Both Don Quixote and Madame Bovary demonstrate how two characters’ lives are ruined by literature. Don Quixote has trouble distinguishing his reality from the chivalrous characters found in his fictional books. (Should there be a transition here?) From a young age, Madame Bovary had high expectations for her love life, buoyed by her idealistic novels, which ruined her relationships as an adult. Don Quixote and Emma Bovary both develop delusional views of the world through their readings of various romance novels.
Don Quixote thinks it is his duty in the world to be a knight errant. He has read so many books on chivalry, and bases his life on being a traveling soldier, in search of adventures to prove his gallantry. Quixote so firmly believes he is a character from the novels, he takes on the persona of a knight-errand, complete with armor, helmet, a proper name for his horse and of course, a lady. The fact that Quixote never has had any training as a knight does not deter this protagonist’s aim. He states, “As I needs must do, travel the four corners of the earth in search of adventures on behalf of those in need, this brings the office of chivalry and knights errant, for I am one of them and my desire is supposed to such deeds” (30). After Quixote cleans his armor, makes his helmet, names his horse he …show more content…
His housekeeper, who is very close to him, has watched Quixote go mad from reading all the books of chivalry. She states, “These books of chivalry should be cursed another hundred times for bringing your grace to such pass!” (44). She blames the books of chivalry for making him lose track of his reality. The housekeeper and niece are in agreement that “those accursed books of chivalry he’s always reading have driven him crazy” (43). Since Don Quixote has read so many chivalrous books he can no longer distinguish between reality and
Don Quixote thinks it is his duty in the world to be a knight errant. He has read so many books on chivalry, and bases his life on being a traveling soldier, in search of adventures to prove his gallantry. Quixote so firmly believes he is a character from the novels, he takes on the persona of a knight-errand, complete with armor, helmet, a proper name for his horse and of course, a lady. The fact that Quixote never has had any training as a knight does not deter this protagonist’s aim. He states, “As I needs must do, travel the four corners of the earth in search of adventures on behalf of those in need, this brings the office of chivalry and knights errant, for I am one of them and my desire is supposed to such deeds” (30). After Quixote cleans his armor, makes his helmet, names his horse he …show more content…
His housekeeper, who is very close to him, has watched Quixote go mad from reading all the books of chivalry. She states, “These books of chivalry should be cursed another hundred times for bringing your grace to such pass!” (44). She blames the books of chivalry for making him lose track of his reality. The housekeeper and niece are in agreement that “those accursed books of chivalry he’s always reading have driven him crazy” (43). Since Don Quixote has read so many chivalrous books he can no longer distinguish between reality and