Reading Response.

Many scholars think that one major theme in Don Quixote is the importance of the imagination. We see this
theme playing out in various ways in this book. First, we see that he is a collector of books about knights and
their heroic deeds. This pleases his imagination, but not quite enough. Next, he thinks he has to BECOME
such a knight, even though they haven't been around for a few hundred years. His family thinks the books he
had been reading destroyed his power of reason, or amplified his imagination to the point that he couldn't tell
the difference between fantasy and reality. However, in the opening chapter, he says, "I know who I am, and
who I may be, if I choose." Some say this is evidence that he has made a choice to become a knight, and that
he was in control of his thoughts and actions. Others say that he becomes increasingly immersed in his own
self-created identity and fantasy adventure. Still others say that he is affirming the role of the imagination in
creating meaning in life, even if he doesn't quite master the art of knighthood. What do you think of his actions,
and of the role of imagination in the excerpts of this novel that we have read? Use at least a couple of quotes
from our text to illustrate and support your ideas.