Marginalidad social y aspiración de medro en las relaciones de sucesos: el caso de "El hijo del verdugo"

Analysis of the news pamphlet El hijo del verdugo highlights the continuation of the debate, even in popular literature, on a crucial issue, namely the desire for upward mobility by members of the lowest echelons of society. The presentation of the narrative in two parts allows the anonymous author to organise the rich and complex material into autonomous narrative units, as in traditional folk literature, and to link its multiple thematic features. Even though the title makes clear the qualities of the protagonist in his unstoppable quest to better himself, the happy ending comes about mainly thanks to his decision to keep the company of good people and to turn a series of coincidences to his advantage, in the same way as the heroes of picaresque novels do, thanks to expedients of dubious morality.