The novel’s most scathing critique is reserved for the educational system. Periquillo’s early schooling is a farce: teachers are cruel or incompetent, the curriculum is outdated, and rote memorization replaces genuine learning. Through this, Fernández de Lizardi echoes the ideas of Rousseau and Locke, arguing that education should be practical, moral, and suited to the individual’s role in society. Similarly, he condemns the gachupines (peninsular Spaniards) for their arrogance and exploitation of the criollos (Mexican-born Spaniards), subtly critiquing the colonial caste system. At the same time, he does not idealize the lower classes; Periquillo’s time among thieves and beggars shows that vice knows no social boundaries. This balanced cynicism is a hallmark of the picaresque.

The novel’s influence is immense. It paved the way for later Latin American picaresque works, such as La vida inútil de Pito Pérez by José Rubén Romero, and even for the magical realism of the 20th century, which often blends social critique with folk humor. Moreover, the novel anticipated the novela de la Revolución in its attention to the lives of ordinary people rather than heroes and elites. While some critics lament the novel’s rambling structure and heavy-handed moralizing, others celebrate it as a rich, unpolished gem that captures the chaos and energy of a society in transition.

What elevates El Periquillo Sarniento from mere adventure story to literary landmark is its fierce social and political critique. Fernández de Lizardi was a fervent advocate of the Enlightenment and liberal ideas. He used his novel as a pulpit to attack the lingering feudal structures of colonial New Spain. The book is punctuated with long digressions—sometimes to the detriment of narrative pacing—in which characters deliver lectures on the need for universal education, fair governance, and the abolition of forced labor.