Youth-anizing Don Quixote A Look at the Noblest Knight in History as He Is Introduced to Young Readers

Abstract

As Miguel de Cervantes’ satirical creation of the ingenious knight, Don Quixote de la Mancha, continues to be introduced to newer generations, this paper examines the image of Don Quixote as he enters the elementary school realm and highlights lessons Cervantes continues to teach over 400 years after its first publication. Through the lens of a comparative research approach, the findings show a shift from madness, mockery, and violence to self-discovery and loyalty, while the original master of the art, Don Quixote, teaches children to exercise their imaginations. In conclusion, this masterpiece of the Spanish Golden Age must modify certain elements when presented to a younger audience. The tragic composition of Cervantes’ Quixote must be “youth-anized,” temporarily put to sleep, while a more youthful, heroic Quixote makes the first introduction to the adventures hidden in La Mancha.