‘By a small misguidance of the affection’: War as Love in Laurence Sterne’s 'Tristram Shandy'

This study investigates the complex interplay of war and love in Laurence Sterne's "Tristram Shandy". It centres on the novel's treatment of the Seven Years' War and its far-reaching cultural and political ramifications. By placing Sterne’s work within the context of mid-eighteenth-century Britain, the essay explores how the narrative intertwines themes of heroism, patriotism, and ambivalence toward conflict. Through the character of Uncle Toby, the novel challenges the glorification of martial ideals while underscoring their discord with domestic life and human empathy. The essay then contends that Sterne's blend of humour and sentimentality in "Tristram Shandy" mirrors broader literary and philosophical debates regarding the ethics of war, nationalism, and social bonds. "Tristram Shandy" emerges as a complex commentary on the contradictions of military heroism and the cultural work of empire. In particular, Toby’s “apologetical oration” and his bowling-green sieges are Sterne’s subtle satire of war’s aesthetic and moral justifications. Additionally, the text explores how Sterne humanizes soldiers through homosocial bonds and poignant episodes of care while exposing warfare's inherent futility and pathos.