How we cite our quotes: (Part.Book.Chapter.Paragraph) We use the P. A. Motteux translation from 1712 for our quotes. Some familiar character names appear differently in this edition (Sancho Panza is Sancho Panca here, Rocinante is Rozinante, and Doña Rodriguez is Donna Rodriguez). We preserve Motteux's spellings in our quotes but use the more familiar versions of these names in our analysis.
Quote #1
"I must only acquaint the reader, that if any objection is to be made as to the veracity of this, it is only that the author is an Arabian, and those of that country are not a little addicted to lying." (1.2.1.2)
Cervantes decides to make the narrator of Don Quixote a Moor named Cid Hamet Benengeli. It's an interesting choice because Cervantes claims on several occasions that Moors are liars by nature. Isn't it strange for him say racist things about Moors but then make his narrator a Moor? He might do this because he wants to introduce a little uncertainty into the story of Don Quixote by making the narrator a foreigner. Or is he undermining racist stereotypes by making his readers accept a story told by a Moor? After all, he is writing, theoretically, from a "Moorish" perspective here.
Quote #2
"I say for her," replied the fellow, "and what is more, it is reported, he has ordered, by his will, they should bury him in the fields like any heathen Moor." (1.2.4.1)
When a shepherd states in his will that he wants to be buried like a Moor, it causes quite a scandal. For starters, the Christian religious officials don't want to respect the guy's dying wish, because according to Christianity, you need to be buried a specific way if you want to get to heaven. For a Christian to ask for a Moorish burial might suggest that the dude was really, really upset when he died. Does it suggest anything else? Why include this detail at all?
Quote #3
But yet it grieved him, to think his master's dominions were to be in the land of the negroes, and that, consequently, the people, over whom he was to be governor, were all to be black. (1.4.2.2)
Sancho Panza is really pumped that Don Quixote will have a chance to make him the ruler of a kingdom. He's disappointed, though, by the thought that this kingdom is in Africa and that the people he'll rule over will be black. Is this racism, xenophobia, or both? Why would Sancho rather rule over white people?