# Tristram Shandy — The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman character guide > Tristram Shandy in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Mr. Tristram Shandy, Tristram - gistus **First appearance:** 0003-the-life-and-opinions-of-tristram-shandy-gentleman ## Snapshot The narrator whose life keeps getting interrupted by his own digressions, from the moment his mother asks about the clock to the name that ruins him. ## Who they are Tristram Shandy is the beleaguered hero of his own autobiography, a man whose conception, birth, and christening were each botched by circumstance and family eccentricity. He narrates from a position of wry grievance, cataloguing the misfortunes that have dogged him since before he was born. His real subject is not his life but the impossibility of telling it straight, and that tension between chaos and control drives the book's early and middle reaches. ## In the story ### [The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/the-life-and-opinions-of-tristram-shandy-gentleman) The narrator and protagonist, reflecting on his own conception and the chaotic events that shaped his life. ### [Book I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/book-i) Narrator and subject of the biography, whose conception and birth are discussed with humorous digressions. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/i) Narrator and protagonist, reflecting on the circumstances of his own conception. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/ii) The narrator, who discusses the Homunculus and its journey. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/iii) Narrator and subject of his father's complaints about his unaccountable obliquity in setting up his top. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/iv) Narrator who defends his digressive method and recounts the story of his own conception. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/v) Narrator and protagonist, born on November 5, 1718, reflecting on his lifelong misfortunes. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/vi) Narrator and author of his own life and opinions, addressing the reader directly. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/viii) Narrator and author of the dedication, who admits to being both fiddler and painter and rides his own hobbyhorses. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/ix) Narrator and author, offering his dedication for sale and addressing the reader directly. ### [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xiii) The narrator who addresses the reader directly and discusses the midwife. ### [Chapter XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xiv) The narrator and historian, who describes his struggles with digressions and his plan to write and publish two volumes per year. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xv) Narrator and subject of the marriage settlement's consequences, reflecting on his own misfortunes. ### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xviii) Narrator and author, writing on March 9, 1759, and addressing the reader directly about his dear Jenny. ### [Chapter XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xix) Narrates his father's opinions and reflects on the irony of being named Tristram despite his father's hatred of the name. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xx) Narrator and authorial voice; addresses the reader directly and presents a satirical query to the Sorbonne doctors. ### [Chapter XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxi) Narrator; reflects on his own eccentricity and the Shandy family character. ### [Chapter XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxiii) Narrator who muses on the difficulty of character depiction and vows to portray Uncle Toby via his hobbyhorse. ### [Book II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/book-ii) Narrator and protagonist, reflecting on his family's quirks and his own narrative method. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/i) Narrator who begins a new book to explain Uncle Toby's perplexities. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/iv) The narrator, who comments on his own narrative technique and foreshadows Toby's hidden motive. ### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/v) Narrator, reflecting on Uncle Toby's ruling passion and the events of the chapter. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xi) Narrator who addresses the reader directly and orchestrates the imaginative scene. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xii) Narrator, recalls witnessing Uncle Toby's kindness to a fly at age ten, which shaped his philanthropy. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/iii) Narrator, describes his own lean physique and the difficulty of the pocket-reaching maneuver. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/iv) Narrator and author, reflecting on the connection between body and mind and defending his work against critics. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/viii) Reflects on the 'sport of small accidents' that led to his nose injury and misfortunes. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xii) Narrator who defends the originality of oaths and criticizes connoisseurs and critics. ### [The Author's Preface](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/the-author-s-preface) Narrator and author of the preface, reflecting on wit and judgment. ### [Chapter XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxiii) Narrates the confusion and digresses on the challenges of storytelling. ### [Chapter XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxviii) Narrator, writing with melancholy and noting his changed demeanor. ### [Chapter XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxi) Narrator and authorial voice, reflecting on definitions and the word 'nose.' ### [Chapter XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxii) Narrator recounting his great-grandparents' exchange. ### [Chapter XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxiii) Narrator reflecting on family history and his father's character. ### [Chapter XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxiv) Narrator who interrupts the story to praise his uncle Toby and describe his father's intellectual stubbornness. ### [Chapter XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxvi) Narrator who addresses the reader directly, warning against imaginative mischief and urging extensive reading. ### [Chapter XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxviii) Narrator, overwhelmed by authorial tasks and reflecting on his own nose-related misfortunes. ### [Chapter XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxix) Narrator, reflecting on the family's dramatic dynamics and his father's attempts to educate Uncle Toby. ### [Chapter XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xl) Narrator who digresses on the nature of ratiocination and observes his father's lectures. ### [Chapter XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xlii) The narrator, who distinguishes his own opinion from his father's, finding Slawkenbergius's tales amusing rather than purely speculative. ### [Book IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/book-iv) Narrator and subject of the Shandy family's misfortunes. ### [Chapter upon Chapters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/x) Narrator and author of the chapter upon chapters, defending his digressive style. ### [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xiii) The narrator, reflecting on his writing progress and the passage of time. