a clown in knight's clothing?
Don Quixote - A Story for Our Time?
Don Quixote may be a Spanish novel written 400 years ago, but that doesn't mean it doesn't speak to modern audiences. The story of someone trying to do good in the world, to right the wrongs of others, to shed light where there is darkness - sounds like a breath of fresh air, doesn't it? Well, that is what this story is about - a story of courage, perseverance, imagination, and heart.
Where to begin?
A great access point to such an old classic is through a wonderful graphic novel version of the text, The Complete Don Quixote, that is illustrated beautifully by Rob Davis. I would recommend getting a hold of the exquisitely coloured version of the book, but short of that, I have included a few of the chapters here for study in an imperfect black and white.
Assignment One: Chapters One to Three
Included below is a glossary of terms, chapter questions, and a scanned copy of the chapters.
don_quixote_-_some_useful_terms.pdf | |
File Size: | 42 kb |
File Type: |
chapter_one_to_three.pdf | |
File Size: | 5085 kb |
File Type: |
The Text and Chapter Four (not assigned this semester)
Included below is chapter questions, a scanned copy of chapter four, and as well as a different interpretation of the chapter by Will Eisner.
chapter_four.pdf | |
File Size: | 3557 kb |
File Type: |
chapter_four_-_will_eisner_version.pdf | |
File Size: | 1387 kb |
File Type: |
Assignment Two: Your Song?
This is an opportunity to take the text and apply it to your own life. First, we look at the meaning of two quotes, the first from the 19th century philosopher Henry David Thoreau, and the second from a political activist, writer, and public intellectual, William Upski Wimsatt. We begin by discussing how these two quotes relate to the story that we have just been reading - Don Quixote.
Questions: What does "quiet desperation" mean? What is Thoreau referring to when he says that everyone has a "song" still in them? What does this song represent?
Questions: What do you think about his "bet with America"? Is he foolish? Is he brave? Would you be willing to lay your life on the line to make a point, not knowing whether you would get out alive or not?
Finding our song...
From here, we will look at the lyrics of a song from the musical version of Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha. One of the most famous songs from this or any other musical, "The Impossible Dream" has been performed by an incredible variety of artists, but the version that we will listen to and discuss is performed by The Mighty Mighty Bostones.