# The Invocation explained — The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

> Chapter companion for The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne.

## What happens

Tristram invokes the spirit of Cervantes and recounts his travels through France and Italy, including an encounter with a mentally disturbed young woman named Maria, who plays a pipe by the roadside.

## Themes in this chapter

### Time and Mortality

Maria's lost senses and the ephemeral nature of her beauty and sanity reflect the passage of time and human fragility.

### Modesty and Obscenity

Tristram's humorous complaints about his torn breeches and shirts touch on bodily modesty and embarrassment.

## Character check-ins

### Tristram Shandy

Narrator who invokes Cervantes and describes his journey and meeting with Maria.

### Maria

A beautiful, mentally unsettled young woman playing a pipe by the roadside, whose banns were forbidden by the curate.

### Uncle Toby

Mentioned in passing as Tristram thinks of his amours while traveling.

## Key lines

> Gentle Spirit of sweetest humour, who erst did sit upon the easy pen of my beloved Cervantes

Tristram calls upon the gentle spirit of humor that inspired Cervantes.

_Invocation of Cervantes as a muse for the narrative._

> I do not think a journey through France and Italy, provided a man keeps his temper all the way, so bad a thing as some people would make you believe

Tristram argues that traveling through France and Italy is not as unpleasant as some claim, if one remains patient.

_Reflection on travel hardships and philosophy._

> Poor Maria, continued he (leaning his body on one side to let me see her, for he was in a line betwixt us), is sitting upon a bank playing her vespers upon her pipe, with her little goat beside her.

The postillion points out Maria, who is playing a pipe on a riverbank with her goat.

_Introduction of Maria and her tragic story._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/the-invocation
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters