chunk: Most of the action is concerned with domestic upsets or misunderstandings, which find humour in the opposing temperaments of Walterâsplenetic, rational, and somewhat sarcasticâand Uncle Toby, who is gentle, uncomplicated, and a lover of his fellow man.
  In between such events, Tristram as narrator finds himself discoursing at length on sexual practices, insults, the influence of one's name, and noses, as well as explorations of obstetrics, siege warfare, and philosophy as he struggles to marshal his material and finish the story of his life.