Reality In Don Quixote

Don Quixote: The First Modern Novel

Being able to confront harsh reality and truth is a concept that many cannot face. Cervantes wrote Don Quixote with the intent of having people understand this lesson and the idiocy of chivalry (“Critical Essay”). The main hero of the novel is helplessly in love with the ideals of chivalry, and Cervantes wrote the novel to ridicule such concepts thoroughly. He littered it with contradictions, inconsistencies, and more to do so, but these mistakes are part of the novels unique style and art (Lathrop). Don Quixote is written in a satirical and contradictory manner in part to ridicule Cervantes own life, but also to shed light on truth and reality. The truth can be harsh, some are unable to face it and ignore

Throughout Don Quixote, the main character himself cannot determine reality from fantasy. He will constantly spout his own words as truths, but those who can see the reality will perceive that he’s spouting lies. His own sense of justice is greatly changed to fit the chivalric knights of novels. In the scene with Andrew, the readers see another form of justice. His master beats him for being careless with the sheep. The poor shepherd says it was an excuse to not pay him. Someone was lying. But, power says all, and as Don Quixote used power to make his own justice, the master then used his power to continue to lash his servant. Because he was more powerful, the master could do what he want. The truth was disregarded. The hero, Don Quixote, has the ability to change reality into fantasy in his mind, due to his madness. But it constantly causes problems for Quixote down the road. Others cannot see the images of grandeur within his mind and see him as a insane fool (“Critical Essay”). Don Quixote in one point of the novel, attacks a group of windmills, taking them for giants. When he finally sees that the reality, he stubbornly declares a wizard blinded him from the truth (Cervantes 28-29). Later on