Realism in Laurence Sterne

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this study is to examine the place of Tristram Shandy in the development of realism in the English novel. It sets up two categories of realism, mimetic realism and autonomous realism, and demonstrates how sterne parodies the ideas of the first, and sets up an autonomous reality in his novel. By examining the techniques Sterne uses to present this special, avant-garde kind of realism, and how he treats its implications, this thesis hopes to explore fully an aspect of Tristram Shandy hitherto neglected, and to provide a new perspective on the novel.</p>