The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman · Chapter
To the Right Honourable John, Lord Viscount Spencer explained
Laurence Sterne dedicates the two volumes to Lord Viscount Spencer, apologizing for their imperfection due to his poor health, and also inscribes the story of Le Fever to Lady Spencer, citing its humane nature as his only motive.
What happens
Laurence Sterne dedicates the two volumes to Lord Viscount Spencer, apologizing for their imperfection due to his poor health, and also inscribes the story of Le Fever to Lady Spencer, citing its humane nature as his only motive.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage is the dramatic climax because it depicts the precise moment the corporal’s long-standing resista…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Modesty and Obscenity
Sterne humbly downplays his talents and health, framing the work as an imperfect offering.
Characters to notice
- Laurence Sterne
The author, who dedicates the work and signs as Laur. Sterne.
- Le Fever
The story of Le Fever is inscribed to Lady Spencer.
Key passages
“I humbly beg leave to offer you these two Volumes; they are the best my talents, with such bad health as I have, could produce”
Sterne presents the two volumes as the best he could create given his limited talents and poor health.
The author's self-deprecating apology for the work's quality.
“I join Lady Spencer, in the liberty I take of inscribing the story of Le Fever to her name; for which I have no other motive, which my heart has informed me of, but that the story is a humane one.”
Sterne dedicates the story of Le Fever to Lady Spencer, claiming his only reason is its humane nature.
The dedication highlights the story's emotional and compassionate quality.
