lazarilo de tormes

A detailed Summary of lazarilo de tormes

In the prologue of Lazarillo De Tormes, the narrator openly suggests that the order in which he recounts the astonishing events of his life will greatly influence the reader's understanding and interpretation of him, the mischievous hero. In writing to His Honour, Lazaro remarks, "I think I'd better start at the beginning, not in the middle, so that you may know all about me," ostensibly implying that the early years of his life contain details crucial to the reader's appreciation of his present circumstances. In addition to this superficial interpretation of Lazaro's intentions, strong evidence suggests that a more probing examination of the narrator's desire to start at the beginning is warranted. After a more intensive perusal of the text, Lazaro's true motivation for not beginning in the middle becomes apparent. Had the tale started in the middle, Chapter 4, the reader would have formed a decidedly different, much more critical, view of Lazaro than he or she does when starting at the beginning, Chapter 1.

Since the narrative Lazarillo De Tormes contains seven chapters, Chapter 4, sits proudly in the middle. In this chapter, rather than explicitly declare the sexual abuse he suffers at the hands of his fourth mast

If Lazaro had started his story in the middle, that is, with Chapter 4, the reader would most probably interpret Chapter 4 much differently than he or she does when presented with it after already reading three chapters that splendidly recount the young boy's exploits. If the reader of Lazarillo De Tormes were first introduced to Lazaro as a sexually abused boy, this aspect of the character would certainly envelop and frame all other observations made concerning the boy's character. Had the novel started in the middle with Lazaro's sexual abuse, all his subsequent thoughts and actions would most probably be interpreted as signifying his repressed anger, his inability to trust others, or some other such psychological phenomena that results from being sexually molested as a young boy. Lazaro does not want this element of his past to define him, and thus starts at the beginning so that the reader might construe his sexual abuse differently than he or she would if Lazaro's first recounted "adventure" had been the abuse.

At first glance, however, it appears that Lazaro regresses considerably in the charge of the friar, shifting from veritable master to sexually victimized boy. The sequence of events in the narrative, though, allows an alternative interpretation of Chapter 4. Because Lazaro shows great cunning and resourcefulness in the first three chapters, it might be possible that he was not the feeble victim of a sexual predator. Instead, it seems logical that Lazaro used the friar's tastes to his advantage. It certainly does not seem unreasonable to presume that Lazaro could use the situation to his advantage, even if it means prostituting his body for food. In fact, when viewed in light of Chapter 7 where Lazaro "prostitutes" his wife to his benefit , the notion that Lazaro could use h

Some common words found in the essay are:
De Tormes, Honour Lazaro, chapter 4, master lazaro, starting beginning, middle chapter, sexual abuse, lazarillo de tormes, Lazarillo De, middle chapter 4, lazarillo de, fourth master, de tormes, started middle, , fourth master lazaro, starting beginning allows, sequence events, sequence events narrative,

Approximate Word count = 1221
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous