Why did Alonso Quijano and Sancho Panza set out on the chivalric journey? The capitalist unconscious of the modern man in Don Quixote

Readers of Don Quixote tend to view the protagonist as a romantic idealist who dares to confront adversity, and Sancho Panza as an honorable squire loyal to his master. However, both the hidalgo Alonso Quijano and the peasant Sancho Panza were men of the modern era whose unconscious were shaped by the capitalist system.Hidalgo of this time, despite belonging to the nobility, were in unfavorable conditions, leading a vegetative life in small locales where they at least owned a house and some land. In comparison, knights―even wandering knights―despite having lost their peak military splendor by the late Middle Ages, still enjoyed prestige as a higher nobility. Therefore, for Alonso Quijano, becoming a knight-errant ultimately meant social ascension and an escape from the stagnant state of hidalgo. It was an intelligent and reasonable decision from a capitalist perspective.Sancho Panza, on the other hand, was a farmer or peasant living in miserable economic conditions. With few resources to escape his impoverished state, the peasant from La Mancha was easily persuaded by Don Quixote's exaggerated promises. However, throughout their adventures, Sancho pursues money, concerned about the well-being of his family, and at times deceives those around him. In the second volume of Don Quixote, Sancho's materialism becomes even more apparent after earning income from the adventures in the first volume.The materialistic unconscious of the protagonists is the crucial facet that allows Don Quixote to be considered the first modern novel.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Estudios Hispánicos
Published
2024-12-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21811/eh.113.163
Primary Topic
Early Modern Spanish Literature
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Why did Alonso Quijano and Sancho Panza set out on the chivalric journey? The capitalist unconscious of the modern man in Don Quixote

Ho-Joon Yim
Estudios Hispánicos
Early Modern Spanish Literature
article

Why did Alonso Quijano and Sancho Panza set out on the chivalric journey? The capitalist unconscious of the modern man in Don Quixote

Ho-Joon Yim
article en

Abstract

Readers of Don Quixote tend to view the protagonist as a romantic idealist who dares to confront adversity, and Sancho Panza as an honorable squire loyal to his master. However, both the hidalgo Alonso Quijano and the peasant Sancho Panza were men of the modern era whose unconscious were shaped by the capitalist system.Hidalgo of this time, despite belonging to the nobility, were in unfavorable conditions, leading a vegetative life in small locales where they at least owned a house and some land. In comparison, knights―even wandering knights―despite having lost their peak military splendor by the late Middle Ages, still enjoyed prestige as a higher nobility. Therefore, for Alonso Quijano, becoming a knight-errant ultimately meant social ascension and an escape from the stagnant state of hidalgo. It was an intelligent and reasonable decision from a capitalist perspective.Sancho Panza, on the other hand, was a farmer or peasant living in miserable economic conditions. With few resources to escape his impoverished state, the peasant from La Mancha was easily persuaded by Don Quixote's exaggerated promises. However, throughout their adventures, Sancho pursues money, concerned about the well-being of his family, and at times deceives those around him. In the second volume of Don Quixote, Sancho's materialism becomes even more apparent after earning income from the adventures in the first volume.The materialistic unconscious of the protagonists is the crucial facet that allows Don Quixote to be considered the first modern novel.

Estudios HispánicosVol. 113
Openalex Percentile: Top 60%
Early Modern Spanish Literature
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.