Lazarillo de Tormes: Origins and Analysis of the Picaresque Novel

Lazarillo de Tormes: The Birth of the Picaresque Novel

Lazarillo de Tormes is a seminal work in Spanish literature, marking the beginning of the picaresque novel subgenre. The first editions, published anonymously in 1554, have been attributed to various authors, including Ortega and Alfonso Valdés.

This novel shares thematic and structural similarities with other works, such as:

• The Golden Ass (an adventure novel)
• The fourth book of The Valiant Knight Rinaldo de Montalban
• Collections of love letters and folktales

The Story's Structure

The narrative unfolds in distinct modules:

First Module: Childhood

During this period, Lázaro assists a blind man, learning to navigate the world and eventually entering the service of a clergyman.

Second Module: Adolescence

As a teenager, Lázaro's past experiences shape his interactions. He encounters various situations without gaining significant influence, concealing his burgeoning sexuality and delving deeper into deception and falsehood.

Third Module: Youth

Lázaro finally settles into adulthood, securing paid employment, first as a carrier of slops, then as a water carrier, and later as a sheriff's assistant.

The Narrator's Perspective

As an adult, Lázaro recounts his story to someone who has requested an explanation of "the case" – the love triangle revealed at the novel's conclusion. The narrative features temporal shifts between the events and their telling.

Two types of discourse are present:

• Evaluative Discourse: The narrator offers judgments on characters and situations.
• Universal Discourse: The narrator makes generalizations based on specific incidents.

Expressive Resources and Irony

The narrator employs humor, often parodying passages from the Gospels and using wordplay. Irony is achieved through antithesis and diminutives.

Irony of the Protagonist

The narrator directs irony towards himself.

Irony of the Masters

Examples include the blind man's paradoxical "cure" and the squire's insistence on his hunger. The author directs irony towards the adult Lázaro.

In the foreword, the narrator states, "I said for good things as I mentioned and perhaps not heard of or seen."

Themes of Honor and Religion

Honor, dependent on the opinions of others, was a central concern of the time. Religion is also prominent, as five of Lázaro's masters belong to the clergy.