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Yorick (The Parson)
Susannah is Walter and Mrs. Shandy’s maid. A silly, superstitious, and somewhat prudish woman, Susannah plays a major role in the mishaps that shape Tristram’s childhood. Unable to properly remember “Trismegistus,” Walter’s desired name for his child, Susannah mispronounces it to the curate, leading to him christening the child Tristram—Walter’s very least favorite name. Even worse, Susannah accidentally circumcises Tristram with the windowpane, though the mishap is not entirely her fault, as Trim had removed the weights in order to build model fortifications. To Tristram, however, Susannah’s silliness is indicative of the human condition in general. Indeed, he highlights Susannah’s inexplicable vision of Mrs. Shandy’s green satin nightgown after learning of Bobby’s death as a prime example of the mysterious workings of the mind.
Susannah Quotes in Tristram Shandy
The Tristram Shandy quotes below are all either spoken by Susannah or refer to Susannah . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 5: Chapters 1-7
Quotes
—My young master in London is dead! said Obadiah.—
—A green sattin night-gown of my mother’s, which had been twice scoured, was the first idea which Obadiah’s exclamation brought into Susannah’s head.—Well might Locke write a chapter upon the imperfections of words.—Then, quoth Susannah, we must all go into mourning.—But note a second time: the word mourning, notwithstanding Susannah made use of it herself—failed also of doing its office; it excited not one single idea, tinged either with grey or black,—all was green.—The green sattin night-gown hung there still.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Susannah Quotes in Tristram Shandy
The Tristram Shandy quotes below are all either spoken by Susannah or refer to Susannah . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 5: Chapters 1-7
Quotes
—My young master in London is dead! said Obadiah.—
—A green sattin night-gown of my mother’s, which had been twice scoured, was the first idea which Obadiah’s exclamation brought into Susannah’s head.—Well might Locke write a chapter upon the imperfections of words.—Then, quoth Susannah, we must all go into mourning.—But note a second time: the word mourning, notwithstanding Susannah made use of it herself—failed also of doing its office; it excited not one single idea, tinged either with grey or black,—all was green.—The green sattin night-gown hung there still.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
