What is the basic plan in Nochebuena de 1836?

Answer 1

This is a short story by the Romantic writer Mariano Jose de Larra. He uses the techinques of character inversion, set against a backdrop of Christmas Eve 1836, in which the protagonist "El Figaro" and his servant comment critically on Spanish society in 1836. The premise is that on this night, those who are in subservient roles may speak truthfully without fear of retaliation. The servant begins to paint the protagonist in a harsh light, criticizing his lack of regard for respect and honesty. In the end, the protagonist ponders the veracity of this critique while gazing at a box, the contents of which are never divulged, but have been surmised to contain the pistol with which Larra shot himself two months after writing this story.