Don Quixote

The themes and idea explored in the novel that shows the life of a peasant in Mexico, most evident in this story are: theme of family, death and revenge. In addition, the author Juan Rulfo became an orphan after he lost his family during the Mexican revolution and he uses this tragic chapter of his life for inspiration in this story. The fact that he did not have a father role model is evident in this story too. Juvencio’s and Don Lupe’s son both of them grew up without the role

In A Mexican Self-Portrait, written by many authors, this article focused on the different lifestyles of the poor and rich woman in Mexico. The representations of women in Mexico for both high and lower classes in Latin America were very different. For lower class they were considered “tortilleras’’, however, one of the most well known was referred to as “La China”. La China was one of the most notable types portrayed in the “Mexican Self Portrait”. She was considered to be an unnamed independent woman of the popular class.

Based on Cisneros’ works of literature, gender roles in a Hispanic culture revolves around patriarchal rule. The repercussions of a patriarchal rule includes the limitations of female liberation and development. Cleofilas’ abusive situation exemplifies the limitations of her independence and development as she can not make her own decisions and has to solely depend on her husband. This situation is illustrated when Cleofilas explains that the towns are “built so that you have to depend on husbands... You can drive only if you’re rich enough to own and drive an own car. There is no place to go” (Cisneros 628). Cleofilas reveals that men are the dominant gender and have more authority, and that women are compelled to depend on them in her society. It is an exceptionally rare case that a woman can afford her own car, for the men usually control the finances in a household. Additionally, Cleofilas has nowhere to seek refuge from her husband. Although she yearns to return to her father’s home, she decides not to due to the social standards imposed on her. In her society, the act of returning home after marriage is socially unacceptable. She understands that her family will be viewed in a negative light if she were to return home, as seen when Cleofilas refers to her town as a “town of gossips” (627). Similar to other men in the society, Juan Pedro’s authority is shown through his abuse. Cleofilas recalls, “He slapped her once, and then again, and again; until the lip split and bled an orchid of blood” (626).

“Beautiful and Cruel” marks the beginning of Esperanza’s “own quiet war” against machismo (Hispanic culture powered by men). She refuses to neither tame herself nor wait for a husband, and this rebellion is reflected in her leaving the “table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate (Cisneros 89).” Cisneros gives Esperanza a self-empowered voice and a desire for personal possessions, thing that she can call her own: Esperanza’s “power is her own (Cisneros 89).” Cisneros discusses two important themes: maintaining one’s own power and challenging the cultural and social expectations one is supposed to fulfill. Esperanza’s mission to create her own identity is manifest by her decision to not “lay (her) neck on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain (Cisneros 88).” Cisneros’ rough language and violent images of self-bondage reveal the contempt with which Esperanza views many of her peers whose only goal is to become a wife. To learn how to guard her power

In my analysis of this novel, The Adventure of Don Chipote or, When Parrots Breast-Feed by Daniel Venegas, I kept in mind that Nicolás Kanellos put great effort into getting this novel circulated in Spanish and in English. Kanellos argues that Spanish-language immigrant novels more accurately present the “evils” of American society such as oppression of the immigrant workers and deconstructs the myth of the American Dream, which permeates in English-language ethnic autobiographies. I believe Kanellos felt so passionately about circulating this particular novel was due to the fact that in Venegas’ novel we see clear representations of the three U.S. Hispanic cultures that Kanellos presents which are the native, the immigrant, and the exile cultures.

It is noted by Bartholomé de las Casas that the Spaniards were so utterly fixated on the lust for Gold and power, that they lost their humanity, compassion and Christian ways. Pillaging, and murdering docile tribes in the name of God and country was certainly not the way that Christians should behave, yet Spaniards were driven by greed and a rise in power that was disproportionate to their actual merits. Their insatiable lust for riches led them to treat the passive, meek, and peace loving native people like common beasts. Or more accurately like the excrement of those beasts on the public squares. When one sees no problem burning another human being publically and then strangling them to death slowly, a re-evaluation of one’s moral compass and humanity is in order.

Over the course of this semester, students of World Masterpieces by Amanda Drake have learned about “othering” and anti-heroism. Many of the central characters in the stories and plays that were assigned, exemplified anti heroism and othering. Anti-Heroes, by definition, are typically main characters of a story, play or movie, which lack classic “heroic” traits. Due to these characters lacking heroic traits, they are othered by society and peers, making these characters outcasts.

