Essay On Rip Van Winkle

Essay on Rip Van Winkle
The characters in Rip Van Winkle and Young Goodman Brown written respectively by Washington
Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne leave their individual communities and return with radically
different perspectives (of their current lives) that change their attitudes and way of life in the
remaining of their lives. Both stories are set in early American villages, Young Goodman Brown
takes place in the 1700's New England puritan settlement while Rip Van Winkle takes place over
100 years later in an English colony in eastern New York. Both authors were very clever to use
different historical context to illustrate cultural aspects of early American societies in order to make
the reader aware of how big of a role gender, politics and religion where to ... Show more content on
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Faiths pink ribbons are a symbol of her virtue, innocence, and purity. The image of the pink ribbons
falling from the sky marks the start of the radical transformation of Brown's feelings towards his
wife Faith and his former self towards his society. When Brown returns from his night (dream) in
the forest his reaction towards Faith is as if she was a repulsive stranger and is no longer the loving
wife he held with high respect and in a pedestal. The story ends with Faith and Brown's children
following Brown's funeral procession. In the beginning of Rip Van Winkle, Rip is portrayed as lazy
husband who would do anything for others except his own husbandly duties. Rip Van Winkle's wife,
Dame Winkle, who is nothing like her husband goes around doing her wifely duties, as a wife and
mother, regardless whether her husband Rip meets her needs. Despite been such a likeable person to
his friends and neighbors, Winkle makes his wife's life complicated. Dame Van Winkle is the typical
wife that takes care of the obligations she has at home while Rip refuses to be productive around the
house. The story emphasis's how relentlessly Dame nags Rip. However if Rip had assumed his share
of household responsibilities perhaps Rip might not have felt an impact. Dame's life is further
complicated by the absence of 20 years of her husband. When Rip returns Dame is dead and he is
taken in by his daughter who replaces the maternal role that his wife (dame) had
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Dame Van Winkle Analysis
The Significance of Dame Van Winkle
Set in the years following, during, and after the American Revolution, Washington Irving writes a
story about Rip Van Winkle, his wife, Dame Van Winkle, and their unusual life in New England.
Rip, a farmer by family trade, chooses to habitually disregard his responsibilities, sparking anger
and chastisement from his wife. After being put under a spell of some sorts and falling asleep for
twenty years, he awakens to find his wife dead and America born. In Washington Irving's "Rip Van
Winkle," the character Dame Van Winkle's relationship with her husband, Rip, and death portray the
relationship between America and England prior to and following the American Revolution. The
character of Dame Van Winkle plays an important role in her comparison to England during the
American Revolution. Throughout the story, Irving attributes all the hardship that Rip faces to her.
He is described as "an obedient, henpecked husband," while she is described as "termagant" and a
"shrew" (p.472). Because of his "insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor" (p.472), Dame
Van Winkle "kept continually dinning in on his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin
he was bringing on his family," (p.473). However, her constant nagging and ridicule doesn't seem to
bother Rip, as his frequent response was that he "shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his
eyes, but said nothing" (p.473). She, in return, blames everyone but herself for his failures, including
his dog, Wolf, who is "as much henpecked as his master" (p.473). The narrator explains that she
"regarded them as companions in idleness, and even looked upon Wolfe with an evil eye, as the
cause of his master's so often going astray" (p.473). Even as Rip avoided working with the
fellowship of his friends, she would "suddenly break in upon the tranquility of the assemblage,"
scolding all the men present for "encouraging her husband in the habits of idleness" (p.474). Like
Rip and his wife, America and England also shared a back and forth relationship filled with
contempt, blame, and arguing, which ultimately led to America's separation from English rule. Also,
like England, Dame Van Winkle's temper didn't settle or get

Rip Van Winkle Analysis
Washington Irving, author of the short story "Rip Van Winkle," writes, "In a word, Rip [Van Winkle]
was ready to attend to anybody's business but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his
farm in order, he found it impossible" (10). Rip Van Winkle is the protagonist in this short story,
narrated by Diedrich Knickerbocker, which first appeared in 1819 in Irving's collection of stories,
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent (2). Irving sets the story in a small Dutch colonial
village near the Kaatskill Mountains and the Hudson River pre–Revolutionary War under King
George III of England (5, 26–28). Van Winkle lives with his wife, Dame Van Winkle, and his son
and daughter, Rip Van Winkle, Jr. and Judith, respectively. Dame Van Winkle is an extremely
henpecking wife; however, Van Winkle is very careless when it comes to caring for his family and
farm, which leads to his wife's nagging. Van Winkle eventually leaves home and meets strangers in
the woods, with whom he drinks liquor with; consequently, he ends up falling asleep for what he
will ultimately learn was twenty years. At this point, the setting changes to an independent United
States city post–Revolutionary War under a new flag and a new leader, President George
Washington (Irving 7–24). A negative person is someone who has a multitude of unpleasant traits;
contrarily, a positive person is a person who has mainly admirable characteristics. Judging a
character's attributes in a novel is tough, even if they

Symbolism In Rip Van Winkle
Washington Irving Rip Van Winkle, a short story written by Washington Irving, is set in the Dutch
culture of pre–Revolutionary war in New York and is based on a German folktale. Rip is a farmer
that goes into the Kaatskill mountains to get away from his wife but ends up drinking a strange
liquor, falls asleep, wakes up 20 years later to find out that the world around him has changed
dramatically including the death of his wife and his children growing up. In the story of Rip Van
Winkle, Irving intertwines history, myth, and popular culture of the Revolutionary war period.
Washington Irving created many representations throughout his short story of Rip Van Winkle about
the history of the Revolutionary War period. Washington Irving used ... Show more content on
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Rip, much like America during this period, was having trouble finding his identity throughout the
story and he finally finds it at the end of the story when his daughter finds him and takes him home
to live with her. Now Rip can enjoy his freedom, just like America is able to enjoy her freedom
(Pierce). Washington Irving also included mythical, supernatural, and Gothic elements into his short
story of Rip Van Winkle. We first begin to see this when describing the mountains, he says
"produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains" (Irving) and in the same
paragraph when he is describing the mountains he says, "at the foot of these fairy mountains"
(Irving). This is the first glimpse that we have of these elements in the story. Irving When Rip hears
his name being echoed in the woods but can "see nothing but a crow winging its solitary flight
across the mountain," (Irving, Rip Van Winkle) Irving touches on the supernatural being in the
woods also. The crow is crucial in the story because a crow represents the arrival of a trickster in
narrative literature. While Rip's name is being called out for the second time, "Wolf bristled up his
back, and giving a low growl, skulked to his master's side, looking fearfully down the glen" (Irving,
Rip Van Winkle) which gives us the sense that even his dog felt uneasy about what was going on
and that Rip should

