THE CENTER OF THE NOVEL: DIGRESSIONS IN LAURENCE’S TRISTRAM SHANDY

In this 18th century work it is aimed to create sort of warm and witty conversation with digressions.
Sterne neglects the conventional technique with these divisions. The writer tries to catch the
reader’s attention in a easy way. He belives that the digressions provide integrity. Thus, he makes
digressions the heart of novel. Laurence does not give any clue about Tristram’s character and just
want to mock by digressions. The novel does not tell a story that begin from birth to death. The
digressions divide the story into pieces and don’t give a certain message. The main concern is to
make fun through divided senctences: “—the old gentleman shook his head, and in a tone more
expressive by half of sorrow than reproach,—he said his heart all along foreboded, and he saw it
verified in this, and from a thousand other observations he had made upon me, That I should neither
think nor act like any other man’s child:— “

Digressions are used for removing the reader from the main subject when the writer is talking about
something else and take the attention somewherelse: “ ———By the way, if you would know the
strange way of getting a-kin amongst so flat-nosed a people——you must read the book;——find it
out yourself, you never can.——“

In Tristram Shandy, the writer used three kind of digressions.The use of digressions are consisted of
the novel mainly. The explanatory digression is one of which is used. It explains the story clearly and
makes the reader understand what the book is telling and what the story is about. “—And being
somewhere between fifty and sixty years of age at the time I have been speaking of,—“ or “——he
contented himself with turning his part of the siege into a blockade;”

The second kind of digression kind is opinionative. It gives an information about Tristram’s thoughts
in the parts of the novel. It aims to make the reader understand what kind of character Tristram is
and to reflect his psychology. “—— I beg I may not be interrupted in my story, by being told, That the
first parallel should be at least three hundred toises distant from the main body of the place,—and
that I have not left a single inch for it;——— “ The aim is to reflect the main character thoughts in
pieces while the story goes on : “—You must have a little patience. I have undertaken, you see, to
write not only my life, but my opinions also; hoping and expecting that your knowledge of my
character, and of what kind of a mortal I am, by the one, would give you a better relish for the other:
As you proceed farther with me, the slight acquaintance, which is now beginning betwixt us, will
grow into familiarity; and that, unless one of us is in fault, will terminate in friendship.”

The other digression is interludes. They are separate from the main story and do not explain
anything about the story. It makes the novel attractive and exciting. The interludes digressions do not
give an information about characters or their personalities : ——Every line I write, I feel an
abatement of the quickness of my pulse, and of that careless alacrity with it, which every day of my
life prompts me to say and write a thousand things I should not”

The digressions conceal the main character and make the reader remove from the main story and
Laurence do not traditional technique as other novels. He tries to show how the character and novel
special. “——Every author has a way of his own in bringing his points to bear;—for my own part, as I
hate chaffering and higgling for a few guineas in a dark entry;— ”

In conclusion, Laurence tries to mock and have fun by digression. Themain aim is to create a
mocking and entertaining story, not to tell a certain subject or event.
AN EXAMINATION OVER FEMINISM IN MOLL FLANDERS

Moll Flanders which is belong to Danil Defoe is an explicit criticsm against the society of England in
the 18th century. Women had no choice to marry somebody and to have children, but this situation
was not the sam efor upper and lower class. The upper-class woman could have been married a rich
man, but the lower class woman had to steal. Thus; adultery, prostitution, thievery were in the
considerable level. The persevarance of Moll Flanders shows the life of women in English society

Moll is an orphan who was born in a prison and also her mother is a thief. She got married but in the
end she turns out a misstress and then a thief. It refers that a woman doesn’t live like a man without
education. The marriage was an only solution to live , or they have to be a thief in a patriarchal
society. “She is always Married too soon, who gets a bad Husband, and she is never Married too late,
who gets a good one.”

With the Industrial Revolution, English society changed as others. Money was the weapon for a man,
but a woman had to marry to gain money, Because power was on men and women started to be a
victim more patriarchal society. Even though Moll Flanders was a well- educated woman, she had no
money or possession. Thus, she had to choose immoral things to do: “ I had ... been left a poor
desolate girl ... brought into a course of life ... scandalous in itself. “ Money was essential for that
time, specially to be accepted by society for a woman: “Money only made a woman agreeable.”

The character of Moll Flanders is totally the example of feminism. Because she tried to live on her
own and to make money illegally or legally. She educated herself in the childhood. She advocated
that men and women are equal even if the society put pressure on women. Moll Flanders marriages
shows how she is different from others. She thinks that marriage is conducted by a woman actually.It
means that if a woman learn how to act in a good marriage and choose a marriage according to her
life, a marriage goes on: “In a Word, there is no Woman, Deformity, or lost Reputation excepted, but
if she marriages well, may be married safely one time or other”.

In conclusion, Moll Flanderse is a feminist character who was created by Defoe and aims to give an
advice women in a patriarchal society. She shows tha equality of a man and a woman in a marriage
and social life.

Sevinç Yavuz 200216028