In order to convey these conflicting sensibilities plaguing society, Smollett incorporates characterization to aid in the formation of his satire. He depicts each of his main characters to have discordant characteristics, exemplifying these divergences through their opinions and experiences. Jerry C. Beasley declares that Smollett has "a frequent habit of characterization by style. The emphasis in the portrayals of his three principles is decidedly on the words they write; those words are expressions of the workings of active, alert minds and highly charged feelings."" We see the grievances of the cranky but benevolent Matthew Bramble, the musings of the smug but loving Jery Melford, and the romantic despair of the flighty, yet maturing and astute Lydia Melford. These characters are not good or bad, as Smollett's contemporary Laurence Sterne may have depicted them, but each exists on a blurred scale of positive and negative characteristics. Thus, through their representation, Smollett allows his reader to see the emerging internal conflicts within humanity, and thus realize the error of judging on the basis of overt, overall appearance.
Matthew Bramble provides an obvious example of Smollett's attempt to create emotionally conflicted characters. From the beginning he is a misanthrope; he is constantly irritated and constipated, both physically and emotionally. He complains early in the novel to his doctor, ""I have told you over and over, how hard I am to move,"" signifying not just his body's inertia but also his sentimental repression and restriction. He is "distressed in mind and body- and repeatedly complains about the state of society, ready to condemn the world. However, his inner benevolence becomes clear to both the reader and the other characters in the book, allowing all to grow to love and respect his nature. Only a few lines after his bodily complaints, he gives Morgan's widow a cow and money to clothe her children.
