Notre Dame Scholastic, Vol. 45, No. 36
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^a--^ Ootre Dame Scholastic DlSCe-9VASI-5emP6R-\/ICT\ye\/S- • VIVG-pVASI-CRA5-MOI5IT\/R\yS VOL. XLV. NOTRE DAME, INDIANA, JUNE 15, 1912. No. 36. south of Spain determined to a great extent Without the Hereafter. the special department of literature which he would adorn. = [j THOMAS A. DOCKWEILER, 'l2. Other forces, however, were at work, and to these also must be attributed, to some extent pARTH is only a speck of cosmic dust at least, the choice of the picaresque novel. Encircling a little star, The Romantic tales of knight-errantry were Whose feeble light could scarce be seen falling into unpopularity. Internally they had From those titan worlds afar. already ceased to incite respect, curiosity or And man, Avho creeps on this tinj' globe pleasure. The people felt that the heroism To groan for one short day,— so much sung was so much cant. But true Is he much nobler than a worm to Spanish traditions and ideals the people That's destined to slow decay? were slow to break away from rule. For centuries their literature abounded in romantic If death were all existence means kinght-tales. These were metrical composi Then 'twere better not to be; tions, and the savants refused to recognize Our life were but a riddle unread. the lowly prose of the picaresque school. To Without immortality. them there seemed to be too much of the vulgar. The critics, also, scorned the idea of turning Don Quixote- A T3rpe of the Picaresque. to the new scho,ol, and bitter were their denunciation of all its publications. JOHN T. BURNS, '13. About fifty years previous to the appearance of Don Quixote (1592) "Lazarillo De Tonnes" ,IGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAV- had been published, but it met with no success. EDRA," says Hume, "was one of The learned shunned it, and the throng followed nature's greatest penmen, whose their example. .At that time one might have very powers obliged him to write." cursed his Christian God with no more fear And surely if his powers were of rebuke than if he scorned the Spanish idols. such, his numerous and varied But fifty years is time enough to bring great experiences gave him abundant opportunities changes. Cervantes was determined to gain for expression. His riotous life as a student, fame no matter what the price. In this he his adventures as a soldier, his situations as but followed the Spanish mind, for it is said chamberlain to a cardinal in Rome, his tortures the Spaniard will write anything, attempt while serving as a galley slave to some Barbary anything, do anything if by so doing his name pirates, and his lack of success as a poet and lives in posterity. Individualism is his forte, dramatist furnished material in abundance for and notice will be his if he has to wallow in the play of his talents. Added to these were the mud in order to secure it. the long years of childhood and early youth As soon as Cervantes had completed his during which he made his residence in the novel, it lay untouched for, some twelve squalid waterside streets of Seville, and later years. Then for a trifle he sold the copyright his position of over-due tax bailiff in the to a publisher, who, though not at all certain 562 THE NOTRE DAME SCHOLASTIC that the book would be popular, determined orate speech. Amazement fills everyone, but to tryl the public taste. the wise old inn-keeper soon discovers the cause The book at once became the rage. Spain of the old man's peculiar actions. The house had at last awakened. Its people saw life hold is informed of the old man's eccentricities, truly depicted for the first time. The veil and the entire gathering pass a boisterous even was removed from their eyes, and they dis ing playing pranks upon the unbalanced knight. covered that the lowly occupied a place on And so passes in review incident after incident this earth of ours. until we have covered some six hundred pagess "Don Quixote" is a revolt against knight- The novel has no plot. Quixote is the errantr}'^, a satire on court life and manners. central figure, and he and his Squire, the clown An old county squire is the central figure Sancho, roam the country in search of ad in the narrative. His whole life has been venture. They have no particular place in devoted to reading of kingly deeds, and now view, nor have they any particular deeds 'to in his old age, his mind having become affected perform. They wander until they find an by meditation and hero worship, he takes as opportunity, which is never lacking, to display fact these fictions. History is not history their gallantry, and after they have thus occu unless the knights of old are forever perform pied themselves for a long period of time, they ing chivalric deeds. His discussions center return home, only to again depart in search about Amadis De Gaula and Palmerin of of other adventures. England. The shaft of ridicule employed by the author Finally the old man gets together some armor, strikes deep at the roots of tradition, nor is a sword and' other knightly accoutrements; there any mistaking at whom the satire is then bringing in his horse from the field, the directed. The pompous knight, so super enfeebled one prepares to become a knight- ficial yet ever so courteous, by contrast held errant. He assumes the name of Don Quixote, up to laughter is an indirect attack upon and is spoken of as poor, proud, obstinate and knighthood in all its phases. old-fashioned, his cheeks sunken in until they Parallel, however, with the ludicrous exploits almost touch each other. The sash which he of Quixote are the "weighty epigrains, and puts on is green and very shabby, while the. apothems which forever flow from the pen old horse is but a mere skeleton. of Cervantes. Cervantes was gifted with a Thus equipped Quixote departs, and now remarkable memory, besides having- a most come the incidents which make children laugh, keen perception. He had travelled throughout which open to the learned the deeper furrows the world and met with all classes. And no . of thought,, and which bring tears to old age. matter whether" with the high or the low of The incidents are in themselves ludicrous in society, his penetrating mind never contented the extreme. The old man is forever bungling, itself by remaining with surface appearances. forever getting into the wrong place and doing He went beneath and found the true meaning the j^rrong thing at the wrong time. For and cause of the peculiar attitude of the Spanish instance, when traveling through the country mind; and when he had done so his caustic district, Quixote sees numerous . windmills, pen hurled shaft upon shaft of raillery at the which he takes to be giants. In spite of the falsity of cciurt-sodety; protests of Sancho, Don attempts to make S6 much for the first half of Don Quixote. war on these giants. It happens to be a In the latter hatt is pictured poor old Spain windy day, and when he thrusts his lance with its eyes now opened, with some wiealth . through the mill, the speed of the wheel breaks still remaining, but with no future to bank his shaft of offense, and tumbles the old gentle upon: all realize the pitiful plight. Economy man upon the ground. is looked upon as a nec^essity, and yet Spain Later he goes to a tavern, and thinks he feels unable to make the sacrifice. The proud has come upon an old^ castle. The shepherd's blood lof centuries' still courses through her horn which is heard in the distance becomes veins, and in spite of her knowing herself, to him a signal of his own approach. When she drains her resources in an effort to keep he reaches the tavern it is already. dark. He up appearances. Then finally, when so much takes the two wenches, who are at the entrance, has been conveyed to the reader, the story to be princesses, and greets them with an elab <»mes tp-ajcipse,-^thpiigh there is no reason -•>'-X.,^->>.:- THE NOTRE DAME SCHOLASTIC 563 for the close at this particular point. It might But "Sweet" was in love, and the mistress have continued indefinitely or might have of his aflFections was Marie McDonald, the been brought to an end earlier. little girl for whom the gentleman was buying i While one can understand how delightful the picture. All the time that the purchase such a book may have been when published, was taking place, Gregori, with his nose pressed the present generation can not get from it against the window, kept watching Marie, the same entertainment. The style is entirely his little heart beating in fear lest she should foreign to the readers of the present day. Even take notice of his attentions to her. As he though a person is absorbed in ludicrous presen was standing thus, three men, all closely tations, he finds himself unable to read "Don muffled," came up and stood directly be Quixote" with any pleasure, for the con hind him. He could not but hear [what versation of the characters both principal and they said. y-i- subordinate are totally artificial, and their " Here they are. Bill! You go up Second very superficiality coupled with their extreme Street to that alley between Monroe and Collier length become unbearable in a shoi;t period and wait there with the buggy.