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xv) The narrator who wishes to write a chapter on sleep and reflects on the subject. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvii) Narrator, reflecting on his father's behavior and his own wig-throwing incident. ### [My Father's Lamentation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/my-father-s-lamentation) The subject of Walter's lament, described as a child of wrath, decrepitude, and misfortune, suffering from birth injuries. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xx) The narrator, who compares his writing to a wild ride and defends his actions. ### [Chapter XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxii) The narrator who addresses the reader and defends his book. ### [Chapter XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxv) Narrator who explains tearing out a chapter and describes the family dispute. ### [Chapter XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxii) Narrator and heir-apparent to the Shandy family; reflects on his authorship and the structure of his work. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/i) Narrator who makes a vow during a rapid carriage ride and reflects on the nature of learning and imitation. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/vi) Narrator, reflecting on the family dynamics and the parallel discourses in parlour and kitchen. ### [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/vii) The narrator who comments on the power of gesture and the imperfection of words. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/viii) Narrator addressing the reader about a book-debt and substituting a chapter. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xi) Narrator and subject of the chapter; speaks of his own birth and physical state. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xv) Narrator and protagonist, reflecting on his own life and opinions as a farce, and engaging in a musical digression. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvi) The subject of the Tristra-paedia, but is neglected and abandoned to his mother during the long composition of the work. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvii) Narrates the accident and his reflections on Dr. Slop's exaggeration. ### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xviii) Referenced as the victim of the murder described by Susannah. ### [Chapter XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxv) Narrator who defends his narrative method and announces his intention to go backwards. ### [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxvi) Narrator and subject of the accident involving the sash window and chamberpot. ### [Chapter XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxv) Narrator who presents Lord Verulam's theory and defers his father's response. ### [Book VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/book-vi) Narrator and protagonist, reflecting on his life and the art of storytelling. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/i) The narrator addresses the reader directly, reflecting on the journey through the volumes. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/ii) Walter declares that Tristram shall be made to conjugate every word in the dictionary. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xi) The narrator, who is impatient to return to his own story and comments on Yorick's sermon habits. ### [Chapter XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xiv) Narrator reflecting on the spread of rumors about his own accident. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xv) The subject of Walter's decision to put him into breeches. ### [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvi) The narrator and subject of the breeches decision. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvii) Narrator who describes his writing method as a variation on his father's plan. ### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xviii) The subject of the debate about being put into breeches. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xx) The narrator acknowledges he cannot be left behind and must go along with the reader to the end of the work. ### [Chapter XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxv) The narrator who delivers a passionate eulogy for Corporal Trim and foreshadows Toby's death. ### [Chapter XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxi) Narrator; recounts the scene and has read Uncle Toby's oration a hundred times. ### [Chapter XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxiii) Narrator who speaks directly to the reader about his digressive method and his father's influence on his mind. ### [Chapter XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xl) Narrator and author, describing his own narrative line and progress. ### [Book VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/book-vii) The narrator and protagonist, traveling through France to escape death and reflect on life. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/i) Narrator and author, determined to write forty volumes and flee Death. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/ii) Narrator who becomes violently seasick and laments his lack of knowledge of England before traveling abroad. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/iii) The narrator, who is in a haste and considering the routes from Calais to Paris. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/iv) Narrator and travel-writer, mocking the convention of describing towns like Calais. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/vi) The narrator directly addresses the reader, asserting his power over them while showing mercy. ### [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/vii) The narrator, pursued and making light of the crowd's accusations. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/viii) Narrator and traveler, philosophizing on the perils of haste and the inevitability of mechanical failures in French post-chaises. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/ix) The narrator, observing and commenting on Janatone and the town of Montreuil. ### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/x) Narrator and traveler, musing on mortality and setting off for Abbeville. