The Spanish Novel During the Golden Age: A Comprehensive Guide
ITEM 16: PROSE FICTION: THE NOVEL
The Books of Chivalry: Amadis of Gaul
His Motive
Amadis’s motive was to defend justice and serve his lady.
Structure and Plot
The story follows Amadis, who was thrown into a river at birth and raised by a gentleman. As a young man, he embarks on a quest to discover his origins, leading him on many adventures. He falls in love with Oriana, to whom he remains eternally faithful, and they have a son, Esplandian.
Star
Amadis is the prototype of the invincible hero, chivalrous and noble. His adventures unfold in an atmosphere of idealism.
The Moorish Novel
Works in this genre are rooted in the tradition of frontier romances from the 15th century.
Themes
They draw inspiration from the final stages of the Reconquista, with Granada and its surroundings serving as the backdrop.
Characters
Characters embody prototypes of nobility, courage, and beauty. The Muslim characters are idealized figures, exemplifying the coexistence between Arab and Christian cultures.
Works
The most representative works are The History of the Abencerraje and the Beautiful Jarifa (anonymous) and other distinctly sentimental and chivalrous tales.
The Pastoral Novel
Background
The pastoral novel intertwines with the bucolic tradition established by the Latin poet Virgil, who envisioned an idyllic place called Arcadia. This timeless and placeless realm represented leisure and contrasted with the bustling city life.
Individuals of the Renaissance recognized that Arcadia was fictional. However, they embraced its underlying ideal, which encouraged introspection and dialogue with oneself and others.
Features
- Poetic traits are prominent in the novel.
- The main characters are disguised shepherds who use the idealized bucolic setting to express their romantic woes. Their love is always pure and virtuous, tinged with melancholic sadness.
- The scenery is serene and picturesque, reflecting the Renaissance concept of locus amoenus.
- Mythological characters often appear.
Works
The Seven Books of Diana by the Portuguese author Jorge de Montemayor pioneered the genre on the Iberian Peninsula. The work emphasizes the significance of love in shaping one’s destiny and the dignity of enduring love. Montemayor presents his novel in the tradition of a true story.
Another renowned work is La Galatea by Cervantes.
The Byzantine Novel or Novel of Outlandish Adventures
These novels recount a series of adventures that culminate in the joyous reunion of lovers or family members.
Representative Works
- The Jungle Adventure by Jerónimo Contreras
- Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda by Miguel de Cervantes
The Picaresque Novel
Characteristics
- Protagonist: The protagonist is a rogue, a person of low social standing. Their sole objective is to climb the social ladder, resorting to trickery, deception, and fraud.
- Autobiographical Style: The rogue narrates their adventures firsthand, providing a single point of view.
- Open Structure: The novel unfolds in various locations with diverse characters whose only connection is the rogue, who serves multiple masters.
- Determinism: The rogue’s origins in the lower social strata dictate their lifestyle.
- Realism: The novel portrays reality without idealization.
Lazarillo de Tormes
The publication of Lazarillo de Tormes in 1554 marked the beginning of one of the most significant genres in Spanish Golden Age literature. In contrast to the idealized worlds depicted in romances and epics, Lazarillo de Tormes offers a realistic portrayal of society, exposing the rawness of human nature.
Editing and Authorship
- The earliest reference to a specific author dates back to 1605, when Fray José de Sigüenza, in his History of the Order of St. Jerome, attributed the work to Juan de Ortega, a general of the Order.
- Two years later, in 1607, the Belgian scholar Taxandro Andres Valerio, in his Catalogus Scriptorum Hispaniae clarorum, attributed Lazarillo to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza.
- In the 20th century, scholars proposed attributions to individuals within Erasmus’s circle, even suggesting the Valdés brothers as potential authors. Sebastián de Orozco, in one of his stories, features a young rogue named Lazarillo.
Despite extensive research, no definitive evidence confirms the author’s identity. Therefore, Lazarillo de Tormes remains an anonymous work.
Argument
Lazarillo de Tormes is an autobiographical novel written in epistolary form, comprising a prologue and seven treatises.
Structure
The novel consists of a prologue and seven treatises. Lázaro pens his story to”Your Honour” who has requested an account of a particular case. He delays the answer until the end of the novel and begins by recounting his life from birth.
- The initial treatises shape Lázaro’s character.
- From the fourth treatise onward, his social ascent begins.
- In the seventh treatise, Lázaro achieves material prosperity but remains morally bankrupt. At the novel’s outset, his mother cohabits with a man, and ultimately, Lázaro himself becomes a party to concubinage.
Themes
The central themes explored in the book include:
- Honor and glory
- Hunger
- Religion
Characters
- The Blind Man: Selfish, cruel, cunning, and mean.
- The Cleric of Maqueda: Greedy and deceitful.
- The Poor Squire: Obsessed with appearances.
- The Friar of La Merced: Attached to worldly possessions.
- The Pardoner: Skilled in deception, using his intelligence solely for personal gain.
- The Chaplain: Offers Lázaro a job and treats him reasonably well, but still exploits him.
- The Archpriest of San Salvador: Hypocritical and lustful.
Style
Simplicity and agility, expressive, phatic function of language to explain the obsession with all things
-The use of colloquialisms and sayings-Employment rhetorical (antitheses and paradoxes)-Use of euphemisms