Treatment Of Women In Don Quixote

In Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Part I and II are narratives of faith despite expulsion and oppression. In “The Captive’s Tale” of Part I, an exotic and beautiful Moorish woman named Zoraida abandons her father. In order to pursue the captive, Ruy Perez de Viedma assists her to get baptized as a Catholic. Similarly, in Part II, Ricote’s daughter, Ana Felix embarks on a wild journey to save her love, Don Gregorio and secretly return to Spain as an exiled Morisca. I claim there are similarities between the central relationships among a father and daughter. Both women identify with converted religions while seizing authority as intelligent women. Beside having no mother figures, they both acquire love, wealth, and beauty regardless of the

In the captive’s view, he is delighted with the discovery, and he wonders “why it was directed to me, since the signs of not wanting to drop the reed for anyone but me clearly indicated that I was the object of the favor” (Cervantes 345). As he distinguishes the unusual gift, he observes a white hand which he could indict this person was not a slave but most likely a Christian woman. Ultimately, this is where he realizes it was a Muslim born woman, Zoraida. Their way of communication is unique because Zoraida convinces and escapes by her words and variability of language. Furthermore, the captive was able to get a renegade from Murcia to assist him in translation of Arabic letters. As he meets others in the inn, he communicates and translates in Arabic. Despite living justly and wealthy, Zoraida still decides to abandon from her father. On the topic of Zoraida’s abandonment to her father, I argue Zoraida wants to liberate herself into society as a Christian woman. There was a stereotype that his pure daughter would be locked up at home and not be allowed outside. I concede that this action is crucial because she breaks away from the limits of society for her true desire to become a Christian. Once in Spain, she has a strong desire not only to be baptized with a new religion but with a new identity as Maria. “The Captive's Tale” is exceptional for its focus involves the relationships of two faiths. Ultimately, my point is to demonstrate that this abandonment shows individuals seeking to break away from Islamic practices to Christian