants to prove himself and show off is knightness. Many times, he is held back by Sancho or some other realistic person who tries to tell DQ that he is wrong. Unfortunately, he is too ignorant and too insane to realize that he is indeed wrong.

erbear508 said...

"Just then they [Don Quixote and Sancho] came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from the plain, no sooner did Don Quioxte see them then he said to his squire:'Fortune is guiding our affairs muh better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to rich, for this is a righteous war and for the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless.'" pg. 98

This exerpt shows that Don Quixote's allusion makes him think he is doing a service for God by killing windmills, yet he is just endangering his life for nothing. As with most fights, he is beaten and hurt and it is really hard to understand why he does not think about what he is doing before he goes and attacks windmills.

erbear508 said...

I think that the three quotes (although mine and Sophie's are the same, oops!) show that Don Quixote is so into playing the part of a knight-errant that he doesn't even know what is a windmill or a giant OR some monks or an enchanter. These quotes all shoq that Don Quioxte is too oblivious to the real world, that he endangers his life to satisfy his fantasy worlds wants, instead of considering the dangers it might cause in the real world.

Parker said...

Don Quixote battles many things that he wouldn't have if he were sane or right in the head. I think that one of the reasons is because of Dulcinea of El Toboso. "It happened that in a neighboring village there lived a godd looking country lass with whom he had been in love, although it is understood that she never knew or was aware of it. She was called Aldonza Lorenzo, and it was to her that he thought fit to entrust the sovereignty of his heart. He sought a name for her that would not vary too much from her own and yet would approach that of a princess or a lady of quality."pg 61
This is one of Don QUixote's illusions that really creates trouble for him.
"Let all the world stand still if all the world does not confess that there is not in all the world a fairer damsel than the Empress of La Mancha, the peerless Dulcinea of El Toboso. pg 78. He says this to the merchants, but when they question him, and ask Don Quixote to show them a picture to compare her to the other queens and beautiful ladies of spain, DonQuixote attempts to battle the merchants. Don Quixote is trying to defend the honor and beauty of "his lady", but in fact it is just his fantasy or his illusions that cause him to get in to battles that end up hurting him.

Parker Gardner said...

Don Quixote wants, more than anything else, adventure, honor, and glory. He wishes to emulate the subjects of his books in every way, from their horses, to their armor, to, finally, their heroic and epic battles. As with renaming his horse, making his own armor and finding a lady, Don Quixote fabricates the battle aspect of his delusion as well. On one such occasion, we find Don Quixote and Sancho Panza riding along a country road when they come across a granary and several windmills. Don Quixote exclaims “'Fortune is guiding our affairs much better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants?’” Unblinded by the urge for adventure and battle, Sancho replies “’What giants?’” and then “’take care sir…those over there are not giants but windmills.’” Don Quixote, still desperate for honor and anxious for knightly blessings, saying “’this is a righteous war and for the removal of so foul a brood (the giants) from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless.’” stubbornly persist. Disregarding Sancho’s warning, he charges the windmills and tumbles from his horse, where he inevitably finds the hulking figures to be... windmills. (All quotes from page 98 in Cervantes’ Don Quixote.) It is through delusional acts like these that Don Quixote feeds and keeps his adventures and fantasy alive.
I agree with Parker Goss that many of Don Quixote’s adventures and battles begin with Don Quixote trying to impress his lady, Dulcinea of El Toboso. He has read that knights battle for their ladies and so he does just that, endangering himself and others in the process

Unknown said...

Don Quixote comes up with whatever he can to explain his madness. When he attacks the windmills, Sancho questions his actions, by saying they are giants, but windmills, and he says "It is clear that you are not experienced in adventures. Those are giants, and if you are afraid, turn aside and pray whilst I enter into fierce and unequal battle with them." The above example is one of DQ's illusions. He also does this with Dulcinea. On page 78 when he confronts the merchants and says "let all the world stand still if all the world does not confess that there is not in all the world a fairer damsel than the empress of La Mancha, the peerless Dulcinea of El Toboso." This causes an unnecessary battle between the him and the merchants.
I agree with Parker and Parker that many of DQ's battles are an attempted in impress Dulcinea.

Oren said...

Don Quixote lives in this imaginary world that he has created for himself, and he must maintain that everything in his world fits and there can be not exceptions. For example, when Don Quixote is explained to, by the shepherds, that the brother of Adamis of Gaul, Sir galaor has no lady love, he immediately insists that he must have had a secret lady who he never talks about. He keeps saying that all knights must have a mistress. He is not willing to admit that not all things in his knight-errant world are consistent. Another way that Don quixote deals with discrepancies in his world such as: the windmills not being giants, is he explains their windmill appearance after he attacked them as having been turned into the shape through sorcery. When Sancho questions his judgement for thinking that they are windmills, Don Quixote verbally brushes him aside by saying, "It is clear, that you are not experienced in adventure." (pg 98) Whenever Don Quixote finds or is pointed to a gap in his world that cannot be filled, he brushes it away, and does not listen to reason.
I agree with Carl and I think he and I are making the same good point. Don Quixote never listens to reason only the lore of Knight-Errantery adventure and when he is questioned, he defends by proclaiming the ignorance of the questioner.