What Is The Moral Of Rip Van Winkle
After the American Revolution there were many of the American people who were lost as to whom
they were now. There were two definite groups that had been created, those that were for the
revolution and those that were against. At the same time, there were some that had just ridden along
for the ride. When the revolution came to an end, there were people who were stuck in the middle
confused as to who they were and what being an American specifically meant. Washington Irving
shows this fear in his short story called "Rip Van Winkle". In this short story, he brings to life the
common fear and confusion that was among the people. Few were sure of who they were and who
was considered their friends or their enemies. I want to show how George ... Show more content on
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Thus he recapitulates the country's heady release from British rule, and consequent complications"
(218). Rip Van Winkle was faced with the same situation as America, he now had to find his place in
this unfamiliar world. He saw the whole world past quickly past him and now he had to deal with
the repercussions of the choice that he had made.
Irving next shows the unfamiliarity that the American people were facing with their new
surroundings. In Thomas B. Allen's "One Revolution Two Wars," Allen gives a detailed explanation
of how the American Revolution had divided the Nation. "There were truly and clearly two
Americans – one governed by the British military operating from New York and the other a group of
colonies in rebellion but not quite governed" (Allen). The nation had become divided between those
who would swear allegiance to the crown and those who would swear allegiance to America (Allen).
In Irving's story he shows how Rip suffers the same division in his own town. When he comes back
to his town he realizes that a statue of George Washington is now in the town square and the portrait
of his majesty King George the Third. People begin to question him and ask "whether he was a
federal or a democrat" (Baym 961). When he answered saying that he was a loyal subject to the
king, people began shouting, "A Tory! A Tory! A spy! A refugee! Hustle him! Away with him!"

Rip Van Winkle: Impacts On The Story
Rip Van Winkle: Impacts on the Story Born in 1783, Washington Irving was a first–generation
American. Starting in his teenage years, he discovered and embraced his talent for writing. One of
Irving's most memorable pieces was "Rip Van Winkle." Irving used characteristics that were
common to mythology authors to emphasize the folkloric theme. These characteristics are the
following: the story is set in the past in a remote place, the story is filled with exaggerated
characters, and the story features impressive, magical, and hysterical events and consequences.
These characteristics impact the story. Irving impacted the story and readers by setting the story in a
remote or exciting region or time. He starts describing the location by saying,

Rip Van Winkle: American Mythology
The great story "Rip Van Winkle" is an excellent example of an American Mythology. The three
characteristics of an American mythology is Set in the past, often in remote or exciting places and
times, Filled with remarkable, strange, or exaggerated characters, and Feature incredible, heroic,
impressive, magical, or mysterious events and their consequences. The first characteristic that I will
be talking about is set in the past, in a remote or exciting place. The story is set in the Kaatskill
Mountains. "An example from the story is They are a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian
family, and are seen away to the west of the river, swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over
the surrounding country." The little village inn. "A large rickety wooden building stood in its place,
with great ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Dutchman that Rip meets on the mountain. "He was a short square built old fellow, with thick
bushy hair, and a grizzled beard." Nicholas Vedder. "A patriarch of the village, and landlord of the
inn, at the door of which he took his seat from morning till night, just moving sufficiently to avoid
the sun, and keeping the shade of a large tree, so that the neighbors could tell the hour by his
movement as accurately as by a sun dial. His dog wolf. "True it is, in all points of spirits befitting an
honorable dog, he was as courageous an animal as ever scoured the woods–but what courage can
withstand the ever–during and all–besetting terrors of a women's tongue?" George the third. "Here
they used to sit in the shade, of a long lazy summer's day, talk listlessly over village gossip, or tell
endless sleepy stories about nothing. Derrick van Bummel. "The schoolmaster, a dapper learned
little man, who was not to be daunted by the most gigantic word in the dictionary, and how sagely
they would deliberate upon public events some months after they had taken

Examples Of Individualism In Rip Van Winkle
An Amazing Romantic Folktale Rip Van Winkle, a short story by Washington Irving, is a fascinating
Romantic folktale. But what are the elements that categorize this as a Romantic story? There are
actually many examples of Romanticism in this story. Three main examples of Romanticism are: the
story values individualism, there are strange and supernatural events, and nature plays a major role
in the plot. The first reason that Rip Van Winkle is a Romantic story is that it celebrates
individualism. Rip Van Winkle, the main character, does exactly what he wants to do. Admittedly, he
does not do much at all. His idleness causes his wife to constantly order him around. He ignores her
complaints and usually tries to avoid her. Rip is a somewhat selfish man because he does not really
seem to care much about his family and home. Despite this, everyone in the town admires him, and
they all despise his wife. "Certain it is, that he was a great favorite of all the good wives of the
village, who, as usual, with the amiable sex, took part in all his family squabbles; and never failed,
whenever they talked those matters over in evening gossip, to lay all the blame of Dame Van ...
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A supernatural event is anything that science or nature cannot explain. There are plenty of strange
happenings in Rip Van Winkle that definitely fit that description. For instance, when Rip is in the
woods he meets a strange man who takes him to a place where other men are bowling. All the men
are very unusual. "What seemed particularly odd to Rip was, that though these folks were evidently
amusing themselves, yet they maintained their grave faces...nothing interrupted the stillness of the
scene" (Irving 5). Without asking any questions, Rip pours himself a mysterious drink and watches
the men play ninepins. Later Rip learns that what he drank caused him to sleep for 20 years. This
whole interaction is so far–fetched that it is

Analysis Of Rip Van Winkle : Allegory
As Thomas Paine said "He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason
rebels against tyranny has a better title to Defender of the Faith, than George the Third." People
during the American revolution did not want to be under the tyranny from England anymore. At first
they started off complacent allowing England to do anything they wanted to them without fighting
back, but then they eventually fought back and got freedom In "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington
Irving the story is an allegory for the revolutionary war, the author uses imagery when talking about
nature and the story has a theme of tyranny vs freedom.
To begin, "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving is an allegory. The characters in the story
represent something. Rip's life is a metaphor for what happened before and after the Revolutionary
War. First of all Rip's complacency at the beginning of the story, giving into to his wife and letting
her control him represents America's complacency in giving into England and letting them control
them. Rip didn't want any responsibilities or anything to do. He was a very lazy person who was
fine being complacent and not doing anything or even caring about his own land. Rip Van Winkle's
wife Dame Van Winkle was a tyrant over him and always brought him down "her tongue was
incessantly going, and everything he said or did was going to produce torrent" (Irving 473). In the
same way Great Britain was a tyrant over America and always brought the

Rip Van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
Washington Irving book 'Rip Van Winkle' was written when the American Society was in a drastic
transformation. The Americans were struggling with establishing their identity. It was written to give
the Americans hope on being free of the English authority and embrace their identity and culture.
The central character Rip Van Winkle represents the struggle of the ancient America. The main
theme in the narrative mostly focuses on the American
Revolution. The American society was embracing the changes that were happening.
Rip Van Winkle describes how the revolution occurred through war, when the
Americans were under the English colony and before the English colonized America. Rip Van
Winkle is a lazy man who ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Rip symbolises the independent republic that is still struggling to establish its identity but has not
fully embraced freedom, self–rule, hard work, and sovereignty (Wyman 217). When he returns, and
his daughter cannot recognize him, he symbolises the new American that her compatriots failed to
connect strong ties with their past in the rush to gain freedom from the English rule. Rip was
considered a hero by the postcolonial America since he had the self–knowledge and cohesion
concerning its history and identity. He is the person who knew the country who knew it by heart:
"not a man, woman, or child in the area but knew it by heart" (Irving 10). The American Revolution
moment was embedded in politics that Rip did not understand. Rip was an uneducated ignorant
individual who did not understand the meaning of the terms Congress and liberty nor the variance
between the Democrats and the Federalists (Wyman 218). The American
Revolution makes Rip try to compare the world previously known to him and the one he had
awoken to; this proves that the revolution did not affect much liberty or development as it was
perceived. American Revolution makes Rip forget his son who was his namesake