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xii) Narrator and protagonist, contemplating his own death and stipulating conditions for it. ### [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xiii) Narrator and protagonist, reflecting on motion, rest, and philosophy. ### [Chapter XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xiv) Narrator who reveals his vow not to shave until Paris and indulges in a philosophical digression. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xv) Narrator and traveler through France. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvi) Narrator and traveler, describing his frustrations with post-horse payments and his decision to stop at Chantilly. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvii) Narrator arriving in Paris, delivering a stream of ironic observations about the city. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xix) The narrator and traveler, reflecting on his travel principles and experiences. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xx) The narrator and traveler, expressing frustration with French travel and debating whether to reveal obscene words. ### [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxvi) Narrator and protagonist, directly addressing the reader and reflecting on his narrative journey. ### [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxvii) The narrator, who recounts the visit and the family's grand tour, noting his father's peculiar observations. ### [Chapter XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxviii) Narrator and traveler, currently rhapsodizing from a pavilion. ### [Chapter XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxix) Narrator and protagonist, who turns the wreck of his chaise into a profitable venture and reflects on personal misfortune. ### [Vexation upon Vexation at Lyons](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxx) The narrator, detained in Lyons and planning his sightseeing. ### [Chapter XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxi) Narrator who recalls the story of Amandus and Amanda and his desire to visit their tomb. ### [Chapter XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxii) Narrator who converses with the ass and reflects on his own motives. ### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxiii) Narrator attempting to leave the inn, stopped by a commissary. ### [Chapter XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxiv) Narrator and protagonist, engaged in a dispute with a French commissary over travel fees. ### [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxv) Narrator and protagonist, who engages in a witty dispute with the commissary and claims to have laid the cornerstone of the peace. ### [Chapter XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxvi) The narrator who laments the theft of his remarks and frantically searches for them. ### [Chapter XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxvii) The narrator who discovers he sold his remarks with the chaise and reacts with frustration. ### [XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxviii) The narrator who sits philosophizing on his condition and discovers his remarks used as hair curlers. ### [Chapter XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxix) Narrator and protagonist, eager to see Lippius's clock and Chinese history but quickly loses interest. ### [Chapter XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xl) Narrator who visits the Tomb of the Lovers. ### [Chapter XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xli) Narrator and traveler, describing his journey and observations in Avignon. ### [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xlii) The narrator and traveler, fleeing Death and traversing the south of France on his mule. ### [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xliii) The narrator and traveler, who describes his digressive journey and his dance with Nannette. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/ii) Narrator and author, expounding on his method of beginning a book. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/vi) Narrator who interjects with personal troubles, including debt, unsold volumes, asthma, and a lung injury from laughing. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/vii) The narrator, who addresses the reader directly about the story's complexity. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xi) The narrator, who compares his own romantic temperament to Widow Wadman's. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xii) Narrator who exclaims about his heated imagination and the metaphor. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xv) Narrates the chapter, using the candle metaphor to discuss his own preferred manner of dying. ### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxiv) Narrates the scene with knowing humor, warning his uncle of the danger. ### [Chapter XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxi) Narrator who distinguishes his own hobbyhorse from his father's 'ass,' describing the hobbyhorse as a sporting, useful beast that carries one away from cares. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/i) Narrator, reflecting on his parents' interaction and his own nature. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/ix) Narrator who dismisses the world's opinion of his ejaculation. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xii) Narrator reflecting on his own writing process and the balance between wisdom and folly. ### [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xiii) Narrator describing his personal ritual for overcoming creative stagnation. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xv) Narrator who laments the slipping away of pleasures and decides to return to Uncle Toby's story. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xvii) The narrator speaks in first person about his debts and frugal lifestyle. ### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xviii) The narrator and author, reflecting on his digressive style. ### [Chapter XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xix) The narrator and protagonist, reflecting on his own narrative method and the difficulties of recounting his life. ### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxiv) The narrator, who is struggling with the difficulty of describing the upcoming story and has been weakened by a fever and blood loss. ### [The Invocation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/the-invocation) Narrator who invokes Cervantes and describes his journey and meeting with Maria. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxv) Narrator who defends his blank chapters and throws his slipper in frustration. ### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/endnotes) Mentioned as being led into error regarding Lithopædus. ### [List of Illustrations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/list-of-illustrations) Referenced in the caption 'Inv. T. S. / Scul. T. S.' as the likely creator of the illustrations. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/characters/tristram_shandy - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tristram_shandy_se/characters