Essay #3
Laurence Sterne’s epic classic Tristram Shandy, is a complex work full of hidden themes and messages. Although Tristram is the protagonist, there are a variety of many different characters that play large roles. One of these understated characters is the Parson Yorick who utters one of the most famous lines in literature, “A cock and a bull, said Yorick—and one of the best of its kind, I ever heard.” (Volume 9, chapter 33) This famous sentence epitomizes the spirit of the novel by connecting the speaker with the immediate context; as well as the themes of the story, motifs, and the tone of the novel. Parson Yorick is a very important character in the novel. As a parson, he baptizes Tristram as baby. Although he has a tendency to …show more content…
During this scene, Obadiah explains how he took his cow to be bred by Walter’s bull on his wedding day, but the cow didn’t get pregnant. Obadiah accuses Walter of having a bull that is sterile leading to Toby, Obadiah, Dr. Slop, and Yorick trying to determine if Obadiah’s baby is early by the amount of hair it has on his head. When Obadiah says “it’s as hairy as I am,” Walter is relieved. Mrs. Shandy is confused and asks, “What is all this story about?” This causes Yorick to reply, “A cock and a bull… and one of the best I ever heard.” (Volume 9, chapter 33). Mrs. Shandy’s question can be interpreted several ways. First about Obadiah’s story with the bull, or Tristram Shandy as a whole. This ambiguity leads to Yorick famous last words, which like Mrs. Shandy’s question, is also ambiguous. At first glance, they can be taken literally at Obadiah’s tale with the query about the bull’s potency, hence the bull and cock. But also with the story as a whole, a rambling story with no apparent plot, with many sexual innuendos and focuses on male genitalia. By having this scene the final in the book, it has the entire cast of characters together on stage once again, perfectly summing up the novel in its own way that only Sterne could
Laurence Sterne’s epic classic Tristram Shandy, is a complex work full of hidden themes and messages. Although Tristram is the protagonist, there are a variety of many different characters that play large roles. One of these understated characters is the Parson Yorick who utters one of the most famous lines in literature, “A cock and a bull, said Yorick—and one of the best of its kind, I ever heard.” (Volume 9, chapter 33) This famous sentence epitomizes the spirit of the novel by connecting the speaker with the immediate context; as well as the themes of the story, motifs, and the tone of the novel. Parson Yorick is a very important character in the novel. As a parson, he baptizes Tristram as baby. Although he has a tendency to …show more content…
During this scene, Obadiah explains how he took his cow to be bred by Walter’s bull on his wedding day, but the cow didn’t get pregnant. Obadiah accuses Walter of having a bull that is sterile leading to Toby, Obadiah, Dr. Slop, and Yorick trying to determine if Obadiah’s baby is early by the amount of hair it has on his head. When Obadiah says “it’s as hairy as I am,” Walter is relieved. Mrs. Shandy is confused and asks, “What is all this story about?” This causes Yorick to reply, “A cock and a bull… and one of the best I ever heard.” (Volume 9, chapter 33). Mrs. Shandy’s question can be interpreted several ways. First about Obadiah’s story with the bull, or Tristram Shandy as a whole. This ambiguity leads to Yorick famous last words, which like Mrs. Shandy’s question, is also ambiguous. At first glance, they can be taken literally at Obadiah’s tale with the query about the bull’s potency, hence the bull and cock. But also with the story as a whole, a rambling story with no apparent plot, with many sexual innuendos and focuses on male genitalia. By having this scene the final in the book, it has the entire cast of characters together on stage once again, perfectly summing up the novel in its own way that only Sterne could