Essay on Rip Van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle
In the late 1700's and early 1800's, literature began to show it was changing thanks to the newly
formed democracy in America. As is the case with any young government, many different interest
groups arose to attempt to mold the government according to their vision of democracy. Washington
Irving, a native New Yorker born in 1783, grew up in a world engulfed in these democratic ideals.
He grew up to be, as many would grow up in this atmosphere, a political satirist. This satirical
nature of Irving's shows up well in "Rip Van Winkle", as he uses historical allusions and symbolic
characters to mockingly compare colonial life under British rule to the democracy of the young
United States.
The reader assumes the appearance ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This mirrors the inactive role the governors took in every day life, and the colonist's considerable
respect for them. The relationship between the governors and Britain is illustrated perfectly by
Irving when Dame Van Winkle comes to the inn to collect her husband. "Nicholas Vedder himself,
scarred from the daring tongue of this terrible woman, who charged him outright with encouraging
her husband in habits of idleness. "(Irving 15) (6)While a characteristically influential man,
Nicholas is no match for the intimidation of Dame Van Winkle.
The turning point of the story occurs when Rip walks deep into the woods and encounters a
mysterious band of oddly dressed strangers with foreign customs. These strangers represent the
tribes of Indians who dwelled in villages outside the colonial settlements. In the short conscious
time Rip spends with them, he takes the time to notice a great deal about how their small town
works. Throughout their entire party, the group remained completely silent, although they were
definitely happy. This portrays the Indians apprehension to interact with the settlers. Rip also takes
note of a leader of the group. This leader wears a large, outlandish headpiece, and is shown to be a
respected elder of the group. The entire scene where Rip waits on them out of fear, parodies the
capturing and enslavement of the settlers by the Indians. This part of the story is a bit vague to the
reader. The little men

The Reflection Of Rip Van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle was a very interesting story. I liked the fact that Rip was this helpful amazing
person outside to the world, but when he got home it was a different side of his life. I also loved
how the story took a different toll. I thought when he had went with the little stranger it would be a
completely different turnout then it was. When Rip had woken up it was really neat to read the
changes that had went through the town he knew. His reactions and the time periods that he went
through was a really great way to twist this story This story was great to read. The main character
Rip, portrayed how people in the community are so helpful and look to be the ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
They had answered what he was wondering ever since he walked back into the village. "Ah! poor
man, Rip Van Winkle was his name, but it's twenty years since he went away from home.." (Page
22). The way parts of the story started falling together was fascinating. He showed how time goes on
even if there's not a specific person there. While doing so, Irving managed to incorporate history as
well. Which is what he is known to be, a historian. Washington Irving gave an adventurous, creative,
heartfelt short story. Rip Van Winkle had many conflicts through out the story it seems. One that
sicks out is Rip is always running away from something, whether it's his nagging wife or Dame Van
Winkle. He doesn't do much at home, and he doesn't give effort. His wife seems to be nagging
because he does everything for other people in the village, but he won't show any activity at home.
Then with Dame Van Winkle whenever he gets angry or upset Rip runs away and does some other
activity. Rip never faces things he should, or act upon things. Which then results into conflict for
him and the people surrounding.

Examples Of Allegory In Rip Van Winkle
From Lethargy to Liberty: Rip Van Winkle as a Revolutionary Allegory In his short story "Rip Van
Winkle", Washington Irving explores the differences between pre–Revolutionary and post–
Revolutionary America. Laced with the remnants of Dutch mythology, the short story "Rip Van
Winkle" takes place in a small Dutch–American town near the Catskill Mountains of New York.
From the outset of the short story, Irving introduces the protagonist, Rip Van Winkle, as a
lackadaisical older man, continuously distressed by his nagging wife. In an attempt to escape her
one day, he goes off into the woods and mysteriously falls asleep for twenty years. The
discrepancies between Rip's own time and the world in which he awakens exemplifies the changing
atmosphere ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In his pursuit, Rip observes a drawing, previously of King George, on the sign of the inn, "The red
coat was changed for one of blue and buff, a sword was stuck in the hand instead of a sceptre...and
underneath was painted in large characters, General Washington" (Irving 37). In these lines, Irving
employs a form of synecdoche, the "red coats" representing the British and the "blue and buff"
symbolizing the Americans. The description of the sign not only parallels the colors of their
uniforms, but also shows the transformation from one regime to another. Moreover, Irving's choice
of diction changing the royal "sceptre" to a "sword" shows the national transition from a monarchy
ruled by an entitled king to a democratic republic won by a war hero. Finally, Irving writes, "a lean
bilious looking fellow...was haranguing vehemently about the rights of citizens–election–members
of congress–liberty–Bunker's Hill–heroes of seventy six–and other words" (37). These words,
heralds of the revolution, are meaningless to Rip due to his time asleep. Rip must change to fit this
new world, just as the United States went through a period of adjustment after the Revolution.
Ultimately, Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" takes the form of an allegory, illustrating the atmosphere of
the United States following the Revolution. The conjunction of the metaphorical relationship
between Rip and his wife, the imagery of the changed town, and the necessity for Rip to adjust to
his new liberty, mirror the promise of progress and freedom from the Revolution. Superficially "Rip
Van Winkle" represents change, yet just below the surface lies an insight into the revolutionary

Rip Van Winkle is a man that does good for others, but can't make a profit for himself. In the book
"Rip Van Winkle" by Irving the setting is a Dutch Village in the mountains, during the
Revolutionary war. Rip is married to a nagging wife, and has a child named Judith. Rip was
unhappy with his life especially his wife. "Times grew worse and worse with Rip as years of
matrimony rolled on; a tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edged
tool that grows keener with constant use" (Irving 406). When rip would do his best, and would even
help his neighbors Dame Van Winkle would still nag, and yell at him. When Rip fell asleep for
twenty years he had a lot of negative things in his life at the time. Rip had his crazy nagging wife,
the Revolutionary War was going on, and he had an inability to make money despite his efforts. An
example from the text that shows how negative his wife was is this quote, "His wife kept continually
dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family.
Morning, noon, and night, her tongue was incessantly going, and everything he said or did was sure
to produce a torrent of household eloquence." (Irving 405). Due to the fact that he had all of these
circumstances weighting him down when he fell asleep, we can only imagine his confusion and
excitement when he woke up and his circumstances were no longer. Fleming 2 Though the nagging
Dame seems little in the whole picture of the book, she had a big affect on Rip. As a result of the
continuous nagging, he always felt that he was inadequate. In the book they used words like "poor
Rip" and "Unlucky" to show us that he had it bad, but also to get sympathy from us. Maybe a reason
that he never did a lot around his own house was because of the fact that his wife would never
approve of his work. It is very evident that the nagging wife had a big impact on Rip. When he woke
up and realized that Dame van Winkle had passed years ago, there was no grieving or any sign of
sadness and loss. This quote shows how Rip feels after finding about his wife, "There was a drop of
comfort." (Irving 413). To me this is an understatement of how he was feeling. Sometimes in

