Introduction
The term Quixotism is used to describe a form of impulsive behavior. The concept is closely related to over-idealism. Persons who exhibit this trait often lose contact with reality. In most cases, they approach romance and life in general from an ‘impractical’ and illogical perspective. As such, they make irrational decisions without taking into consideration the consequences of their actions. The book ‘Literature of the Western World, Volume 1’ by Wilkie and Hurt features a number of such characters. Don Quixote is the most prominent of these personalities. In the text, he is portrayed as an idealistic man. In addition, his character is full of Quixotism.
In this paper, the author analyzes the issue of Quixotism in the text by Wilkie and Hurt. The author will highlight this concept using Don Quixote as their case study.
Quixotism and Don Quixote in ‘Literature of the Western World, Volume 1’
Prior to his adventures, Don Quixote was known as Alonso Quixano. His decision to change his name is inspired by the chivalric novels he is fond of reading. The characters in these books inform his dream to change his life. Before he started reading these texts, Quixote was a rational and objective man. He exhibited a great deal of realism in relation to his outlook towards life in general.
In addition to changing his name, Quixote goes ahead and renames his girl. The girl is working in a neighboring farm. According to Wilkie and Hurt. Quixote’s actions show instances of Quixotism. One of the reasons why this is true is the fact that Quixote considers Aldonza to be his lover without her consent. His move is impractical and unrealistic given that Aldonza has no such feelings towards him. A logical man would have first asked the lady to be his girlfriend before going ahead with such renaming ‘rituals’.
Another case of Quixotism is made apparent when Quixote visits An in the course of his adventure. He encounters two prostitutes who treat him with courtesy. The ladies greet him politely and assist with his meal (Wilkie and Hurt 2001). They further help the knight to undress. Quixote is so pleased with their conduct that he describes them as ‘ladies of quality’. In this case, one can identify Quixotism considering that the man judges the character of the girls without taking into consideration their deeds in the past. At the time, prostitution was regarded as an immoral trade in Europe. Regardless of this, Quixote chooses to believe in the ‘goodness’ of the ladies. He ignores the fact that they are engaged in a form of trade that can only be described as deviant.
It is obvious that the chivalric novels Quixote is reading are fictional. However, he seems to forget this fact. He takes the views expressed by the characters as real accounts of human life. As a result, he sets out on an adventure to revive the chivalry ideals in the books. He has a vision to change the world around him by promoting truth and justice. According to Wilkie and Hurt, According to Wilkie and Hurt, “(Quixote is) spurred on by the conviction that the world needed his immediate presence; so many were the grievances he intended to rectify (…) the abuses he would reform, and the debts he would discharge” (1994). He holds a negative attitude towards human oppression. The oppression is something that bothers him a lot. At one point in the book, he comes across Andrew, a young slave boy. The man is bound to a tree by his employer. The employer is beating him up. Quixote is very irritated by this act. He releases the boy from his master’s bondage. His conduct is captured vividly by Wilkie and Hurt when Quixote makes the master swear on the chivalric code to treat the boy fairly. The code in reference is fictional. It is one of the many ideals that Quixote has gathered from the books he is reading. His behavior at this juncture can be described as impractical. He expects the master to pledge his loyalty to ideals that he is not even aware of. Quixote is also quick to judge the man without determining the source of the quarrel between him and his servant. It is plausible to assume that the boy may have irked his master, forcing him to take such drastic actions.
A critical look at the situation reveals that Quixote may have contributed to the boy’s mistreatment in the hands of his master. The reason behind this is that his actions led to a deterioration of the relationship between the two parties (the servant and the master). Quixote is convinced that his actions are aimed at promoting peace and fairness between Andrew and his employer. However, in retrospect, it is apparent that he acts as the source of their continued dispute. Quixote is of the opinion that his move to save the boy would bring about lasting peace between the two people. However, he fails to acknowledge the fact that his departure will leave Andrew more vulnerable to violence than before (Wilkie and Hurt 414).
In general, it appears that Quixote is obsessed with the ideas promoted in the books he is reading. He is so impressed by the texts to the extent that he is ready to get into physical fight with any person who fails to respect the teachings in them. According to Wilkie and Hurt, Quixote fights with traders from Toledo, who “insult the imaginary Dulcinea” (2005). In this case, his actions exhibit Quixotism given that he is ready to fight for ideas that he has picked from a fictional book. He confronts the violators. However, they beat him up and leave him on the road. According to Wilkie and Hurt. However, the reality is that he returns home an injured man.
Conclusion
Quixotism describes the impulsive nature of human beings. It is noted that individuals who possess this trait fail to acknowledge the impacts of their actions on them and on other persons. They act irrationally towards life in general. Quixote, one of the characters depicted in the book ‘Literature of the Western World, Volume 1’, is such an individual. He is inspired by reading a series of fictional books, which are referred in the text as chivalric novels. He believes of an ideal world where truth and justice prevail. However, this is not practical or possible in real life. The reality is that prostitution, slavery, and other social ills are rampant in Europe at the time.