Key Elements of the First Picaresque Novel

Key Features of the Picaresque Novel

The following key features appear in the work:

• The protagonist is an ordinary man and an anti-hero.
• He is the servant of many masters.
• It presents a realistic view of the world.
• It uses the autobiographical form.
• The intention of the work is critical and moralizing.

Structure and Content of the Seven Treatises

The novel is divided into seven treatises of different lengths, which correspond to the relative importance of their contents:

• Treatise 1: Tells of the childhood of Lazarus and his apprenticeship with the blind man.
• Treatise 2: Features the episode of the greedy cleric, which follows the psychological development of the character.
• Treatise 3: The episode of the Squire, where Lazarus learns that glory is based on appearance alone.
• Treatises 4 and 6: These are merely episodic and only introduce new masters.
• Treatise 5: The episode of the Pardoner, where he learns that through lies and tricks, one can lead a comfortable life.
• Treatise 7: Lazarus reaches what he considers "the height of good fortune." This is an ironic statement because the only thing he has achieved is becoming a town crier of wines in Toledo and living as a protected member of a chaplain's house.

The novel ends with the closure of the character's psychological development, which began as a naive child and ends with a man content with his lot.

Narrative Elements and Characterization

We consider that the text treats the subject of human brotherhood as a romantic occasion. An analysis of the narrative elements reveals a first-person narrator, who is Lazarus himself, hence its autobiographical nature.

The two main characters are Lazarus and the Squire. They are described through indirect characterization; specifically, information about them is achieved through their actions and what they say.

The space in which the story develops is often an enclosed space within the master's house. The facts are developed in an earlier time, prior to the narrator's present, and take place in a linear order.

Technique and Literary Style

In regard to technique and style, the use of dialogue is clearly visible, giving the piece an almost theatrical feel. Many resources are observed, such as words with double meanings and comparisons ("as he had of him, and no well-known pheasant"). The snappy dialogue, along with the descriptive resources, makes the passage one of great plasticity and easy to visualize in the reader's mind.