...In Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle, one may think the story is for entertainment, but there is also the key point of Politics which is of more importance and can be reflected on with a better perspective. Rip Van Winkle was a gracious and charitable man whom many people from his village admire with sincere respect. He had a caring heart for both people his age, and for children, but did not have a good home life. He was constantly nagged by his wife and was lazy. Unlike working, Rip spent his days away from home fishing and hunting. According to Wyman, Rip ventures out to the mountain to hunt, encounters the ghosts of Henry Hudson’s Half Moon crew, joins in their revealing, and falls unconscious. After his twenty-year sleep, Rip experiences...
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...At the time when Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” was written, a transition was occurring in the literary landscape of the post-revolutionary United States, from the rational and mimicking nature of the enlightenment to the more creative and fantastical style of romanticism, which is exemplified in Irving’s story by Rip’s journey from the civilized world of his home town into the wilderness of the Kaatskills. In “Rip Van Winkle,” the titular main character dislikes work, and abhors the idea of being productive, and in order to “escape” the “labour and clamour,” (452) of his busy home, as well as his nagging wife, he walks aimlessly into the Kaatskill forests. He brings his hunting rifle and his dog, named Wolf, whom he views as a “fellow...
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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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...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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...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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...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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...not involve war, independence, or anything of the sort. That event was the publishing of Washington Irving’s short story “Rip Van Winkle.” The importance of this tale is deeply unrecognized by many people. Those who do realize this story’s significance consider “Rip Van Winkle” as the first writing that criticizes life in the newly independent United States. Throughout time, analysts have realized the subtle criticism of life before and after the American Revolution in this seemingly playful myth....
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...Franklin and Washington Irving both write passages regarding it, they both have two different ideas or approaches with it. In Benjamin Franklin’s The Way to Wealth, Franklin establishes a firm belief in what it means to be hard working and in Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle, the life of the main character puts that belief to the test. In life, generally to be successful one must be a hard worker and be wanting to strive to reach their goal. Benjamin Franklin strongly believes in having to be a hard worker to be...
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...Washington Irving “Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.” Washington Irving, a well-known short story author in the nineteenth century, spoke these words of wisdom. Washington Irving became famous in America for his fine works from The Specter Bridegroom to Rip Van Winkle to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. These satirical sketches are all based on the local areas in New York where Irving resided. His adventures through life spread the word of his writings and he became one of the first renowned short story writers in Europe. Washington Irving was born in New York, New York on April 3, 1783. His mother, Sarah, and father, William Irving, Sr., had eleven children including Washington. He was named after the United States first president, George Washington who was sought to be the greatest hero of all time to his parents. “… He attended the first presidential inauguration of his namesake in 1789” (Biography Channel). Irving was privately schooled and later went to study law in New York after his return from travelling Europe. In 1804 he travelled to France and Italy, while writing journals and letters. When he returned in 1805, Irving continued law school but did poorly for he barely passed the bar exam. (Biography Channel). After Irving finished his studies, he went on to write humorous essay with his older brother William Irving, Jr., and James Kirke Paulding. The Salamagundi papers published the essays in 1807 to 1808....
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...Rip Van Winkle Summary: “Rip Van Winkle” is an American masterpiece of the short story. It is based on local history but is rooted in European myth and legend. Irving reportedly wrote it one night in England, in June, 1818, after having spent the whole day talking with relatives about the happy times spent in Sleepy Hollow. The author drew on his memories and experiences of the Hudson River Valley and blended them with Old World contributions. “Rip Van Winkle” is such a well-known tale that almost every child in the United States has read it or heard it narrated at one time or another. Rip is a simple-minded soul who lives in a village by the Catskill Mountains. Beloved by the village, Rip is an easygoing, henpecked husband whose one cross to bear is a shrewish wife who nags him day and night. One day he wanders into the mountains to go hunting, meets and drinks with English explorer Henry Hudson’s legendary crew, and falls into a deep sleep. He awakens twenty years later and returns to his village to discover that everything has changed. The disturbing news of the dislocation is offset by the discovery that his wife is dead. In time, Rip’s daughter, son, and several villagers identify him, and he is accepted by the others. One of Irving’s major points is the tumultuous change occurring over the twenty years that the story encompasses. Rip’s little Dutch village had remained the same for generations and symbolized rural peace and prosperity. On his return, everything has...
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...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 known as the Galloping Hessian.” (Characteristics) (Booksie)A final source of influence for Irving’s writings are the, “delightful letters,” that Irving wrote to Mlle. Antoinette Bolviller, a niece of M. D'Oubril, the Russian minister at Madrid. Irving took great...
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...Irving's “Rip Van Winkle” tale is a myth, but also a part of American mythology. In “Rip Van Winkle”, Washington Irving skillfully incorporates three characteristics that come together and make an excellent and enjoyable story for its readers. The first characteristic is that the story is set in a remote place, in the past. Second, “Rip Van Winkle” includes exaggerated and remarkable characters. Lastly, the tale of Rip Van Winkle includes magical and mysterious events and shares the consequences of them. Washington Irving uses exaggerated characters, detailed settings, and magical and mysterious events to create an amazing story that helped create American mythology. The characters of “Rip Van Winkle” are exaggerated. The most exaggerated character is Dame Van Winkle; Rip Van Winkle’s wife. Dame Van Winkle is a nagging and brawling woman, who doesn’t give Rip a break. Irving says, “his wife kept continually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family” (Irving 64). This gives the reader more incite on Dame Van Winkle...
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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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...The Inconsistent Van Winkle Rip Van Winkle fails to represent a prototype for an American hero because he lacks the work ethic promoted by American culture to achieve the American Dream. Washington Irvin’s story depicts Rip Van Winkle lazing around his home and village. While he is beloved by all except for his wife because he is amiable, generous and a storyteller, he fails to properly tend to his farm. Rip Van Winkle’s 20-year slumber can be considered punishment for his idle ways, even though Irving somewhat sentimentalizes the easy-going lifestyle that Rip Van Winkle demonstrates. In the early 19th Century, when Irving wrote the story, America was an agricultural country that relied upon the productivity and hard work of its family farmers. The work ethic in American culture demanded discipline and personal responsibility, neither of which Rip Van Winkle demonstrates. “[I]t was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country; everything about it went wrong, and would go wrong” (Irving 3). Irving’s description of Rip Van Winkle’s farm illustrates his condemnation of Rip Van Winkle’s failure to honor the work ethic of the American farmer in the early 19th Century, the primary strength of which is individual autonomy and national improvement. However, Irving also sentimentalizes the lifestyle and slumber of Rip Van Winkle, and thus he recognizes the drawbacks of the work ethic. After he awakens, the war is over and life has returned to normal...
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...short story “Rip Van Winkle” Washington Irving explains the story of a man who is so bossed, bothered and controlled by his wife that when he falls asleep and awakens 20 years later, he is thrilled when he realizes he no longer has to deal with her. Rip Van Winkle wakes up and the people who were the colonists of Great Britain were now citizens of the United States of America. Irving’s compulsive use of historical references makes the reader question if he is symbolizing something else through this relationship of husband and wife. We can gather this easily but what we cannot understand is why Rip is so surprised that Independence from Great Britain is declared. Irving just might be suggesting that much of society did not feel...
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