Response Paper: Don Quixote de la Mancha Essay

â€Å"Don Quixote de la Mancha† by Miguel de Cervantes is one of the most recognizable classics in the world of literature. It is a narrative that is being retold in almost every generation that had followed since its publication. Much the success of the story is really undeniable as it had even infused a term to the English language, the term â€Å"quixotic. † It is certainly one of the most unforgettable stories ever written. Here is a quote from the text that I would like to pose a response: â€Å"I shall never be so mad as to make myself a knight-errant for I see well enough that things are not how they used to be in those days, when they say those famous knights rule the world† (Cervantes 161) This line was spoken by the innkeeper in the first part XXXII The tone of this particular quote seems to a response to the main theme of the story. This main theme is Don Quixote’s idea desire to live a life of a knight. The quote implies that to follow an ideal or a dream would be a waste of time. This particular quote stands out because it is one of the few pessimistic statements in the very positive, or shall I say â€Å"quixotic† theme of the narrative. This is the kind of statements that would be uttered by those who forget how to dream. People that would say this kind of words are the type that brings the hopes of other people down. The context is just like when pessimists argued that man cannot go space. The kind of thinking that pessimists have is what makes life look miserable and dull. Fortunately, Miguel de Cervantes had introduced to us Don Quixote—some who would always remind us that it is just alright to dream and seek adventures in life. Work Cited Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote de la Mancha. Harvard University Press. 1842