Lazarillo de Tormes: Analysis, Plot, and Literary Impact

Lazarillo de Tormes: Author, Publication, and Context

The original title of this seminal work is "The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities."

This book first appeared in 1554, published simultaneously in three different editions. Notably, none of these editions revealed the author's name. The anonymous nature of the work is often attributed to its harsh social criticism, particularly against the clergy.

Some scholars have suggested that its author might have been a reformer influenced by Erasmus. The exact date of the book's writing also remains unknown.

Despite its initial success, Lazarillo de Tormes was banned in 1559 and was not reissued completely until the nineteenth century.

Structure of the Work

The book is written as a fictional autobiographical narrative. It consists of a prologue and seven unevenly extended treatises (chapters).

This work can be viewed as a lengthy letter in which the narrator, Lázaro, recounts his life to another person. However, his purpose is not merely to inform but also to defend and justify his current behavior.

The work can be broadly divided into three main parts:

• Ancestry, Birth, and Early Life

  (Beginning of Treatise I)

• Adventures and Learning Experiences

  (Treatises II, III, IV, V, and VI)

• Life and Situation at the Time of Writing

  (Treatise VII)

Lazarillo de Tormes: Plot Summary

Treatise I: The Blind Man

Lázaro is born by the River Tormes in Salamanca. His family life is marked by his father's thievery. He enters the service of a cunning and cruel blind man, whom he accompanies from Salamanca to Escalona. After several episodes of mistreatment, Lázaro leaves the blind man after playing a cruel joke.

Treatise II: The Priest

In Maqueda, Lázaro serves a greedy priest. Tired of constant hunger, he steals food from his master, leading to his dismissal.

Treatise III: The Squire

In Toledo, Lázaro serves a proud squire, deeply concerned with his honor and nobility, yet living in abject misery. Lázaro is forced to beg for food for both himself and his master. Eventually, the squire abandons him.

Treatise IV: The Friar

Still in Toledo, Lázaro enters the service of a Mercedarian friar, from whom he receives his first pair of shoes in eight days.

Treatise V: The Pardoner

For four months, Lázaro serves a shameless pardoner who exploits the people's naive devotion.

Treatise VI: The Master Painter and the Chaplain

Lázaro serves a master who paints tambourines and later a chaplain, for whom he works for four years as a water carrier.

Treatise VII: The Archpriest and Prosperity

After serving as an assistant to a constable, Lázaro earns a living by selling wine. The Archpriest of San Salvador takes him under his protection, and Lázaro marries the Archpriest's maid. Despite public murmurs about the three of them, Lázaro believes he lives in prosperity, "at the pinnacle of good fortune."

The Originality and Significance of Lazarillo

Lazarillo de Tormes stands out as a groundbreaking narrative that does not feature heroes, brave knights, or warriors. Instead, it recounts the adventures of a socially insignificant character of humble standing.

It is a realistic novel that vividly portrays the realities of 16th-century Spanish society. The work also carries a strong element of social criticism, particularly directed against the clergy.

The protagonist, Lázaro, is a dynamic character who changes and evolves according to the experiences and events he encounters throughout the work.

Stylistically, Lazarillo de Tormes is written in simple and direct prose, incorporating many expressions of popular speech, which further emphasizes its realism.