Through his statement regarding the true intentions of the Christians, Las Casas invalidates the claim that the Spaniards’ actions were motivated by religion. Considering that greed is one of the seven deadly sins of Christianity, saying that the Spaniards’ “insatiable greed” is the “greatest ever seen in the world” suggests that the Spaniards’ motivations contradict their religion. The American Indians are being treated as inferior beings, due to the secular goals of the Spaniards. When Las Casas describes the individualistic goals of the Spaniards, a feeling of empathy arises for the American Indians because these people are being massacred due to greed. This contradiction generates a feeling of empathy for the American Indians as they are being treated as inferior beings, off of the secular motivation for wealth.

A sharp contrast is seen between the narration style of chapter 8 and 9 of Don Quixote. The seemingly flowing tale of Quixote and Basque’s great battle is abruptly halted, and then after much explanation regarding the finding and composition of the remainder, is the tale finally allowed to unfold.

Almost all who have read, or who have merely just heard of, the novel Don Quixote are aware of the comical adventures and misfortunes of Don Quixote during his attempts to pursue the life of a chivalrous night. However, fewer people are cognizant of the crucial role that Sancho Panza played in instigating and heightening the humor in Don’s quests. Time and time again readers question Sancho’s unwavering willingness to follow Don Quixote and take part in his seemingly outlandish and completely irrational adventures. Sancho began as a poor farmer. The novel refers to him as being “very honorable, if a poor man can be called honorable” and “a little short of salt in the brainpan (61). The Don promised Sancho immeasurable riches, including being

In Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, Cisneros’ captures “the image of the Chicana who needs to create her own path, not only within her culture and society, but also in Chicano fiction” (Martinez 1). This book is not like an ordinary novel, as it is “a loose-knit series of lyrical reflections, her (Esperanza’s) struggle with self identity and the search for self-respect amidst an alienating and often hostile world” (De Valdes). The men and women in Esperanza’s life play drastically different roles from each other, which tells the reader about Esperanza’s Mexican culture. Additionally, by the way women are depicted in The House on Mango Street, the reader can see that there are a great amount of expectations for Mexican women.

Spain during the 16th century has been described as a time of oppression, a time of exploitation of the subordinate class. For example, in the text of The Life of Lazarillo De Tormes a gluttonist priest offers Lazarillo scraps of an Eucharist bread, that was nibbled by mice. The priest tells Lazaro to take the bread, stating “There, eat that. The mouse is a clean animal.” This shows the how the higher class sees the lower class, it shows how they believe in offerings coming from them should be taken as a gift, even if a literal rodent has tampered with it. Most who could live during this this time usually were those who held high levels of intelligence and were also devious. Due to this, Lazarillo, being a man who holds the fore told

Sancho only plays the part of squire in hopes of becoming wealthy and owning his own island. Quixote yearns to recreate this world he has long read of: chivalry, battles with giants and evil beings and the rescue of maidens. However, in a more realistic sense, Don Quixote deals with windmills, bedclothes, and injustices. While Don Quixote represents illusion and imagination, Sancho Panza represents reality. They complement each other in a dualistic way. They foil each other in such a way that they might be seen as two halves of a whole. They represent a person who needs to have imagination whilst living in reality, because too much reality is destructive for any one man to deal with. However, their relationship, which is a combination of idealism and realism, affects each other in a negative way, in terms of the things they stand

Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote is a masterpiece in many senses of the word: at the time of its conception, it was hailed as a revolutionary work of literature that defined a genre, in later centuries regarded as an acerbic social commentary, a slightly misshapen romantic tragedy, and even as a synthesis of existentialist and post-modernist features. At the centre of this Spanish satirical chronicle is the perplexing character Don Quixote. Don Quixote’s personality and perspective is rapidly established fromsince the beginning of the novel, revealing unabashedly to readers that he is mad. The source of his madness lies in the extent to which Don Quixote acts on his delusions and projections unto reality as he saunters through Cervantes’ Andalusia. Don Quixote’s delusions have two primary functions in the novel: demonstrating the reality and tragedy of Cervantes’ manifestation of idyllic themes of love and chivalry, and revealing certain characteristics about narration.

In Juan Rulfo’s Pedro Páramo, various forms of oppressive behavior are manifested in the town of Comala – these range from the simple, readily apparent abuse of power to keep a population in line, as Pedro Páramo, having complete control over Comala, regularly does, to the very sinister use of religion as a means of reinforcing the patriarchal ideal held by contemporary Mexican society. In describing the oppression of society-at-large, Rulfo shows the sinister relationship that exists between power and the corruption of one’s moral standards through Pedro Páramo and Father Rentería.