The hero of the novel "The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote Lamanch" does not need a special introduction - he is familiar to everyone, even those who have not read the whole novel. This is a kind of marker of literature, which gave the name to the corresponding term.
The concept of "quixoticism"
What is quixoticism? The definition refers to the subject of the study of psychology and is found as a stamp of human behavior in everyday life.
There are several interpretations of this concept:
- Denial or loss of a sense of reality.
- Unwillingness to follow the established rules of society.
- The desire to change the world and its laws.
- The idea of commitment to lofty goals, despite the contradiction of their actions to logic and common sense.
- Noble chivalrous way of thinking and acting without taking into account the surrounding realities.
Quixoticism is the existence in the world of illusions, adherence to one's own ideals, the struggle for truth, the desire to see only good in people.
In psychology, this term is used to describe the type of person who is inclined to get involved in high ideas, unrealizable dreams and grandiose projects, without taking into account all their impracticability. For example, due to our own insolvency, translate the desired into reality or under the influence of circumstances independent of the person.
Use of the term in the literature
Synonyms for the concept of quixoticism are reverie, fantasy, projection, absurdity.
The verb "quixote" in the meaning of "madness" was first used by G. R. Derzhavin in the work "Ode to Felice", which he dedicated to Catherine II. This term can also be found in the prose of other Russian classics - Dostoevsky, Gogol, Chekhov.
What is quixoticism: essay-reasoning
The name Don Quixote has long been a household name, denoting a person who boldly enters the battle with a real or fictional enemy to protect his ideals and noble thoughts. It is also the image of a person who has lost touch with the real world, living in his own fantasies.
Quixote is a way of thinking and acting of noble people who want good and justice, but without taking into account reality.
The novel tells about the elderly hidalgo who lives in a distant village. He is passionate about works of knightly exploits, courage and brilliant victories, so one day he also decides to become a knight. As a weapon for himself, he chooses a wooden sword, calls the horse the sonorous nickname of Rocinante, and he himself becomes Don Quixote of Lamanch. Choosing a lover, the beautiful Dulcinea of Tobos, the hero sets off on an adventure.
At the inn, which the protagonist mistakenly considers the royal palace, the owner of the tavern, mistaking him for a madman, knights him. Thus begins the path of the brave knight Don Quixote and the faithful squire Sancho Panza. The hero fights with windmills, confronts evil forces, fights with a flock of sheep, defends the weak.
Can Don Quixote be called a hero?
The author of the work is trying to convey to the reader the idea of a protest against oppression by the upper class of the simple estate. At the same time, he creates a caricature of the hero in contrast to the knightly sagas, popular in those days in Europe.
Don Quixote is a fearless defender of ordinary people, a fighter for the principles of justice, who often fights against evil generated by his own imagination.
Don Quixote is a symbol of pure nobility and innocence, a desire to benefit others, to perform feats, even if for the sake of unattainable goals.
Don Quixote is not a parody of a knight. His absurd actions are filled with a sincere spiritual impulse that distinguishes a true hero. Despite the fact that in life he did not have the opportunity to show real courage, in his heart Don Quixote remained faithful to his ideals.