Monica said...

A person who is traveling with DQ, having listened to what it means to be a knight-errant and having heard that all knights-errant are in love with one lady, says it can't be true. To this DQ responds "I say it is impossible that there could be any knight-errant without a lady for... the mere fact of being without them would prove that he was not a legitimate knight but a bastard who has entered the stronghold of chivalry not through the gate, but over the fence, like a thief and a robber (page 133)."
DQ is making up this deep, heroic-sounding list of what it means to be a knight, saying without some small piece, such as a lady to proclaim your love to, you are not a knight. Yet he wasn't knighted, only by a commoner after he had already begun his journey, and his lady is not of noble birth, does not have a lot of land or riches, has been renamed by him, and doesn't even know she him! DQ is lacking in many areas of knighthood but doesn't dwell on it and talks himself out of any problem he may discover in his own identity. In this sense, I agree with Oren saying that DQ's imaginary world is perfect in his mind and nothing can be out of place. If it is, he dismisses it as false.

sam merrens said...

Question 2:
One of the main times when DQ explained away one of his misfortunes during his adventures was when he encountered those vile hulks, the windmills. After he and his delusional mind had pictured them as thirty massive giants, with huge swinging arms, he had charged towards them yelling war cries. As his lance connected with the first arm, he and Rocinante were thrown violently to the ground by the force of the spinning arm. Sancho hurried as fast as his small donkey would take him over to aid his master. When he found him, he asked why he had done such a thing. DQ defensively told Sancho that “I think, and it is the truth, that the same sage Friston who carried off my study and books, has turned these giants into mills in order to rob me of the glory of vanquishing them, such is the enmity he bears me.” page 100. As if to defend himself from mockery DQ spurts out this unbelievably fantastical story of how a previously made-up enemy has struck again and robbed DQ of glory. It seems as if there is no way that anyone can hold him back when he decides to do something stupid.
I agree completely with Carl that it is DQ’s eagerness to prove his courage, chivalry and knighthood to no one in particular, that he drives his mind beyond the edge of sanity and reality.

Sam Merrens

Kate Kerin said...

Shortly after the windmill incident, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza encounter two traveling monks and a Lady who are coming separately down the road. Don Quixote remarks to Sancho Panza “Either I am deceived or this will be the most famous adventure ever seen, for those black, bulky objects over there must surely be the enchanters who are abducting in that coach some princess. I must redress this wrong with all my might.” Sancho tells him that they are just two traveling monks but Don Quixote brushes that off by telling Sancho “you know precious little about adventures. I am telling you the truth and you will now see for yourself.” When he gets closer to the monks they also try to tell him that he is wrong, but he pays even less attention to what they say than he does to Sancho. When someone points out reality to Don Quixote it makes no difference from when they playalong with him. No matter what, Don Quixote is so delusional that he wont listen to a voice of reason. He has become even more delusional than he was in the beginning of the book. I agree with what Oren said, that anyone finds a gap in his world, he brushes it off and does not listen to the voice of reason.

David said...

I think the clearest example of Don Quixote explaining away a bad situation is right after he attacks the windmills on the hilltop. Sancho had told him that they were not giants, but Don Quixote didn't believe him so he charged the windmills and was thrown off of his horse. After Sancho helps Don Quixote to his feet, Don Qixote turns to him and says that "the magician frestón, the one who robbed me of my study and books, has changed those giants into great windmills to deprive me of my victory; such is the enmity that he bears against me" (99). Obviously, there is no enchanter causing Don Quixote's foes to turn into windmills at the last second. This is just the earliest example of Don Quixote creating a story that explains what caused his noble deed to end in failure. I agree with Sam that DQ creates his explanations to protect himself from the mockery of others, but I also think that it is a way of fortifying his delusions. By making up excuses, regardless of how ridiculous they may seem, DQ is reenforcing the odd world that lives in his mind.

Hudson Schuchman said...

Most people jump to the example in Don Quixote when he attacks the windmills thinking that they were giants. This may be one of the most memorable moments, but there are many other examples in the book. Another good example of his illusions causing him to get into a fight is when he is in the Inn the he believes is a "Castle." When some of the guests at the Inn come down to use the water well, Don Quixote gets into a fight with them over moving his armor and using the well. Shouting Dulcinea's name, he knocks one of them over and hits the other hit the head. Because he believed he was in a Castle and that he was defending his honor and being noble, he gets into a fight with innocent people and injured them.

Marlou Taenzer said...

