Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
English
Date of Award
5-2003
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
William Styron Harris Jr.
Committee Members
Isabel B. Stanley, Judith B. Slagle
Abstract
Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy is a novel consumed with conversation. The conversations that the characters have with each other and the ongoing conversation between Tristram and the reader all address the importance of communication. This study examines the theme of communication as Sterne presents it in his novel. The first chapter explores the personalities of Walter and Toby Shandy with the assumption that an understanding of their eccentricities will illustrate the reasons for the difficulties they encounter when trying to communicate with others. The relationships between the sexes are the subject for the second chapter. Sterne recognized the opportunity that the barrier of gender afforded him in the development of his theme, and he utilizes these relationships to illustrate the consequences of miscommunication. The final chapter focuses on Tristram’s role as the narrator. His personality and conversations with the reader also speak to the role of communication in the novel.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Christie Dawn, "Writing as Conversation: The Importance of Communication in Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy." (2003). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 764. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/764
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.