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.