Don Quixote's allusions cause him to battle with windmills which he believes are giants, even though is squire Sancho tells him they are not. "Those over there are not giants but windmills, and those things that seem to be arms are their sails" pg 98. Don Quixote does not listen to Sancho and decides to attempt fighting with the windmills. However he does not succeed. "He ran his lance into the sail, but the wind twisted it with such violence that it shivered the lance in pieces and dragged both rider and horse after it, rolling than over and over on the ground" pg 99. When Don Quixote fails to win against the windmills he says it is because a magician turned the giants into windmills. "The magician Freston, the one who robbed me of my study and books, has changed those giants into windmills to deprive me of the glory of victory" pg 99. I believe that Don Quixote came up with an excuse for why he was not able to win against the windmills (giants) because the knights that he read in his books probably did not lose very often and he does not want to either. I also agree with both Parkers that he is doing these acts to impress his lady.

Eleanor S. said...

Don Quixote often gets himself into fights with people and things that aren't really dangerous. Back at the inn, he "gave [a] carrier such a hefty blow on the pate that he felled him to the ground" while completing his initiation into knighthood (71). Erin found a good quote about when, believing them to be giants, he attacked a group of windmills. Another time he started an unnecessary battle was when Don Quixote attacked his so-called enchanters on the road. He tells Sancho that "Either I am deceived or this will be the greatest adventure ever seen!" and refuses to listen to his friend's pleas to leave the monks alone (102).
All the stories he has read about knights errant tell him that they travel the lands having adventures and defeating evil in battle for the glory of their ladies. Therefore, this is what Don Quixote is attempting to do. However, there is very little evil to be found in the countryside of La Mancha, so he must make do with his imaginary foes. As he quests in the name of Dulcinea, he is spiraling deeper and deeper into his insanity and putting both himself and those around him at greater risk.

David Desaulniers said...

"Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from the plain, no sooner did Don Quioxte see them then he said to his squire "Fortune is guiding our affairs muh better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants?"" This really shows how extreme DQ is delusional. He's seeing even windmills as targets. He thinks of this and charges at the "giants" and ends up breaking his lance and falling off his horse. What a day for DQ.

anthony said...

There are several ways that Don Quixote manages to get around the insanity of what he's doing. Several times when people like Sanch have contradicted him, he goes on about how much more he knows about knighthood and how many more books he has read. He becacomes very condescending to people who go against his allusions and this may be a subconsious reaction to keep him from realizing the truth. I also agree with Parker that he often justifies his actions to himself by thinking about Dulcinea. He seems to think about her so much that it keeps him from thinking about what he's actually doing and also keeps him from thinking of any other justification for what he does.

daniel said...

"The magician Feston the one who robbed me of my study and books has changed those giants into windmills." By saying this D.Q was telling simple Sancho panza that he really did see giants and that the wizard had changed them so he could not get his victory. He is truly insane and when the time comes up he always has a good excuse for Sancho. I agree with Anothny when he says that D.Q. knows more about knighthood. He did read about it in all his books but he still is crazy and I think that Sancho gets that. When D.Q shouts to the merchants to bow before his lady fair. He was crazy cause He hardly knew his lady and had never spoken to her and he is now telling strangers to bow. He is readiculous and strange. He then chargest them for not and gets beaten up after he fell of his horse. D.Q is dillusional and is concept of things and other people are very different.

Alli said...

"'Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants'...'What giants,' asked Sancho Panza. 'Those you see over there,' replied his master, 'With their long arms...'" (pg 98) When DQ and Sancho Panza are talking about the windmills, it really shows that DQ is very delusional because he thought the windmills were giants and he left Sancho Panza confused. DQ is really insane and is completely lost in his own mind. His idea of reality is different from others and Sancho Panza does realize that.

Charlie Umland said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Charlie Umland said...

"Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from the plain, no sooner did Don Quioxte see them then he said to his squire:'Fortune is guiding our affairs muh better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to rich, for this is a righteous war and for the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless.'" page 98

This quote shows that DQ is very dillusional. Obviously there are no giants, but his insanity causes him to go and try to fight windmills. It does not go well and he shatters his lance. This is the second time he has shattered his lance because he thinks a fight is necesarry. The other time was in chapter 4 with the merchants.

Meryl said...

"Just then they [Don Quixote and Sancho] came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from the plain, no sooner did Don Quioxte see them then he said to his squire:'Fortune is guiding our affairs muh better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them."(pg. 98) DQ takes everything he comes across as something that he should battle. If it is not, he makes into something he should battle. With the windmills, he makes them giants. He wants to be able to fight big giants and slay things and earn respect from others, especially women. When he realizes that the giants are really windmills, he says that the enchanter that came to get his books, changed them at the last minute. I agree with Charlie that DQ is delusional. I also agree with Alli that his reality is different and that it is good that Sancho Panza realizes that.