...The beginning of American mythology was credited to Washington Irving. He created the four characteristics in his story “Rip Van Winkle”. The first characteristic is that the story is set in the past and in a remote location. Secondly, it has a variety of strange and exaggerated characters. Next, the story has a magical quality included that has an effect on Rip. In the conclusion of Rip Van Winkle Irving shows how the community accepts Rip Van Winkle with his flaws. This lets Rip enjoy the last few years with his family and community. The setting of “Rip Van Winkle” takes place up the Hudson River and near the Catskill Mountains before the Revolution. The American Revolution dated 1775-1783. The story was published in 1819. This meets the...
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...Emergence of American Mythology – “Rip Van Winkle” In his “Rip Van Winkle”, Washington Irving portrayed remote settings, exaggerated characters, magical events, and mysterious consequences. The impact of such characteristics led to the decisive fate of the main character, Rip Van Winkle, and the story’s astonishing conclusion. Additionally, these characteristics furthered the novel’s plot, allowing readers to comprehend specific components of the American tale. If it were rendered differently, the American narrative would have starkly contrasted from its primitive purpose and would have not been displayed as one of the first and paramount American myths. First of all, the depiction of the early American small-town folks is extremely exaggerated. One such character is undeniably the main character’s wife, Dame Van Winkle. In consequence of her “yelping precipitation” (Irving 65), Rip Van Winkle was forced to seek liberation from his flustered, boisterous spouse. In this sense, readers find Dame Van Winkle’s extensive elaboration to be tremendously amusing and humorous. In other words, it thoroughly allows readers to recognize the author’s ornamented humor through the story’s characterization. However, if the character...
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...Rip Van Winkle summary: Rip Van Winkle is a story about Rip falling asleep for 20 years in the Catskill Mountains and wakes up to discover the world around him has changed. He finds that the American Revolutionary war has taken place and instead of being a subject of His Majesty George the Third, he is now a free citizen of the United States. Characters Rip Van Winkle Rip Van Winkle is a “simple good-natured fellow” living in a small village in upper New York during the time that New York is a colony of Great Britain. To the neighbors he is known as a kind and helpful man, always eager to play with children or help with a chore. To his wife, however, he is known as a lazy and useless man, who neglects his own children and leaves his own fields untended and his fences broken. Dame Van Winkle Dame Van Winkle is Rip’s wife. “Dame” is not her first name, but her title, the word used by the Dutch inhabitants in place of “Mrs.” In the eyes of Rip and his sympathetic neighbors; Dame Van Winkle is stern and unreasonable. The narrator calls Rip “an obedient hen-pecked husband,” and places his wife in the category of “shrews,” (a woman of violent temper and speech) calling her a “termagant,” or overbearing, wife. Apparently, she finds fault with Rip because he does no profitable work, does not help around the house, and shows no interest in the well being of his children or his wife. How readers are to see Dame Van Winkle’s character is a central question in the story: Is she a...
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...The True Meaning of Rip Van Winkle In order for a prosperous future to occur, the present must be secure and the past must not be forgotten. Much can be said though, about the advance of mankind throughout the ages, with complete disregard to the woes and struggles of the past. Furthermore, while it would appear that the brawls of the present are almost always shaped to lend perception of a greater future, history dictates that this is not always true. In this vein, the story of America is not that much different than other epics from our past. From great reason, our ancestors sought significant change. Change brought about revolution both in the literal and intrinsic sense, and soon broader horizons quickly unfolded into an unprecedented amalgamation of opinion, social action and success. Throughout this time however, America has not been absent its critics, nor has it been isolated from internal critique either. One such example of this internal American critique can be found in Washington Irving’s, “Rip Van Winkle.” Therefore, the purpose of this brief work is to discuss the theme of Irving’s timeless masterpiece and offer critical insight as to its deeper meanings. The tale of Rip Van Winkle is set in the whimsical wilderness of the Catskill Mountains in pre-revolutionary America. As the story portrays, Rip is a simple man caught between his own ferocious hedonistic motivations, and the insurmountable demands of his condescending and oppressive wife (Perkins). ...
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...The tale being discussed shares a handful of morals and lessons, while also expressing the author's views of marriage. The short story, Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving tells the story of young man, Rip, who is nagged by his wife and one day ventures into the woods to shoot squirrels. Rip left his failing farm one day to escape Mrs. Van Winkle’s arguing. He falls asleep high in the mountain after drinking from a keg that he had assisted carry to a mysterious group of travelers. He then wakes up 20 years later to a completely different world. His gun has rusted and his dog, Wolf has disappeared. In his village he discovers that there are more houses, unfamiliar children, and his house that is normally kept tidy is in a state of despair....
