The Differences in Perception
The definition of reality is the state of fact. Everyone has a different sense of reality based on their own perception. People paint their own pictures of reality based on what is accepted as fact, but knowledge is all too different, distorting the pictures of reality. The main character Don Quixote’s perception of reality differed from other people’s perception of reality. His tendency to percept regular people and objects as if they have dramatic, epic, and fantastic dimensions, forced those around him to choose between adapting to his imaginary world and opposing it. I believe this image I chose will depict a character’s perception of Don Quixote and how it directly affected their actions toward him.
Perhaps the most obvious example of how perception directly affected a character’s actions toward Quixote is Sancho Panza. Sancho represented the common man with little education and common sense. With no prior exposure to works of chivalry, Sancho saw no problem in becoming Quixote’s squire and believed he would gain something out of the experience. He perceived Quixote as a credible figure and gave him reason to join the journey. With no prior exposure, Sancho learned the ways of chivalry from Quixote’s perspective. Sancho began living his own life through Quixote’s chivalric motives, where every aspect of the journey was justified through chivalric principles and stories. Sancho’s questions were answered through chivalry and abnormal logic, connecting fictional chivalric morals into his real life. When Sancho was presented with alternate views on their adventures, his perception changed and caused temptation to abandon Quixote. For example, Sancho overheard the innkeeper saying, “ because I wouldn’t be crazy enough to become a knight errant; I see very well that these days are different from the old days, when they say those famous knights wandered through the world” (271). This gave Sancho an alternate view of chivalry and...