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=**Summary # 2-Don Quixote**= This second portion of the story of Don Quixote begins with Don and Sancho setting out yet again for a new adventure. While the barber and the priest were successful in taking Don Quixote home, he only remains there for a few days until he is itching to search for a new chivalric conquest. Along the way, Sancho convinces Don Quixote that one of the simple peasant girls from the village is really his lady, Dulcinia who has been transformed by evil enchanters who are working against him, Don Quixote readily believes him and sets out to find a way in which to break her from the spell. It is not long before the two meet up with a duke and a duchess who have heard about Don Quixote and his pursuits in a book that has been written based on his life. They welcome both Don and Sancho into their home and set to work thinking of various fake adventures they can create for Don to go on in order to amuse themselves. The duke and duchess come up with several schemes that Don Quixote falls for with ease. Still, not all of their plans are geared towards Don Quixote, the duke and the duchess also find was to mess with Sancho as well. One such scheme involves Sancho having to whip himself 3,300 times in order to break Dulcinia's "spell". In addition, they also send Sancho away to govern his own fake insula. Despite the distance between Don and Sancho, they eventually meet up again to resume their adventures. This however does not last very long. After some time traveling, the friends meet up with a man who has disguised himself as the "Knight of the Shining Mirrors" who challenges Don Quixote to a duel. Don, believing him to be who he says he is immediately agrees with the terms that if he is defeated, he must return home and give up his arms for an entire year. Little does he know that this man is actually an old friend who has conjured up this duel as a way to get Don to return home and regain his sanity. In the end, he does in fact defeat Don Quixote who heads home with Sancho in tow. After arriving home, Don Quixote is struck with illness and it is during this time that he regains his sanity. The story ends with Don creating his will and denouncing his previous pursuits of knight errantry.
 * (pages read 421-940) January 7, 2014**

**Analysis #2-Don Quixote**
This was by far the most challenging book that I have ever read and yet I am so glad that I read it because I feel so accomplished. That being said, I did find this section of the book much more interesting and engaging. I grew to appreciate the characters of Don Quixote and Sancho. I think the fact that they were picked on a great deal by the duke and duchess made me pity them. I also really love the friendship that grew between these two characters. They truly stay together through thick and thin and although they will often criticize and put one another down, it is evident that they love one another like brothers. I was also able to appreciate the humor in this section a lot more. I think that having read more allowed me to better understand the personalities of the characters and the witticism used made more sense because of that. Throughout the entire novel, one of the things that I loved most was the way Don Quixote's friends stuck with him even in his insanity. I can imagine that it would be really hard to put up with someone as difficult as Don Quixote but they are faithful to him until his very last breath. I thought that the ending was perfect. I was not expecting Don Quixote to regain his sanity and I thought that having him do so in the very last pages right before his death was genius. More often than not, getting through this book was quite a struggle but there were also times when it was somewhat of a page turner which made up for it.

Application of Course Essential Question #2-Don Quixote
The second section of the book served a great deal in revealing the characteristics of humans. First of all, I believe that Sancho's obsession with becoming governor of an insula and becoming wealthy is so typical of humans. This yearning to become prosperous is something that consumes Sancho both day and night. He constantly reminds Don of the fact that he has promised to make him a governor and it is because of his one-track mind, that Sancho's character becomes quite flat. I think that this is also the case for people in this day and age. As humans we get so caught up in living lives of luxury, that it is easy to lose sight of who we really are. Once Sancho's wish finally does come true, it's the classic idea of the grass being greener on the other side. Sancho's position as governor leaves him unsatisfied! He misses his simplistic life and decides to return to it. One would think that the story ends here with Sancho, but it does not. Not long after he is reunited with Don Quixote, Sancho begins to pine for a countship. This cycle is something that many of us go through. We learn a lesson but are so quick to forget what it is that we have learned. Another aspect of the book that shows the characteristics of humans is the way that the duke and the duchess bully Don Quixote. While they do not mean to harm him, they have a great deal of fun at his expense. It seems as if they do not consider what they are doing wrong and feel no guilt in making a fool out of an innocent man. This is so common in this day and age. I don't think there is anyone who can say they have not made fun of someone, even if it was only behind their back. We become numb and think nothing of poking fun at someone else if it will bring a good laugh, as long as they aren't aware of it. Lastly, I think that fact that Don Quixote was mad up until his last few days is also representative of human characteristics. While he was able to regain his sanity before his death, he didn't really have time to live in his new world of reality. He turned things around but it was almost as if it was to late. Had he heeded the words of his friends and family, he might have had a chance. Often times, humans will be living in an unhealthy lifestyle but are unwilling to change their ways. Those we love will try to snap us out of it but we are too stubborn to see our foolishness. It is usually when we run out of time that we as humans finally grasp the stupidity of our ways.

