Periquillo Sarniento Jun 2026

"El Periquillo Sarniento" is a novel written by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, a Mexican author, and published in 1816. It is considered one of the most important works of Mexican literature and a pioneering piece in the country's literary history.

A notable contradiction lies in the author’s own position. A criollo who supported Mexican independence (the novel was published during the final years of the War of Independence), Fernández de Lizardi was nonetheless wary of radical change. He believed in gradual reform, not revolution. Thus, while the novel criticizes specific abuses, it ultimately endorses a conservative social order: the poor should accept their station and work hard; the rich should be just and charitable. This ambiguity reflects the complex political landscape of early 19th-century Mexico. periquillo sarniento