"… such things should be brought to the knowledge of everyone, especially if they are (…) likely to bear some fruit.’’
Lazaro begins his novel with the claim that even though he knows he will be criticized for what he will talk about, he must do it anyway because the purpose of his book is to offer an education to those who wish to receive it. In order to do this, he doesn’t only criticize people he knew or those he was close with, but he also talks freely about his own flaws and faults and presents them in a realistic manner. His belief is that no matter who a person is, if someone else can learn something from his or her experience, then those experiences should be revealed, no matter how painful or embarrassing they are.
"How many must there be in the world who run away from others because they do not see themselves?’’
After Lazaro’s birth father died, his mother remarried and she became pregnant with a black man. Their relationship was frowned upon because black people were perceived as being dangerous and savage. The baby conceived also had this point of view despite the fact that he was black as well. In fact, Lazaro mentioned that his younger brother would often run away from his father and to their mother because he was scared of his father’s dark skin. Lazaro points out by mentioning this experience that sometimes, we are quick to judge those around us and we are inclined to believe that we are better than them. But as Lazaro points out, we have more things in common with the people around us and we should always keep this in mind.
"It seemed to me that at that moment I awoke out of the simplicity in which I had remained like a sleeping child.’’
Lazaro was forced to grow up and mature faster than other children because of his unusual family situation. He had to learn from an early age how to take care of himself and how to put himself first because he was always reminded that he is worthless. The blind man was especially cruel to him and the time Lazaro spent with the blind man taught him how to be cruel and how to put himself first. This was a painful lesson for him but also a necessary one because his survival depended on it.
