Don Quijote by Miguel de Cervantes - Book Report/Review Example

Compare and contrast the ways in which Miguel de Cervantes structures the two Parts of Don Quijote. Cervantes' Don Quijote is essentially divided into two main parts -his Part I was a complete work in itself considering the fact that he killed the protagonist, Don Quijote, at the end. But another writer published a continuation, and in spite of the gawky situation, Cervantes felt compelled to respond with his authentic Part II, a veritable sequel to his earlier work. However, it is seen by many critics that structurally the two parts bear distinct differences -one, somewhat imperfect, and linear in form and the other, a more nearly perfect, circular form. While considering facts, one must note Cervantes' desire to write a sequel, and the ironies inherent. In the first place, Cervantes here is mocking the convention of ending the romances with a promise to produce a continuation. Secondly, such sequels were mostly penned by writers other than the original author. Thirdly, Cervantes himself resorted to this device, most notably in La Galatea, which he recurrently promised to supplement with a second part right up to the end of his life. But the ironic twist occurs when Avellaneda takes up this convention and brings out his "second part" of the Quijote. (John G. Weiger, 1986) When Cervantes, quite humorously, suggested that his protagonist had wanted to finish one of the romances, he had no clue how this device would reappear. "The irony extends, therefore, to the fact that an inferior writer like Avellaneda was able to accomplish with Don Quijote what the protagonist himself failed to do with regard to Belians de Grecia" (John G. Weiger, 1986). Indeed, Don Quijote realizes this ambition in quite a different sense by enacting a modern version of a chivalric romance. Cervantes was quite conscious of the risks of publishing his writings when wrote his prologue to Part I of Don Quijote. As Edwin Williamson suggests, "Cervantes clearly relishes this image of himself as a timid, painfully honest writer, neurotically inhibited from publishing the fruits of his imagination for fear of being rejected on the whim of a despotic reader." (Williamson, Edwin, 1984, p 84-85) In contrast, the later prologues present before us a more confidant writer. The second Quijote (1615) in particular, addresses not an idle reader but one who is enthusiastic. Also, in the second work Cervantes aimed at producing not a conventional chivalric romance, but an ideal romance in prose. As Alban K. Forcione asserts: "In effect, the new epic must be a purification of romance."While, in 1605, Cervantes was addressing readers of romances, in 1615 he was essentially addressing readers of the 1605 Don Quijote who are awaiting the genuine Part II, that is, the readers who are raring to see how the duplicate Avellaneda version will be treated by the authentic one. Also, unlike Part I, Don Quijote no more represented as a failed writer in Part II. It would be worthwhile to take note of the fact that the depiction of a writer who cannot convert his thoughts into words or one who cannot find a reader is not germane to the 1615 volume. "Even the niece, who in I, 6 had worried, that Don Quijote might become a poet, laments in the corresponding chapter of Part II that he indeed is one (II, 6). In fact, Don Quijote does deal with writing in Part II." He talks about the nitty-gritty of poetry and advises the young poet Don Lorenzo de Miranda. Moreover, in Part II Don Quijote himself writes. He writes letters to Governor Sancho Panza and they are read. Indeed, one of the ways in which the two parts may be contrasted is by noting how many characters of Part II bring forth their compositions, whatever their merit: from the "humanist" and his accumulation of worthless facts to the poetic efforts of Don Lorenzo; from the correspondence between Don Quijote and Sancho and between Sancho and Teresa to the letters between Teresa and the duchess(John G. Weiger, 1986) The fact that a lot of characters resort to writing is conspicuous in Part II. Perhaps this has its relation to Cervantes' newfound confidence as a writer. In comparison to Part II, the narrative structure of Part I of Don Quijote is relatively direct and unsophisticated. In fact, Part I seems to be very slackly structured. The narrative seems too repetitive and consists many unwanted, and sometimes confusing, deviations. This is likely to be an offshoot of the fact that Cervantes himself had no clue, when he started writing, of how Quijote's adventures would end. It maybe that, initially, he started off with the intention of writing a novella, ending Quijote's quest after his first return home and the burning of his library (now Chapter 8, Part I). But his desire to expand his story gave rise to the series of endless, and sometimes iterative, adventures that make up Part I of the novel. But when he started writing Part II, Cervantes had developed a more precise and incisive conception of his characters-thus, he changed his approach to structure as well. As a result, in Part II the episodes seem less haphazardly woven together. It is easier to decipher how each adventure affects the changing relationship between Quijote and Sancho and leads Quijote to finally return home. However, there are many readers who Keep going back to Part I for its more humorous and lively spirit. It's a fact that that the best-remembered incidents from the entire story is Don's attack on the windmills and his battle with the wineskins, which occur in the first part of the book. In Part I of Don Quixote it is seen that the struggle between intelligence and the imagination remains unresolved. It's appeal is not restricted to a small audience rather it goes on to enthrall people from almost all segments of society. It is structured in a way as to reflect the very romances it attacks. The entire structure is built around episodes , which are loosely interlinked, and therefore leaving no chance of a ending. In Part I, the propensity of chivalric and pastoral romances to place imagination and intellect in antipathetic roles is implicitly manifest. Don Quijote Part II bears stark deviations from the dialectics of chivalric books. Although he's known by the same name, the fictitious author of Part II is no more the difficult character he used to be in Part I, vacillating between one role and another- scribe and magician, historian and poet. This time Cide Hamete is quite masterful in accomplising his task- stopping and turning on the action at will, wilfully confusing and then enlightening the reader. And Cervantes guides his protagonist, Don Quixote, with commendable expertise through a premeditated process of disenchantment that commences with his search for Dulcinea and comes to an end with his realization that she cannot be found. This has its beginning in his efforts to uphold his chivalric role, and ends with his retraction and death. Unlike Part I, this part bears the picture of a carefully planned romance. The various chapters constitute the real units of narrative material, and the actions of characters are properly guided. The various anecdotes and sub-plots are firmly rooted in the central plot of the story. Also, the beginnings and endings stand clearly marked, which is not quite a characteristic to be seen in Part I. The dispute between the virtues of imagination and the intellect, which is quite implicit in Part I continues through Part II. However, in the latter the contrasting features seems to be more prominent. For instance, the proponents of neo-Aristotelian poetics are not only well versed in their subject matter but also less sympathetically portrayed than their equivalents in Part I. Sanson Carrasco in Part II, who replaces the priest of Part I, is not only an expert in history, poetry, and verisimilitude, but is also a scholastic with little real concern for his neighbor Don Quixote's well-being. Indeed, Don Quijote has a highly complex narrative structure.On many occasions, readers remain in doubt regarding what is real and what is seeming. This has its roots in the fact that the story is "metafictive"- a story within a story within a story within a story again.The narrative structure essentially symbolizes the character of Quijote himself.And as Cervantes' craftsmanship developed, he tried to shape a better narrative in his sequel, Part II. As such, the structural differences manifest in the two parts of the story provide food for thought for both readers and critics alike. Some must be delighted by the tightly woven Part II, while others relish the more humorous and lighthearted Part I. References: Williamson, Edwin, The Half-Way House of Fiction: "Don Quixote" and Arthurian Romance (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1984), pp. 84-85. Writers and Writing in the Two Parts of Don Quixote, John, G Weiger, From: Cervantes: Bulletin of the Cervantes Society of America 6.2 (1986): 97-111. Forcione K Alban, Cervantes, Aristotle, and the Persiles (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1970), p. 7. Read More