In Both Directions, "Tristram Shandy" And Forms Of Realism

Since being available, The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy has beendiscussed widely for its distinctive experimental features which are different from thecontemporary works. Nevertheless, for a long time, the most of the studies usuallyconcerned its unique narrative features, rarely interpreted the historical and socialreasons that it appeared and its historical status in the course of development of thewhole literary. The purpose of this study is by using Modern narrative theory,consulting18th century’ philosophical background, summarizing the works’ artisticfeatures of Defoe, Fielding, Richardson, analyzing the development of18th century’novel, try to reveal the reasons of The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy’ peculiarartistic characteristics and its fiction status in the novel history.Inherited a18th century novel tradition, Stern absorbed Lockes concept ofassociative thinking, built a double standard of time in The life and opinions ofTristram Shandy, fused own thoughts into the narrative of the narrator own, createda dramatic narrator. Stern found the way that mixed the Richardson’s presentation ofrealism and Fielding’s realism of assessment, proved there were no directcontradiction between their methods to respective characters from the internal andexternal. Thereby mixed two trends of the development of18th-century noveltogether, expanded the literary path of development.