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...author Washington Irving wrote Rip Van Winkle in order to inspire Americans to form an identity. This identity was to set them free from the English ruled cultures. The character Rip Van Winkle symbolizes the struggles of the early America. The struggles Rip goes through can be compared to the same struggles that America was going through at this time before and after the Revolution. Rip had a wife that got on his nerves Dame Van Winkle. At times he needed to escape from her and his surroundings. Rip would sometimes head into the woods with his dog Wolf and his gun. One day he did just that. He got his cut and Wolf and they headed into the Catskill Mountains, he hunted squirrels, firing off his gun round after round. Several hours had passed Rip was getting tired so he lied down for a rest looking at the Hudson River. Night fall was fast approaching so he got up to go home, he was not looking forward to seeing his wife for fear of her mouth. While he was walking a short man with a beard wearing Dutch clothing called his name. The man was needing some help so Rip agreed to help him. Rip followed the man to an area where several people were playing a game called ninepins. As the people were playing ninepins the man asked Rip to help him pass out what appeared to be beer of some kind. After everyone received the beverage Rip decided to drink some. The next morning Rip woke up in the same location looking at the Hudson River. Rip starting thinking about what happened...
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...On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass was invited to give a speech to the citizens of Rochester, New York. His speech was titled, “What, To The Slave, Is Fourth of July”, in his speech he reveals the hypocrisy, false appearance, of the nation’s freedom and justice. In his speech he states, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us” (Douglass p.46). He points out that the celebration of the fourth of July is not for African Americans when millions are enslaved. In the Declaration of Independence, it states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that...
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...Washington Irving is often named "the Father of American Literature." He is best known for his work of “Rip Van Winkle”, a historical fiction story, written around the time of the American Revolution. The character of Rip Van Winkle that Irving creates certainly has a unique personality and character that stands out from everyone in the story. In the story of Rip Van Winkle, Rip could be described as a thoughtful, easy-going person but also irresponsible. Irving creates the character of Rip Van Winkle as a thoughtful man. He was adored by just about everyone who knew his name. Rip “would never refuse to assist a neighbor even in the roughest toil” (151). He never made an excuse to not help someone else, even if it meant to put off his own work. This characteristic creates positive effect of his personality and heart to others around him and the reader. The author continues to mention his thoughtfulness saying that even “the women of the...
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...Rip Van Winkle I believe Washington Irving’s purpose for writing ‘Rip Van Winkle’ was to teach a lesson and to comment on the American Revolution at the same time. I think that the lesson Irving is trying to teach is that if you live an idle life, life will pass you by. Rip was not concerned with working to support his family or to achieve any sort of goals. He was only interested in doing things that he enjoyed and that did not help to support his family. He slept for twenty years, and when he awoke the world around him was completely different. When Rip was out in the woods hunting, he got sidetracked and went off with a strange man. This lead to him drinking too much and falling asleep for twenty years. While Rip slept, the world went on and changed very drastically. His wife died, his children grew up, and America won its independence from the British. These things did not seem to bother Rip, but many people would regret missing out on so much. Irving uses symbolism throughout this story. He uses Rip to represent America and Madame Van Winkle to represent England. Rip’s disdain for his wife represents the way the colonists felt about England. When Rip wakes up from his twenty year nap he sees an eagle, which is supposed to represent the new American freedom. Rip goes back to his village and sees that it has changed quite a bit, many of the men he once knew died fighting in the war. He finds that his wife is also dead, which grants him the freedom to do as he pleases for...
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...Washington Irving was born in 1783 after George Washington, which he later met and was blessed him. Encouraged by his brothers to pursue writing at early age. Due to a yellow fever breakout in 1798 he was sent to live with friends of the family in a nearby town. There he became familiar with another town named sleepy hollow a town known of ghost stores. As a young boy he also visited Johnstown New York as he travelled there he passed through the Catskill Mountains. Irving stated the “Catskill Mountains had the most witching effect on my boyish imagination “although he opposed the war of 1812 he later enlisted when the British attacked Washington. His book “Rip Van Winkle” written in 1819 during a time, America was changing...
