Don Quixote through the Freirean Lens (Don Quijote a través del lente freireano)
Submission Type
Event
Expected Graduation Date
2013
Location
Room E102, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-20-2013 11:00 AM
End Date
4-20-2013 12:00 PM
Abstract
Paulo Freire’s philosophy of liberation is prominent in studies of pedagogy, but is seldom employed to understand dynamic interactions in works of literature. Freire’s seminal work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, outlines several concepts of liberation that can be utilized to understand the character Don Quixote and his adventures with others in Cervantes’ classic novel. As a knight-errant seeking to help the oppressed, Don Quixote is undermined by his “false generosity” when attempting to help an oppressed peasant, Andrés; the oppressed women Marcela and Dorotea fail to liberate themselves due to a lack of solidarity and fear of freedom (respectively); and Don Quixote is driven to action by his utopian views evidenced by his speeches on the “Golden Age” and “Arms and Letters”, which Freire helps to explain with his concepts of praxis and utopia. Seen through a Freirean lens, it becomes obvious why Don Quixote is a novel that transcends its historical circumstances and influences those fighting for justice in today’s world.
(Presentation in Spanish)
Don Quixote through the Freirean Lens (Don Quijote a través del lente freireano)
Room E102, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Paulo Freire’s philosophy of liberation is prominent in studies of pedagogy, but is seldom employed to understand dynamic interactions in works of literature. Freire’s seminal work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, outlines several concepts of liberation that can be utilized to understand the character Don Quixote and his adventures with others in Cervantes’ classic novel. As a knight-errant seeking to help the oppressed, Don Quixote is undermined by his “false generosity” when attempting to help an oppressed peasant, Andrés; the oppressed women Marcela and Dorotea fail to liberate themselves due to a lack of solidarity and fear of freedom (respectively); and Don Quixote is driven to action by his utopian views evidenced by his speeches on the “Golden Age” and “Arms and Letters”, which Freire helps to explain with his concepts of praxis and utopia. Seen through a Freirean lens, it becomes obvious why Don Quixote is a novel that transcends its historical circumstances and influences those fighting for justice in today’s world.
(Presentation in Spanish)