SOURCE: Bleznick, Donald. “Don Quijote as Spanish Myth.” In Studies on Don Quijote and Other Cervantine Works, edited by Donald W. Bleznick, pp. 1-19. York, S. C.: Spanish Literature Publications Company, 1984.

In the following essay, Bleznick provides an analysis of Don Quixote, suggesting that he is an archetypal hero who captures the essence of the Spanish character and a mythic figure who arose from the Spanish collective unconscious.

The enduring, universal appeal of Don Quijote springs in large measure from Cervantes' genial creation of a literary figure whose words and deeds are timeless and not bound by geographic limitations. An interpretation of the adventures of Cervantes' protagonist through the perspective of archetypal criticism will reveal that Alonso Quijano-Don Quijote goes through a process of psychological maturation that men have undergone in all kinds of societies from time immemorial. Cervantes' novel, moreover, has had special significance for Spaniards since...