When the novel first began, Don Quixote had one goal: to become knighted. He hadn’t exactly devised a plan as to how he would achieve this goal, so he decided to simply play it by ear. He felt that if he did as many chivalrous acts as he possibly could, he would eventually do the right act for the right person and bam, he would be knighted. His entire journey until this set of chapters has consisted of him doing whatever he needed to do to achieve knighthood, even if sometimes it meant doing things that were a little unorthodox.

In this current set of chapters, Don Quixote is has begun to have spurts of sensibility. While Don Quixote is still as crazy as ever, he will occasionally have moments where he, “…expressed his discourse in such a way and with such words that none of those listening could have thought him to be crazy.” While it is still clear to those around him that the he may not be the sharpest sword in the armory, he is beginning to understand the reality behind things. He is beginning to realize that not everything is a soldier that has been disguised by a wizard to look like a windmill or sheep.

Don Quixote is beginning to accept that things are not the way they were in his old knight books. He acknowledges that chivalry is not as popular now as it seemed to be during the times of his stories. For Quixote, this means a lot. Until now, his entire journey has revolved around doing acts he felt were chivalrous and would gain him knighthood. By acknowledging that chivalry isn’t as prevalent as it once was, he is acknowledging that his chances of being knighted are slowly withering away.

Will Don Quixote continue his quest for knighthood? Will reality catch up to him? Or will his own reality continue to grow and evolve into an even larger problem for those around him?

Find out in next week’s episode of Tres Veces Quixote.