Picaresque Novel: Origins, Structure, and Themes of Lazarillo de Tormes
The Picaresque Novel: A Literary Exploration
The picaresque novel encompasses various subgenres, including:
- Pastoral novel (e.g., The Seven Books of Diana by Jorge de Montemayor), featuring shepherds and idyllic nature.
- Adventure novel, where the protagonist undertakes a journey fraught with obstacles.
- Celestina-style novel, narrating a love affair aided by a bawd.
- Sentimental novel, recounting tales of unhappy passions.
- Novel of chivalry, where a knight errant battles adversity for his beloved.
- Moorish novel, featuring Muslim characters and love themes.
The Rise of the Picaresque: Lazarillo de Tormes
The realistic or picaresque novel, exemplified by Lazarillo de Tormes, emerged in Spain, reflecting the social realities of the time. The depopulation of rural areas and the growth of cities led to an increase in idlers, vagabonds, and rogues. This novel breaks with existing conventions, presenting an autobiography of a rogue through a series of episodes. The protagonist serves various masters, offering social criticism and ultimately facing dishonor.
Among the idealistic novels of the time, Lazarillo de Tormes stands out for its realism.
First Editions and Authorship
The first editions of Lazarillo de Tormes date back to 1554, with three editions surviving from that year. An original edition likely existed around 1540. The novel was published anonymously and has been attributed to various authors, including Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, though conclusive evidence is lacking.
Structure of Lazarillo de Tormes
The novel comprises a prologue and seven treatises or chapters. The prologue announces an autobiography where the author, now married and a wine herald, recounts his past life. This is presented as a fictional autobiography, written as a letter to “Your Grace.” Lazarus, forced to leave his family, serves several masters and learns various trades.
The novel can be divided into three parts:
- Childhood: Serving a blind man, a priest, and a squire. As the social status of the masters increases, so does Lazarus’s misery.
- Adolescence: Serving a pardoner and a painter of drums.
- Youth: Serving a chaplain, a bailiff, and a dean. Lazarus earns a salary, working as a water carrier, then a town crier, and finally a wine herald. He considers himself at the peak of his life, marrying and having a trade.
Themes: Honor and Religion
Key themes include honor and religion. Honor depended on the consideration of others. Lazarus defends personal effort and virtue, but this is ironic, as he achieves “honor” by marrying a woman who cheats on him with his employer, a low status job as town crier. Five of his masters belong to the ecclesiastical estate, highlighting religious themes.
Style and Impact
The novel employs satire, humor, and an abundance of proverbs and popular phrases. Initially considered a fun and anticlerical book without malicious intent, some treatises were later condemned by the Inquisition. Lazarillo de Tormes was a success, spawning sequels and a subgenre of literary works featuring rogue protagonists, both male and female, continuing into the 18th century.