Originating in Spain, the picaresque novel abandoned idealized literary approaches and exposed the harshness of reality and human nature. This program presents the history of the narrative art form, tracing its development through Mateo Aleman, Cervantes, and Defoe, all the way to Kerouac and subsequent writers. Beginning with the anonymous publication of The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes, the video analyzes examples of fictional outsiders struggling to survive in a corrupt and hypocritical society. Guzman de Alfarache, Moll Flanders, Huckleberry Finn, and several other works are discussed, all with a recognition of their artistic antecedent: the unflinching exploits of the Spanish picaro.

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on Apr. 07, 2006. Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

Origins of the Picaresque Novel (1:20) -- Characteristics of the Picaresque Novel (5:42) -- Picaresque Novels: Moral Tone and Doctrine (2:54) -- Diversifying the Picaresque Novel (3:20) -- Maturing of the Picaresque Novel: Social Symbols (2:32) -- Influence of the Picaresque Novel (2:47) -- Camilo Jose Cela and the Picaresque Genre (1:29) -- Legacy of the Picaresque Novel (0:55).