discuss how Cervantes' Don Quixote can be seen as a statement about the era in which it was written-the early 17th century

Cervantes' Don Quixote pokes fun at the upright ratiocination of his time.

Explanation:

The time in which Don Quixote was being written was one of psychological and scientific inquiry and the avenues for self discovery and discovery of the world were rife in the world.

It is in the context of that world that the text of Don Quixote can be understood to be operating as a satire and as a meta commentary on the nature of the said inquiry.

It is not a condemnation but reveals certain aspect of the life of the time it is parodying in a way that shows its imperfections