During one of their many trips, Graham Greene (1904-1991) and his close friend Father Leopoldo Durán (1917-2008) visited the grave of one of Spain’s leading philosophers, Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936), in Salamanca, Spain. Greene was appalled that Unamuno’s grave was a number rather than a monument. According to Fr. Durán (1994, 212-213), this experience and Greene’s great respect for Unamuno moved Greene to write
Monsignor Quixote(1982). The title character evokes Cervantes’ 17th century knight errant but is based on Fr. Durán—”a very simple man [who] does not resort to metaphysics easily” (Durán 214)—and would exemplify Unamuno’s (and Greene’s) complicated relationship with Catholicism, particularly around military issues, and concerns about doubt versus…
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Citation: Beene, LynnDianne. "Monsignor Quixote". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 October 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3471, accessed 22 October 2024.]
