# The Author's Declaration explained — Gil Blas

> Chapter companion for Gil Blas by Alain-René Lesage.

## What happens

The author addresses readers who might apply the work's vicious or ridiculous characters to real individuals, protesting against such interpretations and clarifying that his purpose is to represent human life historically, not to paint portraits. He acknowledges softening some traits of Spanish players out of delicacy and conformity to French manners.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Satire

The author defends his satirical portrayal of vices and ridicules, warning readers against hypocritically applying characters to real individuals.

### Literature and Artifice

The author explicitly discusses his literary choices, including softening traits for delicacy, highlighting the artifice in representing life.

## Key lines

> I protest publicly against the pretended discovery of any such likenesses. My purpose was to represent human life historically as it exists: God forbid I should hold myself out as a portrait-painter.

The author denies that his characters are meant to be portraits of real people, insisting his aim is to depict life as it is.

_This clarifies the author's intent and warns against misreading satire as personal attack._

> Let not the reader then take to himself public property; for if he does, he may chance to throw an unlucky light on his own character: as Phaedrus expresses it, Stulte nudabit animi conscientiam.

Readers should not apply the satire to themselves, or they may reveal their own guilty conscience, as Phaedrus said: 'The fool will lay bare his own conscience.'

_The author uses a classical reference to reinforce the danger of self-identification with satirical characters._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gil_blas_se/chapters/the-author-s-declaration
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gil_blas_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gil_blas_se/chapters