Don Quijote: A Brief Analysis on Realism vs. Idealism In Don Quijote by Miguel de Cervantes the audience faces a world of realism vs. idealism first in obvious ways and then later through the hidden text in the author’s writing. If we think like Don Quijote then we become part of his world, however we can’t escape the reality of life, death, and what is in the world. I think we can’t choose one but have to live in both worlds to really change the world for the better. Idealism is the "ideal" perfect situation. Realism is "reality" is how the world really is. However if we think of it another way Idealism is a theory which says that reality is a state of mind. Realism maintains that the external world is its own absolute existence which is independent of the mind. Cervantes also discusses in the book the question of what is sanity and what is insanity? For it shifts with a person’s mind set Don Quijote thought the people around him to be a little crazy because they did not see what he deemed reality. In the book there is the priest (representing the church), the physician (for medicine), the scholar (for the learned), and Sancho (represents commoners or peasants). With these characters he showed the separate status of the time and what the general goal for those people were. Though those characters represent goals that might be somewhat obtainable and seen as a possibility, Don Quijote strives to reach what is considered an unobtainable goal for he wishes to change society. However, since the author knows it is not that easy to change the world as it is he makes Don Quijote crazy. For if you lived as Don Quijote did with only idealism and no sense of reality then you will go crazy. However there is another side to this as well because with Sancho you see how insane reality can be and sense the need for some idealism as Don Quijote infects Sancho with his idealism and vise versa with the development of the characters you sense a need for change in the real world but not as Don Quijote does it because in the end you can’t escape reality as Don Quijote realizes at the end. Sancho is the counterpoint. It is the harsh reality of ignorance but full of wisdom outside the canons of rationality and the cold calculating grasp that he develops an admiration for Don Quijote and in the end wants to hang on to his idealism rather than return to a world where he could not advance from the position of a peasant.
By: Imanullah Ahmed
In this passage Don Quijote presents his vision of true government and we see a less idealistic view of the world and are presented with a viable look to a better reality. It also shows how Cervantes wanted to correct the world he lived in by giving answers to the state of the status system by addressing it with his own political views: “Primeramente, ¡oh hijo!, has de temer a Dios; porque en el temerle está la sabiduría, y siendo sabio no podrás errar en nada. Lo segundo, has de poner los ojos en quien eres, procurando conocerte a ti mismo, que es el más difícil conocimiento que puede imaginarse.” Recordemos que el “temor de Dios” significa respeto y no miedo. Respeto que como vemos es aconsejado como un padre a un hijo. Y como añadidura; “conócete a ti mismo”. Todo buen “gobierno” comienza por uno, y por ello tener una clara conciencia de sí mismo es fundamental para poder avanzar en el resto de los consejos. “Haz gala, Sancho, de la humildad de tu linaje, y no te desprecies de decir que vienes de labradores; porque viendo que no te corres, ninguno se pondrá a correrte, y préciate más de ser humilde virtuoso que pecador soberbio.”