Fourth Master explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Satire of Religious Hypocrisy

  The friar is portrayed as a religious figure who is a 'great enemy of the choir' and avoids convent meals, preferring secular business and social visits, highlighting the hypocrisy of some clergy.

• Survival and Ingenuity

  Lazaro's constant search for a new master and his decision to leave the friar when the situation becomes unbearable demonstrate his ongoing struggle for survival and his practical judgment.

Characters to notice

• Lazarillo de Tormes

  Lazaro seeks and takes service with his fourth master, a friar, but leaves due to the excessive walking and other unmentioned grievances.

• The Friar

  Lazaro's fourth master, a friar of the Order of Mercy, who dislikes the choir and convent meals, preferring to walk about and attend to secular business.

Key passages

• “He was a great enemy of the choir, and of having his meals in the convent. He was fond of walking about, of secular business, and of paying visits, so much so that I think he wore out more shoes than anyone else in the convent.”

  The friar disliked attending religious services and eating at the convent, preferring to be out and about on worldly errands and social calls, to the point that he wore out more shoes than anyone else there.

  This highlights the friar's neglect of religious duties in favor of secular activities.

• “The friar gave me the first shoes I ever burst in my life. They did not last eight days. I could not endure so much trotting about.”

  The friar gave Lazaro his first pair of shoes, but they wore out in less than eight days because of all the walking he had to do, which he could not tolerate.

  This illustrates the physical toll of serving the friar and Lazaro's reason for leaving.