Literary Analysis Of Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" is a classic American Mythological story that tells the tale of a man who sleeps
for twenty years after drinking a mysterious drink. Rip Van Winkle is a very lazy, American man
who one day, ventures off into the woods with his dog named Wolf. While in the woods, he finds a
group of men playing Skittles and drinking liquor in the middle of an amphitheater. He joins them,
and drinks some of their alcohol, but he soon passes out. When he awakens, twenty years have
passed, and he missed the Revolutionary War, his children growing up, and even his wife passing
away. What characteristics make this folklore such a classic fable in American literature? The story
is set in the past, features exaggerated and strange characters, and ... Show more content on
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Exaggerated characters are a very important aspect of a mythological tale, and there are many
characters in "Rip Van Winkle" that are exaggerated and strange. One of the first strange characters
is Wolf, but Wolf is a dog, despite his name. Wolf is described as a courageous and loyal companion
to Rip, but Wolf's courage does not stand up to Rip's wife, Dame Van Winkle. She hates Wolf, but
this hatred is ultimately exaggerated. "True it is, in all points of spirit befitting an honorable dog, he
was as courageous an animal as ever scoured the woods– but what courage can withstand the ever–
during and all–besetting terrors of a woman's tongue?" (pg. 11) He is described as letting his tail
hang between his legs when he is in Dame's presence.
Another strange and exaggerated character is Nicholas Vedder, the inn keeper of the town. He would
sit in the shade of a tree, and as the day went on he would move just enough to keep out of the
sunlight, and the towns people would use him as a clock based on where he is under the tree. These
exaggerated characters provide comedy to the tales, and some ways for readers to relate to the
characters themselves. They are important to the story because they provide some details of how the
small town works as well. One of the most important aspects of a mythological story are the magical
and mysterious events.

Feminism In Rip Van Winkle
Modern critics mainly declare Washington Irving as the remarkable American writer, who creates a
verily American genre of the short story. However, Irving's short story Rip Van Winkle from "The
Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.," sets a considerable debate among critics relating to the
author's attitude toward gender problems. As many critics arguing, especially female ones, the
women in Rip Van Winkle are not described as nice. Rip's wife portrays as a grumbling woman,
who is always fighting with her husband. As a result of this kind of representation, some critics
accuse Irving with anti–feminism attitude. For example, Judith Fetterley begins her book The
Resisting Reader: A Feminist Approach to American Fiction, with the analysis of the famous
nineteenth–century literary works. She investigates those literary works in order to justify the need
for changing the practice of reading. The concept of the "resisting reader" consists in the resistance
of the reader from the imposed literary structures, assessments, and interpretations of the text, i.e. in
emancipation from male dominance. She starts her book with the feminist interpretation of
Washington's Rip Van Winkle. She classifies this story as the representation of "life in an all–male
world, a world without women, the ideal American territory" (Fetterley, 6). She describes the
character of Rip Van Winkle as a carefree person, who is not participating in domestic duties, and
who would rather prefer the life

Rip Van Winkle Research Paper
Rip Van Winkle is about a man who's in the time period of the 1800's and falls asleep for many years
just to walk up with no one that he knew still alive although the entire town remembers what
happened to him. It features the paranormal and describes the men (ghosts) who had let him drink
their whiskey which made him pass out describing one of them as incredibly tall. Rip Van Winkle is
a great novel that is filled with remarkable, strange, and exaggerated characters, set in the past, and
feature mysterious events and what the consequences are.
Rip Van Winkle is full of paranormal events and men who turned out to be ghosts. "He bore on his
shoulders a stout keg, that seemed full of liquor, and made signs for Rip to approach and assist him

Rip Van Winkle Intuition
The story "Rip Van Winkle" holds tons of American Romanticism elements as if it's a chest for
them. To the naked eye, it might be difficult to see. With the naked eye and some close reading
though, it's lesser of a problem. This story elaborates the elements with the introduction of Rip Van
Winkle, and a piece of his life. From his pain of a wife and companion as a dog, to the drink with
the gnomes that induced him into a deep–sleep, it will reveal plenty of elements that correlate well
with each other in the manner of literature and the make believe of fiction.
One element in "Rip Van Winkle" is feeling and intuition. Feeling and intuition flow throughout this
story as one of the most utilized elements. "Rip Van Winkle" included plenty of instances; it isn't
hard to miss. For example, Rip Van Winkle "assisted at their sports, made their playthings, taught ...
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Rip Van Winkle went through a drastic habitat change. He lost his home, wife, and all his old friends
while he was left behind. He 'slept' for 20 years. Sounds pretty imaginative to me. For example, the
author scribed, "the constant recurrence of this gesture induced Rip involuntarily to do the same,
when to his astonishment he found his beard had grown a foot long." This quote describes how Rip
Van Winkle discovered his beard was 1 foot longer than before his deep slumber. How is this
possible? Simply, it is not possible. It is pure imagination. This led from one thing to the next. For
example, as Rip was contemplating whether he was real or not, "I'm not myself, I'm somebody else–
that's me– yonder–no–that's somebody else got into my shoes–I was myself last night." He
hysterically said these things in response to the disbelief of his grown beard, rusty firelock, and
grimy face. He wonders where the time went, because he knew who he was before he slept, and now
that he has awoken, he doesn't know what to

Analysis Of The Book ' Rip Van Winkle '
Rip Van Winkle is a confusing national identity story written in the 1819(IRVING 467). It's a time in
history when America was developing and changing as a nation. The twist of the story makes the
dialogue kind of confusing but it all makes sense at the end. It's very interesting how the story takes
place. In the beginning of the story Washington Irving describes the nature in a quote by stating,
"Whoever has a voyage up the Hudson, must remember the Catskill Mountains. They are a
dismembered branch of the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river,
swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country." (IRVING 471) Which
means the story takes place in the Catskill Mountains (a range in southern eastern New York) I'm
assuming there home is in the mountains as well. They describe more about the house on page
(Irving 472) the end of the second paragraph beginning of the third. Describing the house saying
".... With lattice windows, gable fronts surmounted with weathercocks, and built of small yellow
bricks brought from Holland. In the same village, and in one of these very house..."(IRVING 473)
The house seems a little outdated and run down from the description. I'm picturing a home that is
similar to the house in Little House on the Prairie surrounded by a forest full of all types of animals.
The story is presented as America is on a blank slate. Does not stand for anything yet except maybe
rebellion but that means distinctive

