Don Quixote 

Gustave Doré created this image of Don Quixote through detailed line engravings, a technique that flourished in the 19th century, a period marked by rapid industrialization and social upheaval. Doré’s Don Quixote exists in a world steeped in chivalric ideals that are decidedly at odds with the burgeoning modern era. The artist captures a key moment of the story, that is fraught with notions of honor and service, when Don Quixote agrees to assist Dorotea. It’s hard to miss the gendered dynamics in play, here. Quixote’s quest to serve and protect, is, in itself, a commentary on the idealized, yet often restrictive roles assigned to men and women. Think about the weight of expectations, the social scripts that cast men as protectors and women as damsels. Consider how Doré's illustrations, while seemingly traditional, invite us to reflect on the ways in which we negotiate our identities within the narratives we inherit.