Cristobal Lozano's ideology in Soledades de la vida y desengaños del mundo

Abstract

This work analyzes Cristobal Lozano's (1609-2667) novel: Soledades de la Vida y Desengaños del Mundo (1658) as a representative work of the author's moralizing ideology related to the Counter Reformation. Lozano was one of the most popular writers in Spain during the second part of the seventeenth century. Today, this writer is almost forgotten and finding the majority of his works is becoming difficult. Part of this dissertation, addresses this issue by locating a large section of his literary work, something that has not been done since the beginning of the twentieth century. Another important aspect of this investigation is that it locates the author in the literary map in relation to other outstanding writers such as Cervantes, Calderon de la Barca and other important previous authors. This research also demonstrates, through the literary analysis, some of the most important aspects of the Barroque period as well as the mentality of many of those who lived during that time period in Spain. This literary analysis attempts to show the reader that Lozano was indeed a writer who knew his craft, one who knew what the Spanish Golden Age audience wanted at the same time he pushed his own ideological religious agenda.