In Don Quixote, Cervantes presents a detailed portrayal of Golden Age Spanish society. Although this aspect of the novel has been noted throughout the centuries by various authors, we feel that there are new commentaries to be made on this subject, particularly with regards to how Cervantes criticizes society. He accomplishes his criticism through parody, especially in the form of comical episodes and humorous dialogue made by the characters in Don Quixote.
Since humor is usually constructive in parodying society, the unique humor found in Don Quixote enables Cervantes to inform his readers of examples of society's ills and the desires of many people to promote themselves to a higher social status. Contrary to the pessimistic reactions against society's ills found in the works of his contemporaries, Cervantes manages to show a humorous and more optimistic response. This is evident since he reveals the redeeming qualities of the Spanish people.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:RICE/oai:scholarship.rice.edu:1911/17109 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Means, Henry Furman, III |
| Contributors | Castaneda, James A. |
| Source Sets | Rice University |
| Language | Spanish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Text |
| Format | 111 p., application/pdf |
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