Tirant lo Blanc: Analysis of the Total Novel

Tirant lo Blanc: A Total Novel

Tirant lo Blanc is considered a total novel: realistic, historical, military, social, erotic, and psychological. Mario Vargas Llosa famously nominated Tirant lo Blanc as a "full novel" in his study of the work.

Realism and Verisimilitude

Realism and verisimilitude differentiate these books from traditional medieval chivalry. While it is not 100% true, it balances fantastic elements: a disillusioned knight who believed a maiden was a dragon, the King of England's dream in which the Virgin appeared to him, and Tirant conquering 372 villas, castles, and cities in four and a half years.

Some critics believe these elements are the work of another writer who was able to finish the work: Martí Joan de Galba.

Historical and Military Context

Many events occurred in military reality, such as the Siege of Rhodes. In reality, the Turks conquered the island, but in the novel, it remains open to Christians. Regarding the Turkish Invasion of Constantinople in 1453, the novel depicts Tirant winning, whereas, in reality, the Christians lost.

This has led critics to say that Tirant lo Blanc is a project to submit a utopian world—a compensatory novel to escape dramatic historical conditions. Utopia runs parallel to disappointment.

Renaissance Influence and Chronicles

It seems the author wanted to forecast the Renaissance and the political philosophy of Machiavelli's The Prince. It has also been described as a chronicle novel because it is built as a copy of Ramon Muntaner.

A chronicle is a narrative of historical events from the past. Chronicles were registered at the request of the monarchy for political propaganda purposes. The Chronicle of Ramon Muntaner serves as the thread for the biography of Roger de Flor and exalts his diplomatic and military virtues.

Achieving Verisimilitude

• Geography: The geography exists in reality, though some names are invented.
• Characters: Some names of the characters existed in the era.
• Detail: The accuracy and detallisme (attention to detail) the author uses in descriptions, especially regarding military matters.
• Dialogue: The novelist allows characters to engage in long speeches. This resource gives veracity to the facts; because the narrator pretends to transcribe everything with loyalty, it creates the illusion that these events truly happened.
• Secondary Characters: The use of many collectives and secondary characters is a resource of real life.
• Historical Figures: The author based Tirant lo Blanc on historical figures to invent the protagonist.

Historical Inspirations

Roger de Flor: The Emperor of Byzantium appealed to him to fight the Turks. He was also crowned Caesar of the Empire. He died in the same place as Tirant: Adrianople (Andripòlis).

John Hunyadi: A Hungarian knight whose name means "White Knight" (Blank).