A

Sentimental Journey through France and Italy

By

A Glance about Yorick

The Sentimental Traveler

Yorick is a sentimental traveler. He is tending to indulge the emotions

excessively. Once a man asked him whether he has ever gone to France,
he got embarrassed and took a decision to travel there. He moves and
travels a lot; he went to places such as Calais, Montreuil, Nampont and
Amines. He has negative character traits. When he was setting and
having his dinner, a monk came to him and asked him for donations.
Yorick was very tough and harsh towards that monk.
"We distinguish, my good father! Bet wixt those who wish only to eat
the bread of their own labour and those who eat the bread of other
people's, and have no other plan in life, but to get through it in sloth
(THE MONK, CALAIS)
and ignorance, for the love of God."
Yorick felt that he treated the monk unsatisfactorily when he saw him
talking to a young woman. He got scared that the monk may tell the lady
about Yorick's dreadfully behavior, so he tried to fix this situation and
make a good picture for his own self. This situation reflects with a bad
way on Yorick's personality. If he did not see the monk with this lady, he
may not give any attention to what happened. Here, Yorick just cares
about his appearance and how the lady or the others will think of him;
However, if the young lady was not there Yorick would have never given
any of his own money to help the monk. He is impulsive which is shown
in his irrational acts. For example, When Yorick hired La Fleur as a
servant. La Fleur had no qualifications and even does not have an
intention to improve himself. Yet, he hires him right away without
thinking. This situation foretells us that there are voices in Yorick's head
trying not to hire him but his impulsive trait makes him hire La Fleur. He
does not listen to those voices and he decides to hire him.
In contrast with the past situations, Yorick has a kind heart. La Fleur
tried to force his bidet to pass by the dead ass to continue their journey;
however, the bidet refused and scampered back to Montreuil. La Fleur
tried to follow the bidet. Unsuccessfully he came back. Yorick could have
left La Fleur carry on walking behind his chaise. Instead of that, he let
him into it, which shows how kindhearted Yorick was towards his
servant.
As there was no hunting down a frightened horse in jack-boots, there
remained no alternative but taking La Fleur either behind the chaise,
- .or into it

I preferred the latter, and in half an hour we got to the post-house at

(THE BIDET)
Nampont.
Another situation that reveals Yorick's traits: while he was getting ready
to move to another place and continue his journey with, La Fleur, the
servant, they saw poor people surrounded them. Yorick gave them some
money in public.
"For own part there is no man gives so little as I do; for few, that I
know, have so little to give; but as this was the first public act of my
charity in France, I took the more notice of it" (A FRAGMENT.)
For something like donations and charity, a person is supposed not to do it
in public. These kind of actions are done out of the sense of charity and
kindness. It is not about showing off to gain people's approbation.
In conclusion, this proves that Yorick is benevolent and nice in his
imaginary realm; however, in his actual self he is malevolent who is harsh
towards others. Yorick has paradox in his personality; his character is
sometimes disgraceful towards others. Sometimes he is a kindhearted.
Mr. Yorick is a mixture between the benevolent and the malevolent
character. Laurence Sterne's brilliancy is clear in the way he portrays
the character of Yorick.