Cervantes, technology, and the novel an aesthetic of instrumentality in Don Quixote Cory A. Reed

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Reed, Cory A., author.

Series:

Toronto Iberic 98

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de, 1547-1616. Don Quixote.

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de.

Technology in literature.

Science in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Other Title:

Cervantes, Technology, and the Novel

Place of Publication:

University of Toronto Press

Toronto Buffalo London University of Toronto Press [2025]

Summary:

"This book examines the technological and scientific imagery in Cervantes's novel, Don Quixote, and the ways in which the Scientific Revolution participated in the author's examination of early modern European culture during a time of crisis and change. Cervantes's representation of technology not only documents the cultural dynamics of the transition between medieval scholasticism and early modern empiricism in Spain but also celebrates the agency of the individual to effect change in the world. Machines in Don Quixote often function as the would-be knight's nemesis, playing a role in foiling his quest to revive a mythical, pre-technological Golden Age. They also appear as ingenious devices that straddle the border between magic and engineering in a modern expression of human creativity and ingenuity. For Cervantes and his characters, technology is not just about machines, but about the human desire to reverse power structures and exercise agency. Cory A. Reed, a specialist in early modern Spanish literature, analyzes how Cervantes's aesthetic of instrumentality encourages his reader to engage critically with the world in a time of cultural transformation. Cervantes, Technology, and the Novel thus demonstrates how Don Quixote becomes an instrument of enlightenment achieved through imagination."-- Provided by publisher

Contents:

Frontmatter Contents List of Illustrations Preface Introduction 1 Ingenious Revolutions: Early Modern Science and a Hermeneutics of Technology 2 Shifting Paradigms: Don Quixote's Confrontations with Technology 3 Enchanting Devices: Fabricating Illusion and Revealing Truth 4 An Aesthetic of Instrumentality Conclusion Notes Works Cited Index Series List

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on January 14, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version Reed, Cory A. Cervantes, technology, and the novel

ISBN:

9781487566050

1487566042

9781487566043

1487566050

OCLC:

1528454701

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license