Insane in the Brain

Insane in the Brain

Cervantes, Miguel de. Trans. Samuel Putnam. “Don Quixote Part I.” The Norton Anthology of

World Literature. Eds. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. 2nd ed. Vol. C. Norton: 2002.

2671-2731.

Miguel de Cervantes is the author of “Don Quixote Part I.” He was born in Alcala de Henares, near Madrid. Not much is known of his childhood and early education, but he was enlisted in the Spanish fleet and fought in the battle between the Turks and the forces of Christendom. He was also wounded in another battle which left his left hand paralyzed. On his way back to Spain, Cervantes was taken prisoner on his ship by pirates in 1575, and was later released on September 15, 1580. When he reached Madrid, he started his literary career and wrote twenty to thirty plays (2671). Since he wanted a non-literary job, he obtained a position in the navy, but he was sent to prison because of irregularities for which he was held responsible (2672). There is a legend that “Don Quixote” was first conceived and planned while its author was in prison in Seville. The book, on which he obtained the official license for publication in 1604, appeared in 1605 and was a popular success (2672).

As far as the story of Don Quixote goes, you could tell that Don Quixote was an adventurous man. He was always willing to go on all sorts of journeys. When he went on these journeys, he always ended up in a fight with someone. I think that he was a little on the crazy and insane side because he always imagined that the “normal” things that were far off in the distance was some kind of war or wrong-doing that he had to go fix. He made it his business to “right the wrong,” as he called it, although nothing was ever really wrong. After he had himself dubbed a knight, he just knew that he was the greatest warrior and no one could defeat him. He was always getting himself hurt, too. One part from chapter eight is one reason why I said he was a little crazy and insane. This was when he and his squire, Sancho Panza, came upon several windmills. Quixote thought they were giants whom he was meant to fight. Sancho tried to tell him that they were just windmills and said, “But look, your Grace, those are not giants but windmills, and what appear to be arms are their wings…” Although Sancho was right, Don Quixote told him to go off to the side