American mythology emerged at a time when Washington Irving wrote an exaggerated story about a
character named Rip Van Winkle and his strange adventure. While some might consider Rip a hero,
ultimately, Irving's main character is not one to be envied. Instead of telling a story about a noble
American who helped forge American life during this period, Irving tells a story about a strange,
likeable, little man who lives his life very differently than the men of the time. Rip's contribution to
society is very narrow and yet becomes a myth to the village because he sleeps for 20 years – right
through the American Revolutionary War. Part of the allure of this story is that Irving makes readers
question whether they are reading factual history or something of fiction. Washington Irving's tale of
Rip Van Winkle emerges as an American Mythology as his story captures the imagination with its
unique setting, its strange but likeable character, and its mysterious, if not mystical events.
First, Washington Irving's story of Rip Van Winkle is a mastery of imagery, creating a panoramic
view in the mind's eye of the geographical setting during the 1700's, right before the Revolutionary
War. Irving captures the beauty of the region, the rugged wilderness, the colors of the sky against the
Kaatskill Mountains and the river running through it. He describes the Kaatskills as a "dismembered
part of the Appalachians"– an area that is remote and separated from the rest of the world. One

How Is Rip Van Winkle A Hero
Rip Van Winkle is an ineffectual male hero who cannot support his farm or family. Instead of facing
the consequences of his idleness and facing his wife, who certainly makes the problem worse
instead of better, he sleeps for twenty years. Finally, he is of such an age that his idleness is
excusable and allowed. This makes him an antithesis to the American dream. He has no ambition, he
does not work hard for himself, and he does not rise above where he began. He just likes to chat and
have friends.He also sleeps through what was the defining moment of American history, and upon
waking, he does not even care. This develops him as the American anti–hero, for he takes no part in
the country's founding or history. His story makes sense as more of an Old World story, one that the
Dutch settlers, in their relatively old village, can retell. The story also shows that great historical
events are often less important than the daily happenings in an individual's life. The only oppressor
Rip Van Winkle cares about having overcome is his wife. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
She is constantly berating Rip Van Winkle, even though everyone else in the neighborhood adores
him. We only ever see her worst side, except for the one comment made after she has died that she
always kept the house in good order. Her criticism of her husband, if far too strong, is nevertheless
deserved. He has completely failed in his role as husband, father, and breadwinner, leaving his
family in near ruin. The husband is an extreme form of deadbeat and the wife an extreme form of
nagging, a state of affairs which appears to be a lesson and warning for Irving's male and female
readers alike. The husbands should learn to be more industrious and attentive, and the wives should
learn to be less antagonistic and more understanding lest they drive their husbands further

Rip Van Winkle Literary Analysis
Could you imagine sleeping for twenty years? The story Rip Van Winkle has the characteristics of
mythical stories. These characteristics include being set in the past in a beautiful setting, having
strange or exaggerated characters, and featuring mysterious events with consequences.
Rip Van Winkle is set in the past with an interesting setting. Being set in the late eighteenth century
in the Catskill Mountains, Irving uses imagery to visualize vivid colors and pictures. Irving
describes that the sunsets "will glow and light up like a crown of glory," which provides a majestic
image of the sun (p. 62). It Is also described that the mountains are magical. The mountains are said
to change in hues and shape depending on the weather, season, and

Rip Van Winkle Essay
The small Dutch town that Rip Van Winkle resides in isn't far from the Catskill Mountains and runs
along the River that they call Hudson. Mountains shadow the town and the clouds hang over the
hills. Everyone and everything in the town love the man, Rip Van Winkle, except for his irritating
wife, who makes his like horrid and miserable. He isn't able to take care of his own house and farm
but if you need a job done in your house or farm, he's the man to come to. He loves helping others
and offering a hand wherever he can. He doesn't even have any of the Old Dutch traits that make
them hard workers and determined. He just loves to be a helping hand. He spends most of his time
at the inn, until his wife comes to "get him" but when this happens ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The town looks different, unrecognizable almost, in the beginning Rip thinks that the keg messed
with his head, because he can not find his place of dwelling, but even when he does find it, it is in a
state of decay and worn. The inn's sign was changed to someone carrying the name General
Washington. The men who are conversing under the sign accuse him of trying to make trouble
because he came armed to an election. When he asks where his old friends are, they seemed to have
moved away or have been dead for twenty years. A woman then pushed through the crowd to look at
Rip. She then asks for her father, claiming that she is his daughter. Rip then realizes it is his
daughter Judith and asks for his wife, her mother. Judith then tells his that se died because she broke
a blood vessel. Another woman, an older one, claims that she knows him, and the men at the inn
shook their heads, but a descendent of the village confirms Rip's story. He confirms that the same
thing happened to one of his ancestors, named, Hendrick Hudson and his crew of men comes to and
fro the mountains every twenty years. They told the same story about the band of short men and
their playing of

What Is Rip Van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle is thought to be one of America's most famous fictional stories. But further
investigation has proven that there may be more to the story than just a senile man who sleeps
twenty years of his life away. It was written back in the age when fiction was a dangerous subject.
Reading it "might excite the passions and fancies of impressionable readers, but they could also
seduce naïve ones, or harbor subversive propaganda between their pages." Sara Wilman disputes
that while we must move on with our future, we must not forget the past and just sleep it away, not
knowing all the processes that has taken place to become what we are now. She states "For a
prosperous and productive present depends on a knowledge of, and connection to, the past." Wilman
seems to criticize the fact that while Rip has slept most of the "revolutionary war" away, and the
only thing that he even notes has change is his beard length. Walking though the town nonchalantly,
recognizing that there has been change, but not seeming to worry much with anything other than the
fact of unfamiliar faces, and then coming out of the process like a hero. She explains "The story
rewards this unlikely hero, despite his irresponsible behavior, his lack of work ethic, and his veiled
ambivalence about revolutionary ideals, revealed by his trouble in reading the signs around him."
What she is trying to say is that here we are feeling sympathy for someone who is carefree about
major changes in the

Analysis Of The Book ' Rip Van Winkle '
For the latter part of the last two centuries, generations of people around the world have read or
heard of the tale of the man who slept for two decades known as "Rip Van Winkle". This short story
was originally published in a book called "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." by
American author Washington Irving under the pseudonym "Geoffrey Crayon. Irving used effective
writing to show the reader every detail needed to understand where and what is going on especially
during the transitioning periods of before the American Revolution to the aftermath. Some
generalize this story as a simple story of a man who slept for two decades, however what if the
theme of this story is truly about the stages of depression suffered by the main character. This could
be insinuated by Washington Irving in certain aspects of the character and the story itself of "Rip
Van Winkle". "Rip Van Winkle" tells the story of a man who was "observed that he was a simple
good natured man" (Rip Van Winkle 30), who spent most of his time helping others and very little
time helping himself. The story took place in the late 1700's in a small village near the Hudson
River around the Kaatskill Mountains where it began around a time where Great Britain still had
control of the colonies and it lasted until after the eventual American Revolution. Irving wrote the
story in a way that it could be narrated by a fictional character Diedrich Knickerbocker that he
created, who also acted as the narrator for

