A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy

The passport mentioned in A Sentimental Journey is not a passport as the modern reader might conceive it. In truth, it is more akin to a modern visa, a permission notice allowing the holder to travel and reside in a particular country without suffering the authorities’ attentions. In the text, Yorick is so keen to travel to France that he forgets to obtain a passport in advance. When he reaches France, it takes a few days before his error is discovered, whereupon the master of the hotel visits him and tells Yorick that the police are searching for him and that he might be arrested. To Yorick, lonely imprisonment is the worst possible punishment and obtaining a passport is the only way to ward off this issue.

As such, the passport comes to represent a number of points. Firstly, it is one of the best examples of Yorick’s impetuous and impulsive nature. The entire premise for traveling to France stems from a discussion Yorick has with one of his friends. When he makes up his mind, he does not think about minor details (such as having legal permission to travel or packing his clothes), but rushes straight to Dover to catch the next ship to France.