=**Summary # 1-Don Quixote**= The story of Don Quixote begins by describing an elderly man, living in La Mancha, who has devoted his life to reading novels based on chivalry. At first it seems that his interest is purely entertainment-based. As the years pass, however, it becomes clear that this man has become completely engrossed in his library and has entirely shut out the world around him. Soon, the simple act of reading isn't enough and he decides that instead of reading about the chivalrous knights, he wants to become one. As a result, he collects his less than protective armor and saddles up his horse, Rocinante who has seen better days. He decides that he will need a clever name and with much contemplation he decides to call himself Don Quixote. While he has everything gathered that he needs to begin his first adventure, Don Quixote realizes that he is still in need of one very important component before he sets out, a lady in waiting. He decides that the very beautiful Lady Dulcinia will be the object of his affection (despite the fact that she is really a simple maiden and has no idea who Don Quixote is) and is convinced that she shares in these feelings for him. While he believes that he has everything he needs to be the perfect knight errant, Don Quixote's first adventure ends in a failure and he realizes that in order to be successful, he will have to obtain a squire. The lucky man who is awarded with this position is none other than a poor worker named Sancho Panza. It does not take long for Don to convince Sancho to accompany him in his attempts to bring back the art of chivalry due to the vast amount of land and fortune that he promises. So, the two begin their travels and over the course of time it becomes quite clear to the reader that Don Quixote has completely lost his marbles. He basically goes around creating problems that do not exist and leaving conflict where once there was peace. For the most part Sancho, despite his simple-minded and somewhat idiotic nature, attempts to set things straight with his master and show him the great fallacy of his ways. Even though Sancho can see that Don Quixote isn't "all there", he follows him faithfully and even begins taking on some of his habits. In one of his greatest adventures, Don Quixote gets mixed up in a group of star-crossed lovers who are in the pursuit of reuniting with one another and through a series of rather difficult events they finally meet up. This half of the story ends with Don Quixote's two friends, a barber and a priest who attempt to take Don home in hopes of stabilizing his rather shaky mental state.
 * (pages read 1-420) November 27, 2013**

=**Analysis #1-Don Quixote**=

I would be lying if I said that reading this book was not a challenge, but lucky for me, I like challenges! As I wrote above, this story follows a man who has gone crazy due to his obsession with chivalry. The book follows the various adventures that he faces with his right-hand-man, Sancho. In my opinion, these adventures get very monotonous. It is the same concept over and over. All is well until Don Quixote comes in and disrupts the tranquility of those that he believes are in need, when really, they are perfectly fine. I get very tired of his lunacy. I find the whole plot very unbelievable and while I know it is intended to be a comedy, I do not find it humorous. On a different note, I think that there are several times in this book that the events recounted are very interesting. These events are ones that do not concern Don Quixote and the are very refreshing. In the novel, there are various love stories that take place that have given me a much needed break from all of the so-called "chivalry". In addition, I read several pieces in the book that show great depth and wisdom and I have found them to be very heartfelt. It is for this reason that I am very perplexed with the fact that the author did not treat the entire novel in this fashion. I can tell that Miguel De Cervantes has great talent when I read the various accounts that have nothing to do with the stupidity of Don Quixote but for the most part, the book is somewhat of a bore. Maybe there is something that I am missing. Perhaps his intentions were to surround the riveting elements with stupidity so that they would stand out and leave a greater impact.

