Maria and her dog, Silvio, form the image on the cover of the edition of Sentimental Journey that I ordered for the class. (The painting is by Joseph Wright of Derby, who also painted two depictions of scientific experimentation in your Longman anthologies.)What makes this image emblematic of the book as a whole?
If the episode with Maria is significantly more important or central than the many other episodes in this novel (some of which we discussed in groups on Friday), what makes it so?
Deadline: Wednesday (12/9), start of class.
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The episode with Maria, I think, is a turning point in the novel where Yorick turns himself around. Throughout the book, Yorick is tries to be sympathetic to those he sees but easily forgets what has happened because he is distracted by the next event and quickly moves on. During his interaction with Maria Yorick says, "I am positive I have a soul" (94). This would suggest that before he didn't have one. Therefore, he now believes he can be truly sympathetic towards others.
KW talked about it on Monday, but it does seem like a point where Yorick actually stops himself. The entire story is a stream-of-consciousness blur along whatever whim takes a hold of him. But upon hearing Maria's story, even La Fleur, "whose heart seem'd only to be tun'd to joy", has to wipe away his tears. "I felt such undescribable emotions within me, as I am sure could not be accounted for from any combinations of matter and motion", says Yorick, perhaps referring in the latter part to the general concept of traveling - constantly moving about and taking notice of the things he sees. If SJ is a satire on the traveler's guide genre this section is the most pointed criticism of it, as none of these exotic travels can compare, ultimately, to the effect of encountering this kind of raw emotion (nothing extraordinary or exotic.. just a woman and her dog). I was confused by the "I am positive I have a soul" line for the same reason brought up in class, which is whether he is reasserting something he already knew or if he is discovering this for the first time. Seems to me like a jab at Smollett/Smelfungus's own miserable account of everything he takes in on his own travels: "but [Smelfungus] set out with the spleen and jaundice, and every object he pass'd by was discoloured or distorted". Yorick's encounter with Maria provides the direct antithesis to Smelfungus's own soul-less travels.
It is with Maria and her family that Parson Yorick really digs deep within himself and begins to question himself for the soul that he is not quite sure is there, hence why he has to reassure himself that it is. This image of Maria and her dog embodies the text because we clearly see that Maria is in sincere deep thought. Sitting alone tells us that whatever she thinking about is probably directly corrolated to her and her situation. (If I were question my soul's existence I might be sitting like that as well.) But the dog is interesting, The dog tries to sort of comforts her as he rubs against her foot. I'm not exactly sure of him, but he aims to reassure her.
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