The commercial society of the Astrologer in Los siete locos and Los Lanzallamas, by Roberto Arlt

Abstract

In the novel Los siete locos (1929) [The Seven Madmen] and in its second part, Los lanzallamas (1931) [The Flamethrowers], by Roberto Arlt, the marginal characters are aware that, in order to overcome their social condition, they must enter the commercial circuit; therefore, the figure of the inventor is recurrent in Arlt’s narrative. He seeks to create the artifact that will become a success and, consequently, bring him immediate fame and fortune. In Los siete locos and Los lanzallamas, the figure of the inventor falls on Remo Erdosain; however, invention as a practice is not limited to him, but is more complex. In that sense, this essay focuses on the character of Alberto Lezin, the Astrologer, and proposes that his project —his invention— of a revolutionary secret society actually constitutes the creation of a commercial society that will provide huge dividends for him and his partners. Thus, this character is not approached as a madman or an eccentric, but as a rather ambitious and cynical merchant.