Gil Blas · Chapter
XV explained
Gil Blas, after a good meal and a sleepless night debating his future, decides to adopt the appearance of a gentleman rather than a cleric.
What happens
Gil Blas, after a good meal and a sleepless night debating his future, decides to adopt the appearance of a gentleman rather than a cleric. He buys an expensive blue velvet suit with gold embroidery from a broker, then purchases other items to complete his wardrobe. He visits Doña Mencía, who gives him a ring worth thirty pistoles, but later sends a bag of a thousand ducats. His landlord advises him to go to court, seek a noble patron, and use his youth and looks to advance. Gil Blas buys two mules, hires a servant named Ambrose de Lamela, and sets out for Madrid.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance
Gil Blas deliberately adopts the dress of a gentleman to project a higher social status, and the landlord advises him to use his looks and flattery to get ahead.
Fortune and Fate
Gil Blas's windfall from Doña Mencía and his decision to seek his fortune at court highlight the role of luck and opportunity in his rise.
Characters to notice
- Gil Blas
Decides to adopt a gentleman's appearance, buys a costly suit, receives a ring and a thousand ducats from Doña Mencía, and follows his landlord's advice to go to Madrid.
- Ambrose de Lamela
Hired by Gil Blas as a servant; a Galician of simple and godly appearance who claims to be content with whatever wages he is given.
- Doña Mencía
Gives Gil Blas a ring worth thirty pistoles and later sends a bag of a thousand ducats as a reward for his service.
Key passages
“I had rather wear a sword than an apron: and push my fortune in this world, before I think of the next.”
Gil Blas decides to pursue worldly advancement as a gentleman rather than a religious life.
This decision marks his turn away from a clerical path toward a secular, ambitious future.
“I do not wonder young fellows are fond of passing for men of gallantry. But as yet the purity of my morals was proof against the suggestions of my pride.”
Gil Blas is tempted to let the landlord believe he has a romantic conquest, but his honesty prevails.
Shows Gil Blas's initial moral restraint, though he is aware of the social value of appearing as a gallant.
“Make a point either of getting at his secrets, or administering to his pleasures; unless you do that, it will be all lost time in his family.”
The landlord advises Gil Blas that to succeed in a noble household, he must either learn secrets or cater to vices.
Reflects the cynical view of courtly patronage and the necessity of sycophancy.