The chain of events working against Tristram has another couple of links forged for it in these chapters. Little things conspire against him, have always done so; little things of course conspire against every one of the Shandys, but sometimes they are at cross purposes. The knotting of Dr. Slop's bag — for the triviality of allowing Obadiah to hear himself whistle — worked against Walter's and Dr. Slop's plan for having the forceps handy for the delivery to protect the child's brain. And the cutting of the knots, freeing the forceps and making them available for the delivery, worked against Tristram's nose (as we shall see later). Everything seems to be dictated by pure chance, and yet everything goes uniformly wrong.
Walter's collection of esoteric literature serves him well for a change: when he baits Dr. Slop into using the Catholic excommunicatory curse, Dr. Slop is caught in his own trap.
