Don Quixote · Chapter
XXXIX explained
The captive begins his story, describing his family's origins in the mountains of León, his father's prodigality, and the division of the family wealth among three sons.
What happens
The captive begins his story, describing his family's origins in the mountains of León, his father's prodigality, and the division of the family wealth among three sons. He recounts his choice to serve the king in the wars, his brother's decision to go to the Indies, and the youngest's choice of the church. He then details the fall of the Goletta and the fort near Tunis, the fierce defense, and the capture of notable Christians, including Don Pedro de Aguilar, whose brother is present among the listeners.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Identity
The captive's father divides his wealth among his sons, each choosing a path (church, trade, or military) that reflects their social aspirations and the constraints of their class.
Justice and Morality
The narrative of the Goletta's fall and the fate of its defenders raises questions about the morality of war, the value of sacrifice, and the treachery of allies.
Characters to notice
- The Captive
Narrates his life story, including his family background, his decision to become a soldier, and his experiences as a captive after the fall of the Goletta.
- Don Fernando
Present among the listeners; reacts with recognition upon hearing the name Don Pedro de Aguilar.
- Don Quixote
Implied as part of the audience listening to the captive's tale.
- Sancho Panza
Implied as part of the audience listening to the captive's tale.
Key passages
“My family had its origin in a village in the mountains of León, and nature had been kinder and more generous to it than fortune; though in the general poverty of those communities my father passed for being even a rich man; and he would have been so in reality had he been as clever in preserving his property as he was in spending it.”
The captive's family came from a poor village in the León mountains, but his father was considered wealthy there, though he spent money freely rather than saving it.
Introduces the captive's background and his father's prodigal nature.
“My father went beyond liberality and bordered on prodigality, a disposition by no means advantageous to a married man who has children to succeed to his name and position.”
The captive's father was excessively generous, almost wasteful, which was not good for a man with sons to inherit.
Highlights the father's flaw that leads to the division of property.
“The first to fall was the Goletta, until then reckoned impregnable, and it fell, not by any fault of its defenders, who did all that they could and should have done, but because experiment proved how easily entrenchments could be made in the desert sand there; for water used to be found at two palms depth, while the Turks found none at two yards; and so by means of a quantity of sandbags they raised their works so high that they commanded the walls of the fort, sweeping them as if from a cavalier, so that no one was able to make a stand or maintain the defence.”
The Goletta, thought to be unconquerable, fell because the Turks used sandbags to build high embankments that overlooked the fort's walls, despite the defenders' bravery.
Describes the tactical reason for the Goletta's fall.