Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper · Chapter
Book I explained
The first book introduces the protagonist Pablo de Segovia, recounting his birth and family background.
What happens
The first book introduces the protagonist Pablo de Segovia, recounting his birth and family background. His father is a barber-thief, his mother a witch and procuress, and his brother dies in prison. Pablo is sent to school, then to a boarding school under the miserly Master Cabra, where he suffers extreme hunger. After his father is executed and his mother imprisoned, Pablo leaves Alcalá for Segovia, meeting a mad fencing master and an old poet along the way. He arrives at his uncle Alonso Ramplón's house, but after a series of misadventures, including a flight from Segovia, he travels to Madrid. There, he encounters a gentleman who tells him about life at court.
Themes in this chapter
Poverty and Desperation
Pablo's extreme hunger at Cabra's school and his family's criminal background illustrate the desperate struggle for survival.
Satire of Hypocrisy
The novel mocks the pretensions of honor and nobility, as seen in the starving students and the corrupt clergy.
Characters to notice
- Pablo de Segovia
The protagonist and narrator of the story, recounting his birth, family, and early adventures.
- Master Cabra
The miserly schoolmaster who starves his students, including Pablo.
- Alonso Ramplón
Pablo's uncle, a hangman, who takes him in after his parents' downfall.
- Don Diego Coronel
A young gentleman who befriends Pablo and accompanies him on his journey.
- Toribio Rodriguez Vallejo
A poor gentleman encountered in Madrid who shares tales of life at court.
Key passages
“I was born in Segovia, and my father was a barber, though he was so honest that he was called a thief by all who knew him.”
Pablo introduces himself, noting that his father was a barber with a reputation for dishonesty.
Opening lines establish the satirical tone and Pablo's ironic family background.
“Master Cabra was so miserly that he gave us nothing to eat but a few scraps, and we were all as thin as shadows.”
The schoolmaster Cabra starved his students, leaving them emaciated.
Highlights the theme of poverty and the cruelty of those in power.
“My uncle Alonso Ramplón was a hangman, and he taught me the trade, but I soon grew tired of it.”
Pablo's uncle, an executioner, tried to train him in his profession, but Pablo disliked it.
Shows the grim reality of Pablo's family and his desire to escape his lowly origins.