Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Tristram Shandy, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Truth, Fiction, and Storytelling
Language and Comprehension
Travel, Space, and Time
Sexuality and Propriety
Science, Technology, and the Enlightenment
Summary
Analysis
Chapter 21. There any many reasons a woman chooses to marry, Tristram argues. Tristram quotes Slawkenbergius, who compares a woman’s search for a husband to rifling through the baskets on different “asse[s]” (mules) until she tears at the baskets themselves. Slawkenbergius refuses to elaborate on just what she is looking for.
Tristram’s quotation of Slawkenbergius is equally vague, saying hardly anything at all about the nature of women or marriage. This joke pokes fun at both philosophers and their pretensions. It also pokes fun at the reader, who is searching for a deeper meaning that may simply not exist.
Themes
Chapter 22. The world is mysterious, Tristram says, but nature makes mistakes only for the sake of amusement—except in the case of a married man. Tristram wonders if it is the kind of clay, or a mistake while baking, or something else. Toby, however, is a perfect candidate for marriage. Along with his kind nature and tender disposition, he has one other important quality, unhindered by his wound. This last characteristic is “somewhat apocryphal,” however, and causes widow Wadman such great anxiety that she forgets about his other virtues.
Tristram’s comment on clay is a reference to Greek mythology and the titan Prometheus, who created the first humans out of clay. Toby’s additional quality is implied to be his sexual potency, although his extreme modesty renders this hard to imagine. Widow Wadman is clearly concerned about Toby’s ability to sexually perform, which she worries his wound may have limited.
Themes
Chapter 23. Tristram reminds the reader that Bridget had promised to get to the bottom of this mystery for her mistress by courting Trim. She is serving her own purposes too. Widow Wadman, however, is not reassured. She is determined to find out from Toby herself, encouraged by his trusting, open nature.
Bridget continues to serve as widow Wadman’s spy, seducing Trim to learn whether Toby’s wound affects his sexual performance—of course, she is seducing Trim for the sake of seduction, too. Widow Wadman’s curiosity overwhelms her sense of propriety, causing her to investigate the matter personally.
Themes
Chapter 24. Tristram acknowledges that his story is approaching its “choicest morsel,” but he confesses that he does not feel up to the task and offers the reader his pen. It comforts Tristram to know that while he lost a good deal of blood while working on this chapter, but the worst of his illness has passed. He decides to add an invocation. Tristram invokes the spirit of “sweetest humour” which inspired the writing of Don Quixote, calling it to him and pointing to his hideous condition; he is still wearing the breeches that were ripped in Lyons. Tristram bemoans the state of his shirts, too, parts of which were ripped off by a laundrywoman in Italy.
Tristram’s interruption reminds the reader of the book’s other timeline, that of Tristram’s journey through France: in that timeline, he is still in the south of France, recovering from his illness and writing the story of Toby’s amours. After building up to the amours for eight volumes, Tristram worries that the climax will not satisfy the reader’s demands. His invocation of Don Quixote situates his own novel in a longer tradition of experimental writing.
Themes
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Tristram describes how he was also robbed of his tinderbox and frequently scammed on that trip, but he concedes that life should have its ups and downs. As Tristram traveled back to England through Italy and France, Toby’s amours with widow Wadman had the same mental effect on Tristram as they would were they his own. Suddenly he stops the carriage, hearing beautiful pipe music.
Tristram’s misadventures while traveling through Italy and southern France reference a downside of the grand tour: the frequent scams locals would practice on wealthy foreigners. Tristram’s concern with Toby’s amours despite his own exotic surroundings demonstrates the power of storytelling to mentally transport the reader or listener to different places and times.
Themes
Tristram approaches the postilion, who explains that the musician is Maria, a disgraced local beauty who now sits on the riverbank with a goat plays the pipe constantly. Tristram is bewitched, and he soon finds himself sitting with Maria and her goat listening to her play the pipe. Maria looks back from Tristram to the goat, and he wonders what she sees them having in common. Tristram bids Maria goodbye, hoping one day to hear her speak. Suddenly she does, telling him such a sad tale that he gets up and leaves immediately.
Tristram’s encounter with Maria is oddly similar to his dance with Nanette at the end of Volume Seven. The goat is often used to symbolize sexuality—Maria’s comparison of Tristram and the goat suggests an obvious sexual desire on Tristram’s part, a desire which Maria’s sad tale thwarts.
Themes
Chapter 25. Tristram explains that at the end of this chapter, he and the reader must go back to the blank chapters. He declares, however, that there are much worse things than a chapter with nothing in it, which can never be satirized. Tristram accepts any insults that will come his way, asking how his detractors could understand why he had to write the twenty-fifth chapter before the eighteenth, and reminds the readers to let people tell stories the way they please.
After yet another digression, Tristram is finally ready to return to Toby’s amours. His comments regarding the criticism of his blank chapters satirize the ability of critics to denigrate any writing: the only way to avoid such criticism is to not write anything at all.
Themes
The Eighteenth Chapter. Bridget opens the door almost before Trim knocks, barely giving widow Wadman time to leave the window and meet Toby in the parlor. Toby salutes widow Wadman and walks with her to the sofa. As he is sitting down, he declares forcefully that he is in love. Widow Wadman looks away shyly, expecting him to continue, but Toby stops and lets the situation take care of itself. Walter approves of this mannerism of Toby’s, arguing that if his brother had more confidence, he could win the hearts of many woman. Toby does not feel this way, but Tristram suggests that his father is taking about making declarations of love, not actually starting relationships.
Tristram returns to Toby and Trim’s arrival at widow Wadman’s house. Toby characteristically declares his love with gallantry but no sophistication, embarrassing widow Wadman. Though Tristram sarcastically describes Toby’s behavior as strategic, Toby’s declaration followed by silence seems to betray his confusion about what to do next. Walter believes that Toby could seduce many women with his combination of strong feelings and ignorance, although he doubts whether Toby would be able to sustain these relationships given his lack of conversational finesse.
Themes
Widow Wadman, expecting Toby to continue, inches toward him. As Toby is still silent, she resolves to speak herself. She points out the downsides of marriage, asking what would make Toby give up his independence. Toby points to the Bible. Widow Wadman then turns to the subject of children, referencing all the difficulties of parenting, especially for mothers. Toby agrees and can only suggest pleasing God as a reason to endure this troubles, prompting widow Wadman to reply “fiddlestick!”
Toby’s responses indicate how unprepared he is for marriage. He has proposed out of love and a feeling of obligation, but he does not feel at all ready to live with widow Wadman and have children. He suppresses this doubt with the help of religion. Widow Wadman, however, sees through Toby and realizes he is unsure about his decision.
Themes
The Nineteenth Chapter. As “fiddlestick” can mean an infinity of different things depending on how it is said, Tristram argues, widow Wadman’s exclamation requires an explanation. The way she says it instantly embarrasses Toby, who feels out of his depth, and he resolves to instantly and ceremoniously propose to her. He then looks away and, seeing her Bible on the table, opens it to a passage on the siege of Jericho and reads, wanting to give widow Wadman time to think over his proposal. She, however, is too busy thinking of something else.
Widow Wadman’s exclamation calls Toby’s bluff, as she does not believe he is truly prepared for marriage. Toby attempts to compensate by laying all his cards on the table and proposing, but he is so embarrassed by this that he seeks a comforting distraction in reading the Bible—which, of course, only makes him seem more unsure about his decision. Widow Wadman is also distracted, however, by her concerns about Toby’s sexual abilities.
Themes