Research Paper On Rip Van Winkle
One of the first myths of America is "Rip Van Winkle". "Rip Van Winkle" gives us a very magical
and beautiful setting to imagine and exaggerated characters and events to make the readers laugh
and enjoy reading the story. The characters make the story more familiar and human and the events
make the story memorable and fun to read. Although "Rip Van Winkle" is an older story, readers
today still read and enjoy it.
"Rip Van Winkle" is set in a very magical and remote place, the Kaatskill Mountains and for the
most part the story is focused in the past. The quote, "Every change of season, every change of
weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of
these mountains," makes the Kaatskill Mountains seem like a beautiful and magical place. Other
quotes like,"They are a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian family." and "...which held its
sessions on a bench before a small inn, designated by a rubicund portrait of His Majesty George the
Third," shows that "Rip Van Winkle" is set in the past and is an isolated village. But the mountains
weren't only magical in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One such character is Derrick Van Bummel, the schoolmaster. "[He is] a dapper learned little man,
who was not to be daunted by the most gigantic word in the dictionary..." He has several contrasting
and exaggerated qualities, namely his short stature and his large ego and knowledge. But the most
exaggerated character is Rip Van Winkle himself. Several quotes from "Rip Van Winkle" show Rip
to be a lazy person. "...Rip's composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable
labor...would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound....would have whistled life away in
perfect contentment..." His laziness was one of the most exaggerated characteristics in the story, a
characteristic even more exaggerated by his 20 year long

A Summary Of Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" is an old short story written and published in 1819 by Washington Irving while he
was living in England. This tale was based on the history of the province of New York in America
while it was controlled by Dutch governors. The tale takes place sometime during or just after the
French and Indian War when the 13 American colonies where still a part of the British Empire. This
was one of the many tales that helped create the American mythology that exists today. There are
three aspects that make this tale a mythical story are that it is set in the past, in a remote part of
America, the strange series of events that occurs in the story, and the exaggerated characters that
exist in this tale.
This story takes place at "a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian Mountains" known as the
Kaatskill Mountains. This location is, at least in the first half of the story, remote, populated by a
small village of farmers and a local tavern with at most a few hundred people. This village is
surrounded by mountains and woodland. With the time period this story takes place in, this village is
isolated from the rest of civilization and the village itself is probably a recent settlement at the time.
In this time period, the villagers here considered themselves loyal subjects of the king, proud to be a
part of the British Empire. After Rip Van Winkle wakes up from his 20–year slumber, the village is
filled with people who now consider themselves an independent, free people of

Commentary On ' Rip Van Winkle '
Washington Irving uses humor throughout his short story, "Rip Van Winkle." His humor is of a
primarily satirical nature. This story is about a man who is fooled by a stranger and falls asleep for
twenty years. The man awakens to a world that is completely different. Irving's satire exists within
the details of the ensuing plot; his wit is clever and subtle throughout. Overall, one can examine and
analyze the many scenes of "Rip Van Winkle" that consist of Irving's intriguing sense of humor.
Irving addresses the so–called "credibility" of the story of "Rip Van Winkle" in the introduction. The
story is based off of the knowledge of a man named Diedrich Knickerbocker, who was known to
possess curious research about the history of the region. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Through this, he teaches the valuable and age–old lesson of not to believe everything one may hear.
Irving comically discusses a group of men that Rip Van Winkle is a part of. Rip seeks this band of
men out when he becomes exasperated by the circumstances of his life. The group is described as,
"...a perpetual club of the sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village..." (Irving
474). Irving even goes on to describe the group as a "junto." His tone can be described as sarcastic,
because the men in the group are not actually sages and philosophers; the men are only common
people. Additionally, the group did not discuss anything of true importance. The men simply discuss
hearsay and superficial musings (Irving 474). Irving describes the schoolmaster as, "...a dapper
learned little man, who was not to be daunted by the most gigantic word in the dictionary..." (474).
This description stands out as funny and can be described as satirical. Irving seems to be mocking
this man. One possible reason explaining why Irving is satirizing this group is that he is attempting
to describe how the members of the group consider themselves. They view their association as high
class and philosophical, but, in truth, they are not. They think that they are of more importance than
they actually are. Therefore, Irving could be poking fun at their haughty attitude of themselves;

Analysis Of Rip Van Winkle
A Winkle in Time "For years, I would notice my neighbor in his garage every day working for hours
on end on his Jeep. Finally, one day I went out to him and asked, 'Can I help you fix up your car? I
see you working on it all the time.' The man looks up at me and replies, 'My Jeep's not broken, I just
hate my family.'" This example from the comedy series, "The Tonight Show" lays the ground for the
American myth of Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle. Irving's myth of the man who slept for
twenty years is regarded as one of the first American mythologies in the young nation's history. The
myth Rip Van Winkle displays to the reader not only a variety of colorful settings, magical beings,
and humorous characters in a young nation, but touches on lessons on consequences of laziness,
bravery, and the need to better oneself for the ones they love. The setup of Rip Van Winkle in its
prologue starts the myth with details of strange characters and colorful settings. The story begins,
"The following tale was found among the papers of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker... who was very
curious in the Dutch history of the province, and the manner of the descendants from its primitive
settlers." Irving draws readers in first with descriptions of the eccentric Diedrich Knickerbocker, the
fictional Dutch writer of Rip Van Winkle's story in his historical record keeping. The Dutchman's
initial alleged involvement in the story begins to make the reader feel as if they are about to read a
matter of

Rip Van Winkle Allegory
Washington Irving's story of "Rip Van Winkle" is an allegory of the American Revolutionary War
and the formation of a new nation. Just as Rip Van Winkle struggled to find his freedom and
identity, the new nation also struggled to find their own freedom and identity. In this story, the
character of Rip Van Winkle represents the colonies, Dame Van Winkle represents England, and the
villagers represent the American citizens. Irving contrasts conditions before and after the
Revolutionary War, and concludes that since obtaining freedom from England, the citizens of
America are more prosperous and engaged in government as they search for a new identity in the
formation of a new nation. Rip Van Winkle, just like the colonies, was viewed by others ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He immediately notices the difference in a once dry gully that had changed into "a mountain stream
was now foaming down it, leaping from rock to rock, and filling the glen with babbling murmurs"
(49). This foretells of a fuller, better life than the old one. Although Rip's house was abandoned and
in ruins and his wife was dead, the village was larger, with more people and houses. This indicates
that the new nation without England's authority was more prosperous, even though some aspects
were ruined in the process of war. Irving writes, "The very character of the people seemed changed.
There was a busy, bustling, disputatious tone about it, instead of the accustomed phlegm and drowsy
tranquility" (51). Some readers may argue that the new nation is not as good as the colonies because
life is faster paced and people are more involved rather than a more relaxed society, however life is
more lively and full. There is more ambition and interest in life and government, as opposed to the
apathy that existed before the revolution. While no longer tranquil, there was more engagement
from the citizens. Instead of old newspapers, men were talking about citizen's rights and elections.
Instead of idle speeches, Rip found a man "....haranguing vehemently about rights of citizens –
elections – members of congress – liberty – Bunker's Hill – heroes of seventy–six–and other words,
which were a perfect Babylonish jargon to the bewildered Van Winkle" (52). Although initially
bewildered by the new changes, Rip enjoys the peace in his new freedom and eventually goes to live
with his daughter in her nice home, and finds happiness and respect. He "took his place once more
on the bench at the inn door, and was reverenced as one of the patriarchs of the village, and a
chronicle of the old times 'before the war'" (56). Before the war, Rip was known as a lazy man with
a wife that constantly nagged, but after the war, he

