Lazarillo de Tormes: Summary and Features
Lazarillo de Tormes
Plot Summary
Lazarus, the protagonist, tells his life story from birth to the present, emphasizing the societal pressures that shaped him. He is a humble boy, orphaned, with a mother who, after losing her husband, seeks another boyfriend. The story follows Lazarus’s transformation from a naive child into a rogue, a necessary adaptation for survival. This evolution is depicted through his experiences with different masters. Eventually, Lazarus finds employment as a town crier in the church of San Salvador and marries one of the Archpriest’s maids. However, he endures his wife’s infidelity. He concludes the letter with a cynical argument, claiming to have found happiness despite losing his honor, as his wife is the Archpriest’s mistress.
Publishing and Authorship
The first three known editions of “Lazarillo de Tormes,” detailing his life, fortunes, and adversities, date back to 1554 (Burgos, Antwerp, Alcalá de Henares). The composition date can be confidently placed after 1525. The author provides a time reference at the end of the work, which may help clarify the date of composition.
The author of this work remains unknown, although several attributions have been made:
- In 1605, the first reference data attributed it to Fray Juan de Ortega.
- In 1607, it was attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza.
- In the 20th century, the work was attributed to individuals close to the Erasmian circle: the Valdés brothers and/or Sebastián Orozco.
There is no definitive proof to ascertain the author’s identity, so it remains anonymous.
Picaresque Novel
Features:
- The protagonist is a pícaro (rogue), a low-class individual with dishonorable parents, whose only goal is social advancement through deceit, cunning, and fraud.
- Autobiographical form: The rogue narrates their adventures in the first person, offering a single point of view.
- Open structure: The novel comprises loose scenes, with an open, to-be-determined ending.
- Determinism by social origin: The underclass is forced into a particular lifestyle.
- Rowed technique: Involves the insertion of traditional and popular elements that embellish the tale.
- Final justification: The entire story justifies the protagonist’s state of dishonor.
- Satirical: It strongly criticizes society, represented across all layers.
- Realism: It describes reality as it is, never presenting it in an idealized form.
Lazarillo: Argument
It is an autobiographical novel written in epistolary form, consisting of a prologue and seven chapters (tratados). The protagonist writes his story to “Your Grace,” the recipient, who has requested an explanation of how he ended up sharing his wife with another man.
Lazarus postpones the answer to the end and begins by recounting his life from birth, paying particular attention to the society that molded him. He is a humble boy, orphaned, with a mother who, after losing her husband, seeks another boyfriend. The reader witnesses the protagonist’s changes, initially a naive child who gradually becomes a rogue to survive. This evolution is marked by his changes in masters. Lazarus eventually secures a job as a town crier in the church of San Salvador and marries one of the Archpriest’s maids. However, he suffers his wife’s infidelity and ends the letter with a cynical argument, claiming to have achieved happiness despite losing his honor because his wife is the Archpriest’s mistress.
Publishing and Authorship: The first three preserved editions of “Lazarillo de Tormes,” detailing his life, fortunes, and adversities, are from 1554 (Burgos, Antwerp, Alcalá de Henares). Regarding the date of composition, it can be stated with some certainty that it was written after 1525.