登陆注册
15427300000002

第2章 INTRODUCTION(2)

An important point is the unity,or nonunity,of the book.Earliest critics of Lazarillo of Tormes saw it as a loosely formed novel of unconnected episodes whose only point of unity happened to be the little rogue who told his life story,in which he is seen as serving one master after another.Later criticism has changed that point of view,however,by pointing to such unifying factors as wine,which is used as a recurring theme throughout (Lazarillo steals it;it is used for washing his wounds;he sells it).Then there is the "initiation"in which Lazarillo's head is slammed against a stone statue of a bull.Later the blind man smashes his own head against a stone post as poetic justice is meted out.Finally,Lazarillo's mother will "lie at the side--or stay on the side of good people,"and as the novel ends Lazaro decides to do the same.

Claudio Guillen,a modern critic,has noted that time is also a unifying factor in this novel.Early incidents are told in detail,and at moments of pain specific amounts of time are measured ("I felt the pain from its horns for three days").When Lazarillo is taken in by the squire his hunger pangs become so great that he begins to count the hours.But as conditions improve for Lazarillo's stomach,he gradually forgets about the slow passage of time.In fact,time now begins to race past:four months with the pardoner,four years with the chaplain.This slow,then swift,passage of time is used by Guillen to explain the extreme brevity of some later chapters of the novel.It is a mature Lazaro,he says,who is telling the story and reflecting on his childhood.And we are really seeing the memory process of this older Lazaro who glosses over less important parts of his life and dwells on the moments that matter.

Other critics have responded to the question of "finality"in the work;that is,is Lazarillo an incomplete novel or not?Francisco Rico believes the novel is complete,and that there is a "circular"structure to it all.He notes that the novel is addressed to a certain fictional character ("You":Vuestra merced),and that Lazarillo intends to tell this character "all the details of the matter,"the "matter"apparently being the questionable relations between the archpriest and Lazarillo's wife.So there is a continuity from the beginning of the work through the details of Lazarillo's life,until the last chapter ("right up to now")where the "matter"itself,alluded to previously in the Prologue,is finally given in some detail.

Another critic,Americo Castro,points out that Lazarillo of Tormes is different from other types of sixteenth century prose fiction in at least one extremely important way that points toward the modern novel.The knights of chivalresque novels and the shepherds who sighed and lamented their way through pastoral novels were flat characters with no room to grow.Not so Lazarillo.Every action,every twist of fortune makes an impression on him,forms his way of looking at the world and shapes his nature.From an innocent little boy he becomes a mischievous,then vengeful,blind man's boy.He observes the hypocrisy,avarice,false pride,materialism of his masters,and when he marries the archpriest's mistress for what he can gain,he applies all the lessons he has learned on the ladder to success--to the "height of all good fortune."Americo Castro also notes that Lazarillo of Tormes is a step toward the masterpiece of Cervantes,Don Quixote of La Mancha .As this critic said:"In addition to its intrinsic merits,the Lazarillo de Tormes is supremely important viewed in its historic perspective.In many ways it made possible the Quijote .Among other things,it offered in the intimate opposition of the squire and his servant the first outline of the duality-unity of Don Quijote and Sancho."

Style is another point of great importance to this novel,particularly in the use of conceits.Lazarillo's father,for example,"suffered persecution for righteousness'sake,"a clear reference to the beatitudes.But in this case "righteousness"is the law who is punishing him for being the thief that he is.Throughout the novel we see similar plays on words:the master,who "although he was blind,enlightened me;"or the squire who tried to coax certain young ladies one morning,and whose stomach was warm ,but when he discovered that his pocketbook was cold ,he suffered hot-chills .

It is not surprising that sequels promptly appeared,but the writers of these unfortunately lacked the genius of the author of the original_Lazarillo .An anonymous sequel appeared in 1555with the title,The Second Part of Lazarillo of Tormes,His Fortunes and Misfortunes .Its beginning words are the same as the final ones of the first Lazarillo ,but there any similarity ends.In this novel Lazaro makes friends with some Germans and his wife gives birth to a daughter.Lazaro then enlists to go on an expedition to fight the Turks,his ship sinks,and he is miraculously changed into a fish.He has many adventures in the sea,and is finally caught up in the nets of some fishermen and changes back into a man.The novel is a fantasy,and may be allegorical.The beginning is its most realistic point,and the first chapter of this novel became tacked onto the end of the first Lazarillo .

