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The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman · Character

Maria

A mad, grief-stricken peasant girl encountered by Tristram on his travels.

minor

Also known as poor Maria, Marie de Sévigné

First appearance: xxiii

Maria shows up with force in XLIII. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Mentioned indirectly through the name Nannette, a peasant girl Tristram dances with.
In the storyXLIIIOpen this moment free

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In XLIII: Mentioned indirectly through the name Nannette, a peasant girl Tristram dances with. Later, in The Invocation: A beautiful, mentally unsettled young woman playing a pipe by the roadside, whose banns were…

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The fuller portrait of Maria sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Maria in xxiii

Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how Maria sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

ASArchbishop Ste…UTUncle TobyELElizaTHThackerayLMLa MaronetteMAMaria

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Wide Cast of Digressions
  • Narrative and Historical Figures
  • Protagonist

+9 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This passage is the dramatic climax because it depicts the precise moment the corporal’s long-standing resista…

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In the story

Maria appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Maria unlock in the free preview.

See Maria in xxiii