Structure and plot El Buscón

1 structure , plot

1.1 book one
1.2 book two
1.3 book three

structure , plot

a portrait of quevedo.

in terms of structure, divided 3 books. book 1 divided 7 chapters; book 2 divided 6 chapters; book 3 has ten chapters. 1 scholar has argued structure quevedo adopts not 1 of randomness , pablos focus around whom series of satirical characters , situations group. instead, buscón has unity , coherence created other hero s presence, orderly train of misfortunes, connects network of recurring motifs... these motifs include closely related themes of family, filth, , legal , lawless cruelty.

book one

pablos first introduced child. father, clemente pablo, barber , thief. mother, aldonza, prostitute , witch. implied morisco; pablos writes: sospechábase en el pueblo que no era cristiana vieja ( whispered in town not old christian [i.e. new christian, recent convert christianity]. ) pablos brother, thief, flogged death in prison. pablos wishes go school, , parents agree let him go. @ school, befriends boy named don diego coronel, pablos suffers various setbacks there. pablos decides neither return school nor home, , remains friend , companion of don diego, decides leave school. diego’s father, don alonso, decides make both boys wards of man named dómine cabra, in segovia. 2 boys suffer hunger @ hands of cabra. when boy dies of starvation, alonso removes both boys school , sends them off alcalá study. on way there, stop @ inn, pablos mocked , hazed group of students. @ alcalá, since pablos not gentleman, separated don diego, , hazed , beaten university students. during night, beaten again 4 students shared room him. pablos acts out, killing pigs did not belong him, , puts on party, tricking landlady giving him 2 chickens. robs sweets local merchant , swords rector , justice of peace. friends laugh @ antics.

pablos receives letter father has been hanged , mother imprisoned. part, don diego receives letter father stating not wish son , pablos friends. friends separate, , pablos decides meet relative , receive inheritance due him result of father’s death.

book two

on way segovia claim inheritance, pablos encounters mad engineer. converse on various topics, including king philip iii s recent edict expelling moriscos valencia. many villages totally abandoned result, , local aristocrats complaining new laborers fewer in number , not familiar local agricultural techniques. stay @ inn, , pablos encounters teacher there, attempts give him lesson. pablos , engineer part ways. next day, pablos comes across old cleric, mad, , eat dinner @ inn. part ways. pablos continues on journey, coming across soldier terrible wounds, hermit. reach cercedilla. play cards , hermit tricks pablos , soldiers, getting of winnings. pablos parts ways three, , meets uncle, alonso ramplón, in segovia. there great dinner @ uncle’s house, , gets drunk, except pablos. while sleeping off drink, pablos goes walk. when returns, kicks out of partygoers except uncle, whom discusses inheritance. pablos takes leave of uncle, , heads madrid, , encounters man claims gentleman has visited royal court. alleged hidalgo gives pablos lessons on how behave himself @ court, how lie, how take advantage of situations.

book three

pablos , alleged gentleman arrive @ house of don toribio rodríguez vallejo gómez de ampuerto y jordán, claims gentleman. @ house, pablos encounters various cheats , liars, cofradía de pícaros y rufianes (confraternity of rogues , ruffians). pablos, still wishing become gentleman, dressed in rags , patched-up clothing. subsequently arrested , thrown prison, along new-found friends. pablos befriends jailer, decides not flog him. jailer liberates pablos , dines him; pablos claims relative of jailer’s wife. friends, however, flogged , exiled seville.

pablos changes name “ramiro de guzmán,” , goes inn. pablos decides pretend rich in order win on daughter of innkeeper, berenguela de rebolledo. berenguela falls lies , tells pablos visit @ night climbing rooftop , entering room in manner. unfortunately, roof collapses. innkeepers wake up, and, infuriated, beat him , have him thrown jail.

they whip him in jail, until liberated 2 men, 1 portugal, other catalonia, had sights set on berenguela. 2 men try arrange marriage between berenguela , pablos, pablos encounters rich, elderly women. renaming himself again “don felipe tristán,” pablos arrives @ villa 2 women reside. 1 of these old women, however, has 3 nieces, single, , wants pablos marry 1 of them. falls doña ana, beautiful of three. picnic, gentleman approaches, none other don diego. spots pablos without being noticed himself. pablos plays cards ladies, , wins lot of money. next day don diego confronts him, , has old friend beaten. arrested justice of peace , taken inn. pablos remains there, until takes road again new career: of beggar. meets beggar, valcázar, teaches him in new profession. pablos earns money , buys new clothes, sword, , hat, , takes off toledo, no 1 recognize him. pablos meets , joins group of comedic actors, , pablos works script writer them. takes on new name, “alonso el cruel.” writes poetry well. leader of band of actors, however, apprehended police. group dispersed , pablos abandons profession , falls in love nun. goes mass see her; nun ignores him. travels seville, joins group of thieves. thieves go out drink , eat together, , become intoxicated. when return home, stopped police, kill 1 of thieves. others disperse , not caught, pablos , other thieves decide try luck in indies, see if luck change. pablos tells us, @ end of novel, things in americas went worse him there.