Claire Fan - Week 2: On the Pursuit of Windmills
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| The iconic windmills of La Mancha, Spain, where Don Quixote is set |
To what extent can you craft your identity? Of course, there are certain parts of you that are, for the most part, unchangeable—the shape of your face, for example, or the color of your eyes. But the most important stuff, the stuff that constitutes the soul, can’t be seen. The novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes features a protagonist (whose real name we never learn, by the way) who has quite literally gone mad. He read too many books and was consequently driven mad by the fantastical adventures its heroes experience. One day, he decides to live the stories written in the pages in his library, and invents a new name for himself—Don Quixote of La Mancha.
Don Quixote is, ostensibly, a bad knight errant. He’s delusional and exacerbates problems instead of solving them, yet he doesn’t even notice. Even his loyal squire, Sancho, tries to dissuade him from engaging in battle with windmills (Quixote thinks they’re fearsome giants). Yet he persists. Why?
To Quixote, the prospect of having a new identity, to so desperately be someone other than himself consumed his entire being. And his original identity is of no importance, either; not even the narrator cares. But it’s not like our protagonist was simply able to become a new person at will. Despite himself—and his perception of being a righteous knight—Quixote is still no less of a bumbling fool; there are parts of himself that are stubbornly inveterate. Despite himself, Don Quixote can’t run from who he is.
And despite myself, I find Don Quixote wholly relatable and strangely lovable. Maybe it’s because I can see parts of myself (that I’d prefer to not exist, quite frankly) reflected in him, or maybe it’s that his incompetence is really quite charming. His desire for reinvention, I think, is something present in us all: the denomination from Don Quixote from me, though, is that he actually managed to forge a new identity for himself. Maybe…I envy him. Because no matter who he might have been, his name is Don Quixote now, and he’s the one who actualized his dreams. Absurd as he may be, Don Quixote proves that even the most ridiculous characters have noble traits for which we can aspire to. Don Quixote of La Mancha—that’s his name, and that’s his identity.
Hi Claire! This novel seems so fascinating! I'm quite curious about the main character, I feel like his point of view will be very interesting to read about. Regarding the story, I think Don Quixote is a great representation of how younger generations feel about their own identities. Especially considering that we're living in the modern age of technology and social media, younger generations are more exposed to media that may not be healthy for them to actively consume on a daily basis. Social media definitely takes a mental toll on someone (this is also symbolized in Don because he was exposed to too much media that he's gone mad!), and I think it's especially a problem in these future generations because it can promote insecurities within younger kids. It's so fascinating how a fictional character and their desire to change their identity can relate with society today! Thank you for mentioning this novel, and I will definitely look into it!
ReplyDeleteHey Claire! Wow Don Quixote—I haven’t heard that name in a while. The man behind the word quixotic; someone who is idealistically unrealistic. Although I have used this word negatively to describe leaders who have unreasonably high expectations for their group, quixotic used in the context of an individual achieving a personal goal is completely different. It’s always admirable to witness someone pursue their dreams, even if no one else believes in them. The term “Fake it till you make it” only works if the individual has enough trust in themselves as confidence is key, and Don Quixote is the perfect example of this. Despite the soul-crushing scorn that would have most people second guessing their actions, he truly loves his new identity, and that’s really all that matters.
ReplyDeleteThere’s inherent qualities that could be liabilities, but as long as you get to your destination, who cares? As long as someone believes in it—that someone includes you—then it could very well exist as a truth. There’s a difference between believing in something like pseudoscience and believing in yourself to accomplish a goal, because no one knows yourself better than you do. Loved the blog Claire!
Quixote's identity, as you claim, has changed by the end of the novel. Yet simultaneously, he is unable to run from his original self and is still the "bumbling fool" he always was. Don Quixote wasn't able to change the most innate aspects of his identity—but rather just the parts that others saw. The envy is understandable; all of which we see truly has changed. However, maybe the true battle with identity shouldn't be about the depth to which it can be changed, but realizing that most of it doesn't need to be. One of the most valuable experiences is to love or be loved despite our flaws—so even if we can't transform into Don Quixote of La Mancha, or any other storybook legend, I believe that our identities reflect something even more valuable: an true image of ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI would be lying if I said that the inclusion of “windmills” in your title did not immediately entice me to click on your article and that I am not fighting urges to spew out more wind power factoids (see my Week 1 blog), but I was nonetheless very intrigued by your summary of the character Don Quixote. In creating a completely novel (pun intended) storybook identity for himself, Quixote seems to give into the childhood whimsy of learning about real and fantasy superheroes and wanting to be one himself. Although his foolish bravery in riding into valiant battle against windmills is laid plainly for the world to see, it cannot be denied that Quixote is brave--not just in fighting non-sentient buildings, but in forgoing his past identity in favor of something much more unique.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we can’t create an entirely new identity for ourselves, but I think we can take a page from Quixote’s book and change a little part of us for no reason other than to enjoy it.