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...A Rose for Emily Summary How It All Goes Down You might want to look at our discussion of the novel's setting before you enter here, or at least know it's there to help if you get tangled up in this story's crazy chronology. Also keep in mind that the narrator of this story represents several generations of men and women from the town. The story begins at the huge funeral for Miss Emily Grierson. Nobody has been to her house in ten years, except for her servant. Her house is old, but was once the best house around. The town had a special relationship with Miss Emily ever since it decided to stop billing her for taxes in 1894. But, the "newer generation" wasn't happy with this arrangement, and so they paid a visit to Miss Emily and tried to get her to pay the debt. She refused to acknowledge that the old arrangement might not work any more, and flatly refused to pay. Thirty years before, the tax collecting townspeople had a strange encounter with Miss Emily about a bad smell at her place. This was about two years after her father died, and a short time after her lover disappeared from her life. Anyhow, the stink got stronger and complaints were made, but the authorities didn't want to confront Emily about the problem. So, they sprinkled lime around the house and the smell was eventually gone. Everybody felt sorry for Emily when her father died. He left her with the house, but no money. When he died, Emily refused to admit it for three whole days. The town didn't think...
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...When asked to name works of the Romantic Movement, one may mention works such as Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, or Poe’s, “The Raven.” These works, while both romantic, are American. However, the Romantic Movement actually began in Europe, with books such as Goethe’s, The Sorrows of Young Werther, and others. The American Romantic movement was influenced from the European gothic style of writing; the American writer, Washington Irving acts as a bridge, displaying this style in his works, and essentially sparking the American Romantic movement. Of course, to start a movement so widespread, Irving needed inspiration; fortunately, his trip to Europe included scores of opportunities for such, and played an integral role Irving’s starting of the American Romantic Movement. Specifically, one such inspiration he picked up from Europe was the habit of keeping journals. Irving’s journals became one of his most prized possessions, and in them, he was constantly trying to improve on his writing. (Williams). Another source of inspiration for Irving was the European myths and legends that he learned of. In fact, “Irving's most important friendship in Granada, both now and during his second visit in 1829, was with this Spanish peasant, Mateo Ximénez, who acted as his guide and who told him many tales which later appeared in Irving book. (The Alhambra 1832)” (Williams) (22) “Irving wanders into the town of Sleepy Hollow, New York, and is told of the story of the Headless Horseman, also...
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...American Romanticism * Early Romanticism * Washington Irving * James Cooper * Transcendentalism * Ralph Emerson * Henry Thoreau * Others: eg. Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne… * Romanticism---a retrospect * Background of Romanticism in Europe? * The Industrial Revolution * The French Revolution * Ideological change * Definition & Features of Romanticism? * Romanticism(The Romantic Movement) * 5 key features * Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century, recognized for expressions of exoticism, individualism, emotionalism, and the beauty of nature, rejecting the ordered rationality of the Enlightenment as mechanical, impersonal, and artificial. * Imagination; * Nature; * Individualism; * Glorification of the Commonplace; * The Lure of the Exotic * American Romanticism * Time: Romantic period---early 19th century to the outbreak of the Civil War * Forms: novels, short stories, and poems replaced sermons and manifestos as America’s principal literary forms * Background: * exterior: Romantic movement in Europe (inheritance) * interior: Westward movement and economic boom; * Literary themes: * Highly imaginative and subjective * Emotional intensity * Escapism * Common man as hero ...
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...The American Renaissance period, circa 1876-1917, heralded a new sense of nationalism with a pride linking to a spirit akin to Greek democracy, the rule of Roman law, and a cultural and educational reform movement often referred to as Renaissance humanism. This American nationalism focused on the expression of modernism, technology, and academic classicism. Renaissance technological advancements include wire cables supporting the Brooklyn Bridge in the State of New York, along with cultural advancements found in the Prairie School houses, Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in architecture and sculpture. The political heir of American nationalism evolved with the Gilded Age and New Imperialism school of thought. The American Renaissance produced major influential literary works from some of the most brilliant minds in U.S. history, including Ralph Waldo Emerson's the "Representative Man (1850)", Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlett Letter (1850)" and "The House of Seven Gables (1851)," Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," Henry David Thoreau's "Walden (1854)," and Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass (1855)." American Renaissance Literary Masterpieces The American Renaissance, a literary and cultural period circa extending from 1820 to the mid-1860s, gained inspiration from the unresolved issues of the American Revolution. The American Renaissance literary style was coined as "Romanticism," an international philosophical movement that redefined the perceptions of Western cultures, and...
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...Oliver H. Perry Served in the war of 1812 and earned the title of "Hero of Lake Erie" for leading American forces in a decisive naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie. Battle of Lake Erie Fought on September 10, 1813 in Lake Erie during the War of 1812; 9 vessels from the US Navy defeated and captured 6 vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy; ensured American control of the lake and allowed Americans to recover Detroit and win the Battle of the Thames to break the Indian confederation of Tecumseh; biggest naval battle of the War of 1812. Burning of DC August 24,1814 (during the War of 1812); British Army occupied Washington DC and set fire to many public buildings following the American defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg; Facilities of the...
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