Don Quixote

There are many allusions, within Trisram Shandy, to Cervantes' famous character Don Quixote, as well as his steed Rocinante. Sterne portrays Yorick, in (Vol.I,Ch.X) as a misunderstood man who rides a broken-down horse, much like Don Quixote. The author finds Cervantes' masterpiece to be a great source of inspiration, in part because Yorick may be interpreted as Sterne's alter ego‹ and, of course, Sterne loves to invoke the parallels between himself and the beloved literary figure Don Quixote.

Moreover, the many character pairings within Tristram Shandy seem to be related to that between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, the knight's loyal sidekick. Perhaps, most clearly, this may be seen with Walter and Toby, but also with Toby and Trim, and Walter and Slop.

Furthermore, Stern seems to draw upon the Cervantic rendering of interior consciousness. Cervantes' characters tend to physically embody their differences; Sterne has taken this concept and extended it, so that these essential differences are not seen so much in social rank or appearance, but rather in their process of thought. For example, while Toby perceives the world in terms of war and military tactics, Walter assimilates everything to theory and philosophy.

Click here for the first passage on Don Quixote in Volume I.

For a digression on Don Quixote, click here

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Last modified May 12, 1996. Maintained by Keith Earley.
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