Lazarillo de Tormes: Authorship, Plot, and Social Critique

Lazarillo de Tormes: Publication and Authorship

Published in 1554, Lazarillo de Tormes saw three simultaneous editions in the cities of Burgos, Antwerp, and Alcalá de Henares.

The Mystery of Authorship

The authorship of Lazarillo is a difficult mystery. The work remains officially anonymous but has been attributed to several different writers, including Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Lope de Rueda, or the Valdés brothers.

Plot and Structure

This story recounts the life of the hero Lázaro. The work is presented as an extended confession. The narrator, Lázaro de Tormes, addresses a significant person in Toledo (Vuestra Merced, or 'Your Grace'), seeking to explain his current situation and refute a damaging rumor circulating around town: that his wife is having relationships with the Archpriest whom Lázaro serves.

Structure and Purpose

The novel begins with a foreword in which Lázaro exposes the reasons that drive him to tell his story: to disprove the rumor and defend his honor. Subsequently, the narrative is structured into seven treatises (chapters) that reflect Lázaro's adventures and experiences, serving several masters, enduring hunger, and learning the tricks necessary for survival.

Key Characters: The Pícaro and His Masters

Lázaro de Tormes: The Pícaro

Lázaro is the quintessential example of the pícaro (rogue), a humble young man born to parents without honor, who must be initiated into the art of deception (engaño) to make his way in life.

The pícaro is the figure opposite the medieval hero; he lacks great ideals and is solely focused on alleviating hunger and surviving, often without regard for the means used.

Lázaro's Masters

The other main characters in the novel are Lázaro's masters. They represent various segments of society that Lázaro harshly criticizes. These masters include:

• The Blind Man (Lázaro's first and most influential master)
• The Cleric (or Priest)
• The Squire (Esquire)
• The Pardoner
• The Chaplain

Style and Literary Resources

Autobiographical Technique and Evolution

The novel employs the autobiographical technique, a novel resource at the time. Lázaro, now an adult, reflects on his youth, showing the character's evolution from innocence to maturity.

Renaissance Simplicity and Irony

The style of the novel reflects the simplicity characteristic of the Renaissance. The book is written in clear language, without rhetorical artifice. It imitates, through dialogues, the colloquial speech of the common people.

Irony is another outstanding technical resource. The novel is a collection of amusing anecdotes that embody a strong social critique.

Major Themes in Lazarillo de Tormes

• Hunger and Honor

  Hunger is the primary driver of Lázaro's actions. Honor is what Lázaro seeks to achieve through work and marriage, but paradoxically, he fails to achieve true honor; he is deceived regarding his wife's fidelity. Lázaro criticizes a corrupt society that confuses true honor with personal profit.

• Religion and Social Critique

  The majority of Lázaro's masters belong to the clergy. The novel centers on a society that has lost its fundamental Christian values, using the hypocrisy of religious figures as a central point of satire.