Handkerchiefs
In Laurence Sterne’s A Sentimental Journey, handkerchiefs symbolize how Yorick’s genuine emotions often turn into silly, self-indulgent displays of sentimentality. Early in the story, when English traveler Yorick is leaving Montriul, France, a…
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Snuff-box
In A Sentimental Journey, the snuffbox the Franciscan monk gives to Yorick represents the power of travel—and, specifically, interacting with foreigners—to improve a person’s manner and overall character. Yorick first meets the monk when…
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Starling
In A Sentimental Journey, the caged starling represents the evils of slavery and incarceration. Yorick encounters the starling shortly after learning that the French police are after him for traveling without a passport…
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