# Chapter XXIII 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 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.

## Themes 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

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