John Irving's Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle was inspired by German legends the general plot of the story was a man who
mysteriously sleep for twenty years find himself in a changed world. It has all the fixings of a great
story a nagging wife, dogs, gun, ghost, liquor and long graybeards. The story starts before the
American Revolution when King George's ruling the colonies, Irving explains that Rip was a pretty
good men he is friendly and people in town tend to like him if someone needs an extra hand Rip was
always ready to lend one". The quote " The appearance of Rip, with his long grizzled beard, his
rusty fowling piece, his uncouth dress, and the army of women and children that has gathered at his
heels, soon attracted the attention of the tavern politicians. They ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
They were free to govern their own course of development, however some of them had their own
identity in this new country. During that time the new born America has no history and tradition
while Europe has a great one assembled for thousands of years. In order to solve this problem,
Irving borrows an old European story to make it take place in America. This story related to the
Dutch colonists. The quote "On the other side he looked down into the deep mountain glen, wild,
lonely, and shagged, the bottom filled with fragments from the impending cliffs, and scarily lighted
by the reflected rays of the setting sun." (Norton Anthology American Literature, page 33). He
describes the mountains that will glow and light up like a crown of glory" Rip Van Winkle only to
show that America has formed its own identity, no one can cut its connection with Europe. When
America was still under arbitrary of the British rule, some people still cannot cut the blood
relationship with Europe. Therefore, the American identity was unable to see by their relationship
with Europe since then.
Rip wan Winkle was a great man. He would love to help people in the community. After being
asleep for twenty years and due to the drinking habit he had no chance to engaged in the social and
political change in the country. I think that when he stop sleeping and woke up he found that
America has won the revolutionary war and the

Identity In Rip Van Winkle
Identity is what defines people. It is every aspect of life that range from culture to religious beliefs,
friends and family, every of it makes a piece of an individual's personal identity. In fact, it is
completely normal for people to feel lost while searching for their identity. Washington Irving,
America's first writer, is best known by his famous short story "Rip Van Winkle" which emphasizes
in the struggle of finding a new identity after the American Revolution because of the characters that
appear, the symbolism, and the setting where the story is placed.
The first reason about why "Rip Van Winkle" is about the struggle finding an identity is because of
the characters that appear. Rip Van Winkle, the protagonist in the short story, is ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Before the American Revolution, people used to have determined beliefs, traditions and
government, but after the war, society was confused. For example, the website saylor.org stated,
"Politically, the American Revolution carried significant and historic consequences ... established a
republican form of government out of what had been a monarchical and colonial political system. It
altered the position of American people from being subjects of the British crown to citizens and
political participants of a republic" (How Revolutionary Was The American Revolution?). Now,
people had more freedom and the ability to express their thoughts on what they wanted for their
country. As a result, people was struggling to leave old habits. The symbolism in this quote
emphasizes how America had to adapt: "Rip now resumed his old walks and habits; he soon found
many of his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of time; and preferred
making friends among the rising generation, with whom he soon grew into great favor" (Irving,
1014). This quote is of great importance because it shows the reader that Rip Van Winkle himself
represents the old country. Since all the news about the revolution and his family happened so fast to
him, he does not know how to deal with them. For this reason, he kept his "old habits", while at the
same time, he adapted to his environment. Given these points, "Rip Van Winkle" can be analyzed as
a story about the struggle for identity because of the

Rip Van Winkle Metaphors
Dame Van Winkle or Lady Liberty?
Washington Irving's short story "Rip Van Winkle" is a way to understand how society had changed
at the time of the American Revolution. At this time the American people, were struggling with
finding their own identity. Irving uses his main character, Rip Van Winkle, to symbolize the struggle
of early America. Irving uses metaphors in the story "Rip Van Winkle" to display the changes the
American society went through during this time period.
Washington Irving's tale Rip Van Winkle is about a man named Rip Van Winkle, who lived in a
small town. Everyone in the town was very fond of Rip because he was always eager to help anyone
and everyone, which ended up being his downfall on his walk through the mountains, ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
When Rip arrives to the town his only worry on his mind is the mouth lashing he will receive from
the wife. Rip arrives in the town shocked when he finds the image of King George III replaced by
George Washington. As Rip continues through the town he becomes confused, unable to understand
the current election process that is occurring, when he is questioned by townspeople as to "which
side he voted?" (7). The author states, " 'I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal
subject of the king, God bless him!" (7). After hearing that Rip Van Winkle was a loyalist the
townspeople feared the old ways and became extremely angry with Rip. One main issue of the story
was one of identity, especially at this time in history. The citizens of America, twenty years after Rip
Van Winkle finally awoke, found their identity.. Rip, who was having difficulty finding himself
throughout the story, finally finds his identity when his daughter finds him and takes him home to
live with her. Rip Van Winkle is told his wife has long been dead. With the overbearing authority
Dame Van Winkle gone, Rip Van Winkle is able live the rest of days happy. Rip, much like America,
could now enjoy the new freedom that he deserved. Not only that, but the irony in his named alone.
'Rip' being a play on words, rest in

Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," is a short story that illustrates parts of the American
Revolution. Main character Rip Van Winkle falls asleep in the forest, and doesn't awake until twenty
years later, only to realize the world is much different than he remembers. Rip's wife was a shrewish
woman, and often her constant nagging forced him to spend much time away from home. He would
take long walks throughout the woods with his closest companion, his dog Wolf. One day, Van
Winkle decided to go for a hunt with his dog Wolf so they set out to the mountains. When evening
began to fall Rip realized that darkness would fall soon, so he rested underneath a tree. The next day
as he begins to set out for home Rip hears someone calling his name. He proceeded to find an old
man carrying a barrel on his back, so Van Winkle gives him a hand. Throughout their travels they
come up a group of odd–looking men that the old man seemed to know. They went on to play
ninepin for a while. The old man offered Rip a drink from the barrel, and they drank until Rip found
himself in a deep sleep and doesn't awake until twenty years later. When Rip Van Winkle to what he
thinks it's the next morning he realizes that somethings are not the same. He notices that his body
aches, but doesn't pay it much attention. He calls out for his dog Wolf, but does not get a response.
He proceeds on his journey back home to his village, and realizes that things are nothing as he
remembered. He doesn't remember

