by Mariano José de Larra

Born in Madrid on March 24, 1809, Mariano José de Larra would later gain renown under the pseudonym “Fígaro.” One of the most critically acclaimed Spanish writers of the nineteenth century, he was only about 19 years old when he published his first newspaper series, El Duende Satírico del Día (The Satiric Goblin of the Day). His newspapers contained the best examples of the artículo de costumbres, or essay on social customs to date. Larra soon became known as an outspoken social and political critic, penning caustic literary essays that decried the nation’s lack of a progressive social and political vision, the affluent classes’ foppish imitation of everything French, and the modest classes’ blind adherence to outdated Spanish traditions. “The Old-Fashioned Castilian” constituted the eighth issue in Larra’s second self-published paper, El...