The City as a Hostile Companion

Lazarillo de Tormes

This thread traces Lázaro’s changing relationship with Toledo, from hoped-for charity to restriction, work, and final security.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Arrival in Toledo Arrival in Toledo from "Lazarillo de Tormes". A City Offers a Fresh Start Finding Shelter Good people help Lázaro reach Toledo and recover from his injury.

Arrival in Toledo from "Lazarillo de Tormes". A City Offers a Fresh Start Finding Shelter Good people help Lázaro reach Toledo and recover from his injury.

A City Offers a Fresh Start Finding Shelter Good people help Lázaro reach Toledo and recover from his injury. Charity Fades Once he is well, residents tell him to find a master instead of continuing to beg.

A Promising Encounter A Promising Encounter from "Lazarillo de Tormes". The City’s Street Produces a Master The Squire Appears A well-dressed man asks Lázaro whether he is looking for service.

A Promising Encounter from "Lazarillo de Tormes". The City’s Street Produces a Master The Squire Appears A well-dressed man asks Lázaro whether he is looking for service.

The City’s Street Produces a Master The Squire Appears A well-dressed man asks Lázaro whether he is looking for service. Hope and Misreading Lázaro interprets the city’s polished appearance as a sign that his fortunes may improve.

The City’s Ban The City’s Ban from "Lazarillo de Tormes". Belonging Is Conditional Foreign Beggars Targeted Toledo orders outsiders who beg for alms to leave or face punishment.

The City’s Ban from "Lazarillo de Tormes". Belonging Is Conditional Foreign Beggars Targeted Toledo orders outsiders who beg for alms to leave or face punishment.

Belonging Is Conditional Foreign Beggars Targeted Toledo orders outsiders who beg for alms to leave or face punishment. Shared Vulnerability The law threatens Lázaro’s survival and exposes how little welcome the city offers its poorest residents.

Work in the Streets Work in the Streets from "Lazarillo de Tormes". The City Becomes a Workplace A Familiar Route Lázaro sells water around Toledo with a donkey and jars supplied by his employer.

Work in the Streets from "Lazarillo de Tormes". The City Becomes a Workplace A Familiar Route Lázaro sells water around Toledo with a donkey and jars supplied by his employer.

The City Becomes a Workplace A Familiar Route Lázaro sells water around Toledo with a donkey and jars supplied by his employer. A Measured Opportunity The city’s daily trade lets him earn and save, unlike begging, which the authorities have restricted.

A Home Near the Patron A Home Near the Patron from "Lazarillo de Tormes". Toledo Becomes a Place of Settlement A Rented House Lázaro and his wife live near the archpriest’s home and often eat there on holidays.

A Home Near the Patron from "Lazarillo de Tormes". Toledo Becomes a Place of Settlement A Rented House Lázaro and his wife live near the archpriest’s home and often eat there on holidays.

Toledo Becomes a Place of Settlement A Rented House Lázaro and his wife live near the archpriest’s home and often eat there on holidays. Security With a Shadow The city offers him a stable household, but its gossip keeps his reputation unsettled.

After Lázaro leaves the injured priest

During Lázaro’s first morning in Toledo

During the poor harvest and expulsion order

After Lázaro becomes a water seller

After Lázaro’s marriage, near the story’s end