Struggle against windmills. The naive hero

The fight against windmills: what is hidden in this phraseological turnover? Involuntarily, everyone at least once said this expression. It can be drawn to itself, as well as to another person. The most important thing is that in principle no one takes offense at such a statement. It is interesting to understand with what it is connected.

Naive Knight in Armor

If someone else has not read the novel of the Spanish writer M. Cervantes, we advise you to do it as soon as possible. The work is called "The Clever Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha". The novel was written a long time ago, but it still does not lose its relevance today.

It's all about the main character. The tall, awkward and lean Don Quixote is a comic image. But due to his nature, he became so fond of the reader that nobody wants to laugh or dare to laugh at him. Don Quixote is a romantic and sincere nature. He so faithfully believed the stories of the valiant knights described by the poets that he himself decided to become so.

The hero is written by the author rather comically. Don Quixote is already middle-aged, not too healthy in body. High growth, a thin, long face with a long nose and a funny mustache. And most likely, in his brain there were some changes that led to a passion for vagrancy. And his horse, Rossinant, was also skinny and comical. Funny armor completed the image.

His servant, Sancho Panso - the antipode of the protagonist, from the exterior to the ability to soberly assess things and call them by their proper names. But fate brings them together. It often happens in life, does not it?

Real knights, in the hero's opinion, were bound to perform valiant exploits in the name of a beautiful lady, and they should also be helped by faithful squires. Knight intended to glorify the beauty of the chosen one and tell the world about his exploits in the name of love. Don Quixote chose his beloved - Dulcine Tobos. By the way, his chosen one was not at all so beautiful as to sacrifice anything for her sake. But our knight was blind and deaf, in his imagination Dulcinea was the most beautiful woman on Earth.

What is the point of fighting windmills

In the inflamed imagination of Don Quixote, the mills are huge monsters that somehow threaten humanity. Clearly, Don Quixote is not exactly adequate. But he devotes his exploits to the lady of the heart. In the novel, fighting against windmills is of particular importance to the hero. This amazing nobility combined with naivety disarms.

Sincerity always softens people's hearts. This was before and remains true now. Don Quixote raced frantically on his thin horse and attacked the monsters - "dragons", pierced them with a spear, trying to kill. Was, as a matter of fact, a laughing-stock for associates.

So the meaning and meaning of the expression became obvious to the readers of the novel. "Struggle against windmills" as an independent phrase went away to walk around the world, no longer dependent on M. Cervantes.

It means a waste of effort to perform an action that nobody needs. A meaningless search for the impossible. Empty faith in unworthy people. Or it is possible to give such formulation: stupid behavior which does not lead to result.

Knights among us

Why is the hero of the novel so loved by the people? Everything is simple. Don Quixote did not want to put up with routine and routine. His eyes were capable of not noticing dirt, vulgarity and greed. The soul was striving for a high flight. He still astonished those qualities of those around him in his time.

With deep reflection you begin to understand the power of the phrase "fighting windmills", the meaning of which changes to the opposite.

Now you can not meet nobility at every step. But they are, "knights without fear and reproach." Such people attach special importance to "fighting windmills": they do not want to put up with injustice in society or with violence. The fighters for the truth, they come out with protest actions, draw public attention, sacrifice themselves for the sake of a high (often unattainable) goal. Volunteers, animal rights activists, members of conservation societies - they all fight with "dragons". And no one laughs at them.

Thanks to Don Quixote

I want to rejoice that the image of the "knight of a sad image" will forever live in people's memory. He is a kind and open, sincere and brave person. In it are concentrated such valuable qualities that laughter causes little and the hero himself, and his actions.

The fight against windmills will continue forever. Otherwise, the world will become boring, gray and ordinary. People will become poor in spirit and forget their lofty goals, lose the main values of the human soul. The world will mired in philistinism, profit, greed and idleness. "Madness of the brave" has always admired and will delight. And writers and poets will draw inspiration from the most (seemingly meaningless) feats!