This term, I have reflected on finding the beauty in every moment and finding hope at every turn. After reading and reflecting on Miguel de Cervante’s epic novel Don Quixote (1605) and its relevance to the modern world, I can clearly see it not only a cautionary tale about getting wrapped up in an impossible dream, but also as a tale of hope and a reminder that love, joy, and fulfilment are always just within reach; the challenge is to realise that…and to come home early, unlike our tragic hero. As a teacher, through education, I work to call my students towards the boundless possibilities of life ahead. This is something that is achieved through striving to provide learner agency, and empowerment through life-long learning. Sometimes we all need a reminder that growth and success is possible, and that we don’t need to be anything more than ourselves to be happy.
Face it. Wouldn't you want to escape reality, and be limited only by your imagination? To be a hero of the world, with a legacy embroidered in gold, immortalised and remembered by all as a true and righteous individual…doesn’t that sound nice? Why escape reality though? Dreams can come true…right? Well, not if your dream is to become a fairy princess, or “insta-perfect” 24/7, or a knight in shining armour . However, if the world does not let one drop everything and commit to any and every dream, why are we bombarded with messaging in media that saturate and slowly marinate us in hopes of grandeur? Who is there to remind us of the story of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with a pair of wax and feather wings? By telling us that our houses aren’t big enough, that we don’t make enough money, that we don’t own x, y, and z, that we will never have enough years in our life spans to accumulate the necessary tokens of happiness and perfection, is it really crazy to reach for the moon in want of touching the stars, and to be upset when we fall short? Exhausting? Yes. Joy? Five tokens, please.
Before I get into things, just so we are all on the same page, here are some key plot details for Don Quixote…
A regular man in Spain reads lots and lots of books about classic knights in shining armour, and the ways of chivalry. As a result, “...from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind” (Cervantes, 1605). During the time the story was set, some people believed that reading too much could actually cause a person to go mad and lose touch with what is real (this happens to be my view of social media and its effects on young people, but that’s a story for another blog). Don Quixote does just that and sets out on a quest to become a real life knight. He fabricates enemies, monsters to fight, and a perfect damsel who has the entirety of his heart. After a long and perilous journey, he finally comes to realise that he was mistaken and snaps back to reality with a violent click of his heels. Defeated, he returns home to his dear niece Antonia, and a village of friends and neighbours. On his deathbed, he renounces the books as a waste of time, and sets a condition for Antonia. If she were ever to marry, she must never marry a man who has ever read a book about knights, as this would forfeit her right to any inheritance.
Okay, here I am being that English teacher: with a chunk of life advice, and an equally chunky book recommendation to match. Like our hero Don Quixote, my nose is often stuck in a book - any book really, preferably as long as it isn’t too life-like. The world can be a tough place, and reading is an exercise as well as an escape for the mind. By bookmarking your life, you can see another’s through to the end. To complete a book brings a sense of calm, as you can see a character’s story through, and to find out what needed to happen all along. Regular people (non-psychics!) are not afforded this luxury; the future is a mystery, and mystery stories can be scary (especially when they are about you). I know I often opt for a story other than my own, as it allows me to know the answers and see them play out from a safe distance (but close enough to smell the crisp white pages). To dive into a kinder, more forgiving place, or perhaps to a setting far away (when someone else’s problems are what drives the plot and passage of time) is a welcoming invitation, and often has me wishing that life is was simple as a book; with a clearly articulated beginning, middle, and end, as well as complications that find inevitable and reasonable resolutions. No object is meaningless or distracting, those without purpose are blown to bits by Chekov’s gun. However, I continue to realise that books house the hopes and dreams of this earth, and everyone in it. Reality does not always reflect books, but books in so many ways reflect our reality, and the most stunning and gorgeous details the world has to offer are often front and centre in stories.
Upon reflection, I see Don Quixote’s tale being a common human experience, especially in the modern day age of media technology. Like Don Quixote and his fixation on knights, it can be easy to abandon our true selves and choose to embark on the impossible journey towards “perfect happiness” (as it is represented and carefully curated in the media). It is our jobs as teachers to help our students understand that happiness is not a cookie cutter outcome, that a successful life is not measured in how many Instagram followers somebody has, or in how many pairs of designer sneakers that stand in a line in our wardrobes. At the end of the day, the only way to be truly happy and fulfilled is to stay true to the real you, and to not get caught in the web of other people’s ideas of what you need to do next. The world is their oyster, as it is yours.
Books:
de Cervantes, M. (1992). Don Quixote (P. A. Motteaux, Trans.). Wordsworth Editions.
Videos:
HollywoodRecordsVEVO. 2008, Demi Lovato - La La Land (Close-Captioned), online video, viewed on 27 November 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmjO1p9Oxrk
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