His unshakable belief, combined with Tomás' clever, memorable aphorisms in conversation with everyone he meets, make him famous throughout Spain, where he becomes known as "Vidriera" – from the Spanish vidrio, which means "glass".
With time, Tomás recovers his sanity, only to discover to his horror throngs of people who never leave him alone, wanting to see the famous "Vidriera".
[3] One important irony of the story is that while Tomás is terrified of being broken physically and goes to great lengths to protect his body, it is in fact his spirit that is ultimately shattered by the hypocrisies and cruelties of society.
Edwards argues that this echoes Cervantes' own disillusionment upon returning from the physical dangers of war to the dispiriting realities of civilian life.
[3] In English translator Lesley Lipson's reading, Tomás becomes a sort of satirist, but is unable to contribute anything meaningful to society with his satire.
[6] Scholar Alan R Messick notes that the story can be read as a well-observed clinical case study, echoing Cervantes' interest in medical topics and scientific explanations for mental illness.
According to Messick, Tomás's symptoms and eventual recovery mirror those common in strychnine poisoning, presumably from an ingredient in the supposed love potion he consumes.