# XVI explained — Gil Blas

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

## What happens

Gil Blas arrives in Valladolid and is tricked by a woman claiming to be Doña Mencía's cousin, Camilla, and her brother Don Raphael. They feign gratitude for his past service to Doña Mencía, invite him to stay, and plot to rob him. Gil Blas, initially flattered by their attention, later realizes he has been deceived when his servant Ambrose betrays him.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Appearance

Camilla and Don Raphael use false letters and feigned gratitude to deceive Gil Blas, highlighting the theme of appearances versus reality.

### Fortune and Fate

Gil Blas blames Dame Fortune for his misfortune, reflecting the theme of fortune's fickleness.

## Character check-ins

### Gil Blas

Arrives in Valladolid, falls asleep, and is deceived by Camilla and Don Raphael's false hospitality.

### Ambrose de Lamela

Gil Blas's servant, suspected of betraying his master's secrets to the impostors.

### Camilla

Pretends to be Doña Mencía's cousin, lures Gil Blas to her house with false gratitude.

### Don Raphael

Camilla's brother, feigns joy at meeting Gil Blas and invites him to a country house as part of the deception.

## Key lines

> Instead of blaming myself for this sad accident, and considering that it could never have happened but for my indiscretion in so unnecessarily betraying my confidence to Majuelo, I gave bad language to the poor harmless Dame Fortune, and cursed my ill star in a hundred different formularies.

Rather than taking responsibility for his own foolishness in trusting Majuelo, Gil Blas angrily blames Fortune and his unlucky fate.

_Gil Blas's tendency to avoid self-blame and attribute his troubles to external forces._

> I am in ecstasy to see you back again, brother; you will assist me in doing the honors to Señor Gil Blas of Santillane. We can never do enough to show our sense of his kindness to our kinswoman, Doña Mencía.

Camilla expresses exaggerated joy at her brother's return and insists on honoring Gil Blas for his help to their relative.

_The false sincerity of Camilla's speech reveals the theme of deception._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gil_blas_se/chapters/xvi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gil_blas_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gil_blas_se/chapters