Spanish Literature in the 17th Century: Picaresque Novel and Social Commentary
General Characteristics of 17th Century Spanish Literature
Spanish society in the 17th century was characterized by progressive impoverishment. Cities saw a growing marginal population of unemployed individuals, vagrants, beggars, and criminals fighting for survival. The political decline of the period produced a general feeling of pessimism and disillusionment.
This situation is reflected in literary prose, where two main trends predominated:
- Realistic literature that reflected the society of the time.
- A moralizing and didactic intent focused on reflecting on the evils that affected individuals, society, and the monarchy.
Genres of 17th Century Spanish Prose
The most outstanding prose genres of this period include:
- The picaresque novel, with Francisco de Quevedo as its most important author.
- The doctrinal prose, whose main figure is Baltasar Gracián.
Narrative Genres
Picaresque Novel
- These novels tell the story of a person, the different situations they experience throughout their life, and the difficulty or impossibility of upward social mobility.
- They continue, with some differences, the line started by Lazarillo de Tormes.
- The two most important novels are: Guzman de Alfarache by Mateo Alemán and El Buscón by Quevedo.
Novella
- These are novels set in a courteous environment, often dealing with themes of love and honor. The events and adventures usually end with a happy ending.
- Due to their characteristics and length, they follow the line of Cervantes’s Novelas Ejemplares.
Satirical Account
- These are stories that criticize different social strata, showing their most grotesque and reprehensible aspects.
- Notable examples include Los Sueños by Quevedo and El Diablo Cojuelo by Luis Vélez de Guevara.
Characteristics of the Picaresque Novel
- The protagonist is often of despicable origin and must use their wits to survive in a hostile society. They lack ideals, representing the literary antihero.
- The novel follows the protagonist’s life, fortunes, and misfortunes from childhood to maturity. It is, therefore, an autobiographical novel.
- The protagonist serves various masters in different locations and is often led into the company of the poor. This allows for a wide and varied knowledge of the society of the time, leading to social criticism.
- The protagonist aims for social climbing but rarely escapes the lower class and humility to which they belong.
- The story is often presented as a letter to a fictitious recipient, to whom the protagonist tells their life story, attempting to justify their reprehensible behavior. This aims to achieve the reader’s understanding and sympathy.
Guzman de Alfarache
In this novel, the protagonist, the son of a Genoese merchant, cheats, marries, commits adultery, and recounts his travels through Spain and Italy through the various jobs he held until his imprisonment and eventual release. The narrative of his life is frequently interrupted by moralizing reflections, revealing a bitter and pessimistic vision of the world. The work seems to have a didactic purpose: the protagonist’s life story serves as an example of what not to do.
Quevedo’s El Buscón
Published in 1626, but written much earlier, around 1603 or 1604, El Buscón was very successful and translated into several languages, including English, Italian, French, and Dutch.
Plot
Pablos, a native of Segovia, the son of a barber and a woman who practices witchcraft, becomes a servant in the service of young Diego Coronel. He stays with him at the home of Domine Cabra, a miserly clergyman who starves them. He moves to the University of Alcalá de Henares, where he suffers cruel teasing from other students. He returns to his hometown to collect the inheritance from his father, who was executed by hanging, and stays with his uncle, the executioner of Segovia. He then goes to Madrid, where he frequents hangouts and meets people from the underworld, eventually ending up in jail. Later, he works as a comedic actor in Toledo and as a crook in Seville, where he becomes involved in a murder. Finally, he tries his luck and sets sail for America.
Characteristics of El Buscón
- The novel’s theme is the protagonist’s desire to become a knight and erase his ignoble origin, a desire that remains unfulfilled. This reveals Quevedo’s conservative attitude and defense of the privileges of the nobility.
- The novel’s content is often satirical, presenting a hypocritical and ruthless society driven by self-interest, where morals are cruel and subject to ridicule.
- The use of language is perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the work. The author skillfully uses the resources of conceit.