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  • Essay / The question of the disappearance of a hero

    In her essay “The Vanishing Act of Don Quixote”, Anne J. Cruz argues that the death of Don Quixote can be predicted, even in the first part. His thesis is that the first and second parts of the novel can be understood as follows: "[...] Don Quijote's final act of disappearance confirms his irrevocable integration into his own text. » (Cruz, 840). Cruz's idea has sparked much discussion and controversy, and many are divided on whether they agree with it. This statement is not true, as it overlooks the writing of "False Quixote", as Cervantes' response to this hoax was to end the possibility of future Don Quixote stories. Cervantes chose to kill Don Quixote to regain control of the fictional world he had created, in retaliation against all those who sought to hijack his creation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayAt the end of the first part of Don Quixote, Cervantes gives a hint about the upcoming release of Don Quixote and Sancho: “Don Quixote left home [and] he went to Zaragoza and participated in some famous tournaments held in that city” (Cervantes, 445). He ends the novel with the line “Forsi altro canterà con miglior plectio”. (Cervantes, 449), which is a quote originally from Orlando Furioso. This phrase translates to: "Perhaps someone else will sing in a better style", which many have interpreted as an invitation to others to continue writing. Between the publication of the first and second parts, this invitation was accepted and a fraudster wrote a counterfeit sequel to Don Quixote, known as "False Quixote". Cervantes heard about this book while he was writing the second part and immediately mentioned it in his writings. In the novel, as Don Quixote and Sancho travel to Zaragoza after leaving the Duke and Duchess, they approach an inn to spend the night. At the inn, they hear two people reading False Quixote. Don Quixote confronts them about the book when he hears them say that in the story he renounces his love for Dulcinea. They then discuss how misleading the book is and how many errors it contains. To end their conversation, Don Quixote declares: “I will not set foot in Zaragoza, and thus I will proclaim to the world the lies of this modern historian” (Cervantes, 849) and changes his destination from Zaragoza to Barcelona. This is the first time Cervantes refers to the "False Quixote" in the novel, and it has a powerful meaning. By changing his destination, he discredits "False Quixote" in its entirety by showing that it is false, and that Don Quixote and Sancho will do everything they can to prove his fraud. After leaving the hostel, on their new way to Barcelona, ​​Sancho comes across something hanging from a tree. Realizing that this object was human legs and feet, a terrified Sancho runs to Don Quixote, who in response calmly says "[...] these feet and legs which you touch but which you do not see undoubtedly belong to outlaws and bandits who were hanged. [...] which leads me to think that I must be close to Barcelona" (Cervantes, 851). Don Quixote and Sancho then find themselves surrounded by a group of thieves who rob them, but end up welcoming them and traveling with them to Barcelona. While with the thieves, Don Quixote and Sancho witness theft and murder, contrasting sharply with the law enforcement knight Quixote previously practiced. A significant change can be observed in..