Victory

It took all semester but I finally finished Don Quixote. I feel that even though we already finished the coursework on Don Quixote, it would be a shame not to finish the novel anyway. Just for good measure I want to make a few notes on Don Quixote.

The ending: Why Don Quixote? To retract your madness and scorn the books of chivalry seems a sacrilege to the good nature of your novel. I understand the nature of the inquisition and the situation in Spain but the rejection of chivalric ideals doesn't do DQ justice. His beauty is his madness and his desire to return man to the golden age and to just revoke that ideal seems a detriment to the character. Even so, I enjoyed this novel among many others I read this semester as well as any other time previous to that.

Don Quixote's name: During my Spanish class today we learned a new verb meaning "to stain" in English...Manchar. The literal English translation of Don Quixote de La Mancha is Don Quixote of the Stain. I understand he derives his name from the part of Spain he hails from but this literal translation actually adds to the mystique of the character. One could argue that Don Quixote of the Stain exemplifies his madness. Because he sallies fourth across the whole of Spain spreading his madness he stains the countryside with his lunacy. In the true spirit of DQ however, Don Quixote of the Stain seems more a reference to stained glass windows like in church. I cant imagine a more romantic depiction of our hero than in a Stained glass window. The major events could be retold in the same fashion as Christ's death with a series of stained glass windows. We can then liken DQ to Christ and both of their romantic journeys as sacrificial lambs to the non-believers. Don Quixote of the Stain seems the most fitting romantic name for the most romantic of characters.

DQ took a while to ingest however I believe all the time spent on DQ was repaid in the enjoyment I received from slowly piecing together the intricacies of the text.