Don Quixote Chapters 46-52

1. It does appear that Don Quixote has been “un-quixoticized.” In chapter 50 Don Quixote says, “I shall not enlarge any further on this subject, because from what I have said it is clear that nay passage from any history of a knight errant is bound to delight and amaze anyone who reads it. Only believe me and, as I said before, read these books, and you will soon see how they banish any melancholy you might be feeling, and improve your disposition, if it is a bad one.” Don Quixote goes on to say that by reading these books on chivalry he has only become a better person who. He has become “courageous, polite, generous, well-bred, magnanimous, courteous, bold, gentle, patient, and long-suffering in the face of turmoil, imprisonment, and enchantment.” Even though, people criticize Don Quixote for reading these books, pretending to live a life as a knight really isn’t a bad thing. He has become a better person because of it and has the intention to help anyone who needs it.

2. The first quote goes along with the theme of the story of Don Quixote not being able to distinguish fiction from reality. The only difference is that Don Quixote enjoys his fantasy life. He feels he has become a better person. The theme of people seeing his imagination as madness also keeps appearing in the closing chapters on the first part of the book. The priest always seems to have mixed feelings towards Don Quixote. He thinks he is mad, yet he listens to him and even refuses to burn all of the chivalric books. The priest says to the canon in chapter 48, “The subject you’ve broached, sir, has awoken my old loathing for these fashionable plays, which is as great as my loathing for books of chivalry, because whereas drama, should…be a mirror of human life, an exemplar of customs and an image of truth…these modern plays are just mirrors of absurdity.” The canon even said that he stopped writing books of chivalry because “the men who like reading such books and who are learned and intelligent, and also to others who are ignorant and only concerned with pleasure…have expressed their approval…I’m aware that there are more fools than wise men in the world and, although the praise of the wise few is more important than the mockery of the foolish many.” So the canon and priest are complimenting Don Quixote here and basically saying that there should be more people like him in the world. He is not the foolish one, it is everyone else that is being blind and foolish.