No further sequels were printed until 1620when Juan Cortes de Tolosa's book,Lazarillo de Manzanares ,was published.This novel imitates the first Lazarillo in its initial episodes,but is again far less successful than the original.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 网游之零动天下

    网游之零动天下

    我曾是一个废物,但是今天我要所有人都在我脚下颤抖!现实与网游的交斥中,一个天大的阴谋笼罩人世,然而,一个名为《破境》的网游横空出世,所有的一切即将揭晓!
  • 丑侠仙缘

    丑侠仙缘

    “一生痴绝处,繁华未有终,明月惜黎明,明月叹情诉”她原本拥有倾世容颜,一场大火,毁了半张脸,她逃避俗世,隐居山林,几年后,她重回天下......
  • 失衡的巨龙

    失衡的巨龙

    中国当下面临着诸多经济问题,开辟经济增长的新途径一直是讨论的焦点。这条新路需要探索自己的道路,也需要从外部去寻找经验和比较。本书正是借鉴外部经验,通过中国模式与国外有何同与不同、通胀的起因与全球经济是否有关联、人民币国际化路途的艰险与荆棘为何如此多这三大问题的解读,诠释开辟中国经济增长新路径的努力和未来的方向。而这开辟增长新路径的解释,正对应了所谓“中国模式”后继乏力和经济全球化的现实。
  • 云剑

    云剑

    步剑辰是一位武林高手,却生性懒散,最怕麻烦。本书讲的便是步剑辰这个喜爱喝酒,又行走江湖的武林高手的故事!
  • 学霸的爱情故事

    学霸的爱情故事

    从小到大一路学霸光环的高中生林峰终于考上梦寐以求的名校自此也开始了他的爱情之路而情窦初开的他也面临了一次又一次的突发状况他又会如何面对呢
  • 蜜炼首席

    蜜炼首席

    顾言笑逼婚上位做了陆太太,被问及成功秘诀,答:“因为陆总早就对我居心卜良,非我不娶。”瞧瞧这口气,俨然被陆总宠上天了……和谐婚姻是什么?陆总总结道:“自己百分百归老婆,家产百分之九十九归老婆。”陆太太不满:“剩下百分之一呢?”“老婆,总要给孩子买包纸尿裤……”
  • 华南宫庭

    华南宫庭

    宫石玉:他玩世不恭,却大智若愚!单剪剪:身份低微,却怜悯众生!宫成玉:出类拔萃,却在成长的路上走岔了路!宫无玉:私生女,在爱与恨的路上挣扎。宫明玉:嚣张跋扈,离开父母,独立反而成长。傅炎俊:为爱找对方向。赵天鸿:精美而固执,惹下大祸,却也学会了接受。赵萍光:任性妄为,害人害己。成长的路上都是曲曲折折的······有的人会在历经的途上迷失了方向!有的人却能道迷糊的路上找到爱的真谛!有的人能冲破世间一切邪恶!一群年轻人懵懵懂懂的撞击着人世间的爱恨情仇······
  • 洪荒超极限

    洪荒超极限

    仙坠大地,原因为何?隐者之村,究竟潜藏什么秘密?桃源、神藏、将死之地,一个另类的洪荒。百国争锋,豪族林立。繁华大世,为何仙神不显?听说天之巅有最高荣誉,曾经的不死战神,如今又安何在?
  • 偷天有路

    偷天有路

    你知道掉进神窝的感觉吗?你见过满地的神器吗?你体会到过偷天的酸爽吗?少年黎明,于绝望之时误入偷天之路。于是,之后的很多年,在那神魔之地,一个凡人少年,总在偷偷的向着凡界偷运着神器。?有的路,可达高官厚禄,享尽富贵荣华;?有的路,直通京城魔都,看尽城市繁华;还有一条路,直达神界绝巅,偷尽仙宝神器。偷天之路,将带你走向神的巅峰!让你拿宝拿到手软!!
  • 岔路口没有指南

    岔路口没有指南

    人的一生要走过无数个岔路口,做无数个选择。选错了,自己付出代价;选对了,别人付出代价。一个富家千金和一个出身农村的打工女,由于阴差阳错卷入命运漩涡,人性中的黑暗与光明展开殊死较量,不料乾坤颠倒,人人都在泥潭之中越陷越深无法自拔。