=Application of Course Essential Question #1-Don Quixote=

This book really displays the tendency of our human nature of being drawn to lies. In the story, Don Quixote pretty much lives his whole life based off of falsehoods that he considers truth. Often times, in order to escape reality, we create an imaginary world in which everything is just the way we like it and we can make up situations in which we can be the heros. The truth is always harder to trust in than the lies. In our culture we are constantly bombarded by lies that tell us we aren't pretty enough or that we need to lose weight or that we are unworthy of love and so many fall prey to these fallacies. I am certainly not immune to this and much like Don Quixote, I sometimes try to escape my life in the books that I read. When I read, I don't have to be myself and I can trade in reality for the fiction that I read on the pages. I think that it is our nature as humans to be drawn to lies because we are afraid to believe in the truth. This book also depicts the desire that we have as humans to find fulfillment. Don Quixote's main goal in the story is to seek out situations in which he can be the "knight in shining armor"...literally! I think that the reason he does this is to find his purpose. He is an empty man with nothing to live for but the thrill of victory. Yet, after one adventure is completed, he rushes on to find another, and another, and another, it is never enough. This is so true of the way that most people live their lives. They are constantly seeking a way to find worth by what they can accomplish or who they can be. Yet, it never works because they are searching in all the wrong places and attempting to find fulfillment in themselves which is impossible due to our imperfection as humans.

Kate's Page

=My Influences=

There have been lots of things in my life that have served to shape me into the person that I am today. The one thing that has influenced me the most is my faith. Being a Christian has completely changed my outlook on life. It affects the choices I make and the way I treat those around me. As a Christian, I am able to rely on God through every situation of my life. Another influence in my life is my parents. In this day and age, I know that there are a lot of teens who don't have a good relationship with their mom and dad but I am glad to say that I am not one of them. My parents are incredibly supportive of me and I am always able to go to them for advice. I wouldn't trade them for the world and I have learned so much from their example. My sister is also someone who has really impacted me. Although she and I are complete opposites and we don't always get along, we are still best friends. We understand each other better than anyone else in the world. Having the opportunity of going to a Christian school from kindergarten to tenth grade has also served to make me who I am. This was a place where I always felt at home. I knew pretty much everyone in the school and I had the same classmates each year. Here I was able to grow deeper in my faith and my relationships with others. The lasting friendships that I made at my old school have also left a large impact on my life. Due to the fact that my friends and I had been together all throughout our years in school, we got to know each other really well. We share so many of the same passions and even though I don't see them very often anymore, we still stay in touch. Another thing that has really shaped me has been the process of switching schools. Last year I moved from a very small private school to Central. This was a huge culture shock for me. It was painful to leave my friends behind and walk into an environment in which I knew barely anyone. Looking back I can see how this process has strengthened me and has allowed me to grow. Throughout my elementary years, I was greatly influenced by my teachers. I loved all of them and some of them stand out in my mind for their special skill of making learning fun. These were the teachers who sparked my interest in education and helped me to realize my desire of one day becoming a teacher. I have also really been molded through my passion for reading. Ever since I was really young, I always had my nose in a book. I loved all the adventures I was able to go on and all of the things I was able to learn simply through turning pages. Another one of my passions that has molded me is my interest in art. Taking art classes all throughout my elementary, middle, and high school years has helped me to be creative in other aspects of my life. Through my artwork, I have been able to really appreciate the beauty that is around me. Lastly, I have been greatly impacted by my experiences of working with children. Over the past few years, I have had many opportunities to interact with kids. Working in the Sunday School at my church and a Summer day camp for kids, has served to further confirm my hopes of teaching. I love the innocence of children and their simplistic view on life. In conclusion, I am so thankful for all of the many things that have made me who I am. These influences helped me to find my identity and have prompted me in my thoughts for the future.

Hali Bryant- I think that this is great. I think that it is amazing that you have such strong faith and that you have such a good relationship with your parents. I also think that it is cool that you stay in touch with your friends and are still close to them because I know how hard that can be sometimes.

Have you been able to keep in touch with the friends from your old school still? -Mrs. Sands

Your story is very good and a lot of parts I can relate to. You make a true statement when you said that kids these days don't have a good relationship with their parents. Today I don't have a relationship with my Dad at all and I never see him. I used to also go to a private school and really loved all of the people there. My Sister and I really do fight all the time too, but I am always there for her whenever she needs me. Lastly I really liked the part about your parents because it is the same for me I wouldn't change a thing either because they have supported me through all of the rough times. -Anthony Savage