The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman · Chapter
Chapter XXIII explained
Tristram playfully speculates on the impossibility of truly knowing a person's character, rejecting various absurd methods of character analysis before declaring he will draw Uncle Toby's character from his hobbyhorse.
What happens
Tristram playfully speculates on the impossibility of truly knowing a person's character, rejecting various absurd methods of character analysis before declaring he will draw Uncle Toby's character from his hobbyhorse.
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
- Obsession and Hobbyhorses
Tristram resolves to draw Uncle Toby's character from his hobbyhorse, highlighting the centrality of personal obsessions to identity.
- Knowledge and Philosophy
The chapter satirizes various philosophical and pseudo-scientific methods of knowing a person's character.
Characters to notice
- Tristram Shandy
Narrator who muses on the difficulty of character depiction and vows to portray Uncle Toby via his hobbyhorse.
- Uncle Toby
Subject of Tristram's promised character sketch, to be drawn from his hobbyhorse.
Key passages
“I will draw my uncle Toby's character from his Hobbyhorse.”
I will depict Uncle Toby's personality through his favorite pastime or obsession.
Tristram's method for character portrayal.
“our minds shine not through the body, but are wrapt up here in a dark covering of uncrystalized flesh and blood”
Our inner thoughts are hidden by our opaque physical bodies.
Tristram's reflection on the opacity of human nature.
