Another interesting consideration of the passage of time in Tristram Shandy:

“Though this has taken up some time in the narrative, it took up little more time in the transaction, than just to allow time for Phutatorius to draw forth the chesnut, and throw it down with violence upon the floor -- and for Yorick, to rise from his chair, and pick the chesnut up.  Though this has taken up some time in the narrative, it took up little more time in the transaction, than just to allow time for Phutatorius to draw forth the chesnut, and throw it down with violence upon the floor -- and for Yorick, to rise from his chair, and pick the chesnut up.” p288

The quote above from Tristram Shandy is yet another allusion to the concept of time in this novel by Sterne. The reader has considered the strange chronology of this sequence of events, as well as a series of flashbacks and divergences. The precluding, slightly vulgar, scene of chaos was detailed at great length and with details and slight tangents. In addition, this quote leads the reader to consider the length of time necessary to describe the circumstances and true nature of the experience, but it makes them consider the length of time that they have spent attempting to understand it. In doing so, Sterne raises a many complex questions about the ability to record the sensations and details necessary to relay the full truth of an experience, the readers understanding of time passing in the text, as well as their own actual time required to read it. It seems that a constant suggestion that life is constantly moving at a pace much too swift for man to record it in any real way without neglecting details that Sterne and Tristram clearly believe are essential. These are patterns and concepts that are multilayered and extremely complex in attempting to understand, but Tristram Shandy delves into the topic with this approach, forcing the reader to consider the elapsing of time from many new points of view.

This week while reading Tristram Shandy and studying memory, I had trouble finding two quotes to specifically compare and discuss.  However, I noticed that the pattern of conversation used by Sterne could clearly be compared to Models for the Memory.

“—And so to make sure of both systems, Mrs. Wadman predetermined to light my uncle Toby neither at this end or that; but like a prodigal’s candle, to light him, if possible, at both ends at once.” Page 390 Chapter XVI Tristram Shandy

“ The proof of a good memory lies not in the simple retention and regurgitation even of large amounts of material. Rather, it is in the ability to move it about instantly, directly, and securely that it is admired.” Pages 21-22 Models for the Memory

            As described in the second quote above, Augustine believed that quality memory entailed a type of deeper understanding than the working memory valued today. If an individual’s memory was at the level of rote repetition, it would be considered animalistic as suggested in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Sterne’s writing Tristram Shandy depicts a character who, in telling a story, is frequently distracted by tangents and random thoughts that interrupt the story telling process. However, whether the break from one thought is one paragraph long or several pages long, Tristram usually continues the thought later in the novel. The quote above is the continuation of the thought first mentioned in the beginning of the prior Chapter XV. The ability to continue these thoughts after large gaps of tangents seems to portray Augustine’s concept of a true memory, with the ability to speak of the topic forward, backward, and beginning at different points. His chaotic structure, while preventing the structure of any true plot, is a fascinating portrayal of the mind’s memory progression while in a constant conversation with the reader.

By considering the focus of a character’s attention, could a reader’s interpretation of a novel be drastically altered?

            “Some people were more liable to be upset or disgusted than others. Without caution, a reliance on personal and literary documents made by (potentially) hyper-sensitive individuals might lead to an exaggeration of the prevalence of nuisances and susceptibilities to annoyance and disturbance.”

The City in a Hubbub pages 1-2

“…so that I was doom’d, by marriage articles, to have my nose squeez’d as flat to my face, as if the destinies had actually spun me without one.”

Tristram Shandy page 29

 “..He will moreover have various

            Accounts to reconcile:

            Anecdotes to pick up:

            Inscriptions to make out:

            Stories to weave in:

            Traditions to sift:

            Personages to call upon…”

Tristram Shandy page 26

            In order to understand a novel, one must consider many different aspects of the author’s intentions in portraying the character’s attention. The first quote describes the complexity in interpreting history based on human experience alone. This complexity lies in the variation of human attention, such as a negative individual’s exaggerated irritation or an excess of compassion in the opinion of a doting mother. Authors can manipulate this variation in focus in order to portray a character’s true nature. In the novel Tristram Shandy, the main character speaks in a very dramatic, self aware manner. He speaks as if his life, in its entirety, is a tale of doom and destiny. The narrator’s constant focus on himself and his tale implies that he is giving his account of events in the manner that suits this type of individual, perhaps denying other valid interpretations. This gives the reader an understanding of his own personal identity and allows the reader to view the rest of the novel through this lens of understanding. Additionally, the author mentions directly that history can only be interpreted with the complex interpretation of numerous accounts and cultural biases, suggesting that the reader should consider the point of view of the novel itself. In considering the portrayal of a character’s attention in a novel, the reader can grasp the true meaning intended by the author.

How have authors prevented readers from disliking characters in literature with invasive character flaws, such as the misguided obsession belonging to Arabella in The Female Quixote?

“Many writers, for the sake of following nature, so mingle good and bad qualities in their principal personages, that they are both equally conspicuous; and as we accompany them through their adventures with delight, and are led by degrees to interest ourselves in their favour, we lose the abhorrence of their faults, because they do not hinder our pleasure, or, perhaps, regard them with some kindness for being united with so much merit.”

The Rambler page 2

“If the gentleman was surprised at this address, he was much more astonished at the beauty of her who made it: her stature; her shape; her inimitable complexion; the lustre of her fine eyes, and the thousand charms that adorned her whole person, kept him a minute silently gazing upon her, without having the power to make her an answer.”

The Female Quixote page 99

            The first quote above describes a facet of literature present in The Female Quixote, one that allows the reader to have a positive perception of an imperfect character. As mentioned in the quote, writers humanize their characters by giving them both positive and negative traits. In doing so, readers view the characters to be more similar to human beings and can enjoy their troubles and accomplishments with a human understanding of their natures. Their flaws can be disregarded with consideration of their qualities. In the case of Arabella in The Female Quixote, her appearance is one of the qualities that are used to balance her intensive obsession with ancient romantic novels. After addressing a stranger in an extensive, dramatic manner that would be proper only in ancient romances, she receives the pleasurable description quoted above. An understanding of Arabella’s innate belief that reality is one in nature with romantic novels is paired with an extremely flattering description of her appearance. This structure gives the reader a sense that the character is neither solely good or bad, and can even lead the reader to view her trials with a perspective of fond concern.