Symbolism In Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" published in May 1819 by Washington Irving who was an out of the box author
whose work was mostly humorous and in that time, it wasn't very accepting. This story shows how
America was under the influence of King George and how this man lived most of his life under the
rule of King George and he goes out into the woods and wakes up twenty years in the future a free
man. His wife is a whinnying woman who just criticized him morning, noon, and evening and if it
weren't for her he would live his live freely and happy. However, this story symbolizes the
Revolutionary War and his wife, Dame Van Winkle, represents King George the third and Rip Van
Winkle represents the United States. When the United States was trying to become a country, it was
very underestimated by the bigger countries because it was only thirteen colonies and it was
considered laughable to other countries. In the story Rip represents the colonies by being very
friendly, childish, and naive. For example, when Rip is in the forest about to leave and this strange,
nameless man starts calling his name and instead of running the other direction goes up to him and
tries to help. "If left to himself, he would have whistled life way, in perfect contentment; but his wife
kept continually dining his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and ruin he was bring on
family" Irving 32. He wants to be free from the tyranny of his wife, so he can live freely. The United
States wanted to be free from King

The Great Error In Rip Van Winkle
In order to name people who are like Rip Van Winkle we should know more about Rip Van Winkle.
Rip is a person who would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound, and he takes the world
easy. In the book on page 311 it says "The great error in Rip's composition was an insuperable
aversion to all kinds of profitable labor.", and it is saying Rip had a distaste for all kind of gainful
jobs. Rip was ready to join everyone else business, but not to his own. His family duty and the
keeping of his farm in order suffered. The book goes on to describe the rough shape of his farm, and
how his fence was continually falling to pieces. Also his cow would go astray, or get among the
cabbages; weeds were sure to grow quicker in his field. Even Rip's children were shabby and wild;
it's said that his son promised to inherit the habit, with the old cloths of his ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Rip's wife always hammering in his ears about his sluggishness, his carelessness, and the ruin he
was bringing on his family. It's kind of funny because it was really hard to think of people with the
Rip Van Winkle stereotype, but then it finally came to me Homer Simpson from the Simpson.
Homer is lazy and ignorant to what is going on in the world. His wife marge is always nagging him
about taking care of things at home and his son Bart is taking on his dad bad habits. One episode
that comes to mind is where marge is nagging homer about talking to Bart because is put himself
and other in danger by playing with construction vehicles. Also the Simpson movie comes to mind
also because Homer didn't empty out his pig seller the right way, and marge constantly nagged
homer about emptying the seller the right way. Since Homer didn't listen to his wife it ultimately
ended up bringing destruction to his home. Next person that comes to mind is Ancient Greek
philosopher Diogenes who was thought to be homeless. He begged or stole for what he needed,
which is like Rip who would starve than work pound for

Rip Van Winkle
Freedom brings happiness. This is a major message shown in the story Rip Van Winkle. Rip Van
Winkle is about a man who slept through the American Revolution for twenty years. During those
twenty years he slept, his village and the whole country underwent a major change that affected the
future of America. Written during the early 1800s when American literature was heavily influenced
by the Europeans, Washington Irving portrays America's search for an identity through one of the
first true American literature, Rip Van Winkle, using elements and characteristics of the literary era
of American Romanticism.
Washington Irving was born on April 3, 1783 to wealthy parents as the youngest of eleven. His older
brothers influenced Irving's taste ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Before the American Revolution, the the villagers, usually the men, would sit in an inn gossiping
about village events. After the American Revolution, instead of gossiping about village events, they
gossip about politics and politicians. America's ruler changed from a king to a president. These
critical changes did not interest him. Although he did accept the fact that the people he was familiar
with are gone, he chose to not conform to this "new" country.
Washington Irving uses symbolism in Rip Van Winkle to showcase how the the American
Revolution impacted the American society and their future. Rip Van Winkle represented America,
and his wife represented England. Rip Van Winkle was controlled by his wife, much like how
America was controlled by England. When America finally broke away from England's control,
Americans found happiness in their freedom which led them to gradually find their own identity,
including their literature identity. When Rip Van Winkle gained freedom from the death of his wife,
he was finally able to be happy, to be at peace, and to be able to do as he wishes. Overall, Rip Van
Winkle symbolizes how Americans are what they are today, because they finally gained the freedom
to create their own

Rip Van Winkle Essay
The American Revolution: one of the most significant events in history. It completely affected
everyone living in that time– including people from outside the nation. But yet, one man was able to
sleep through it and wake up in an entirely different nation. Washington Irving's story "Rip van
Winkle" is about a man who went to the forests of the Kaatskill Mountains (now known as the
Catskill Mountains) in the Appalachians. He met some weird creatures there and somehow fell
asleep for 20 years. When he woke up, he learned about what happened and he knew that his life
would completely change. The setting in this story plays a very important role. In "Rip van Winkle",
Washington Irving uses the setting to foretell certain elements and parts of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It completely affected everyone living in that time– including people from outside the nation. But
yet, one man was able to sleep through it and wake up in an entirely different nation. Washington
Irving's story "Rip van Winkle" is about a man who went to the forests of the Kaatskill Mountains
(now known as the Catskill Mountains) in the Appalachians. He met some weird creatures there and
somehow fell asleep for 20 years. When he woke up, he learned about what happened and he knew
that his life would completely change. The setting in this story plays a very important role. In "Rip
van Winkle", Washington Irving uses the setting to foretell certain elements and parts of the story.
The initial description of the Kaatskill Mountains already implies different things about the story.
The Kaatskill mountains were described as "perfect barometers" (p.155). It was known that "every
hour of the day produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains" (p.155).
These descriptions imply the eccentricity of the story that the reader was about to read. Imagine,
why would a mountain change its shape because of the weather? However, that fact that it "[lords]
over the surrounding country" (p.155) grounds the story into the real

Within Washington Irving's story "Rip Van Winkle", Irving depicts an early British colonist by the
name of Rip. Rip although the descendant of the chivalrous Van Winkles does not like to perform
arduous tasks. Irving illustrates this within the text stating, " Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of
those happy mortals, of foolish, well– being oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white
bread or brown, whichever can be got with the least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a
penny than work for a pound." ( Irving 32) This highlights the indifferent attitude Rip has when it
comes to results in life as well as his desire to avoid work. Rip is somewhat odd in this respect,
however, because he is always willing to give help to his friends, but not work for his family, he
lives a life of sorrow at the hand of his griping wife, Dame Van Winkle. Rip spends most of his time
discussing politics and events at the local inn, where even there he cannot escape the heckling of his
wife. Often time Rip also takes trips into the woods with his dog, wolf, although one day while
taking his usual stroll, he encounters a short man with a grizzled beard who asks for his assistance.
Rip agrees and helps the man, they meet up with others to drink and this leads to Rip becoming
inebriated to the point of exhaustion. Rip falls asleep and wakes up the next morning unsure what
had exactly happened in the woods. He finds that his gun has been rusted and thinks, "...[S]uspected
that the grave roysters of the mountain had put a trick upon him, and having dosed him with liquor,
had robbed him of his gun." ( Irving 35) When Rip goes into town, he is not recognized by the
townspeople, he meets his daughter, Judith Gardinier who informs him of the death of his wife as
well as the American Revolution. To this news Rip is reassured, Rips daughter allows him to live
with her and her fiance and now Rip is able to do the things he enjoyed doing when he was younger
as a result of his old age. At first, everyone is in shock at the story of Rip Van Winkle but then one
Peter Vanderdonk vouches for the event from which he has said he has experienced. The overall
themes of the story can be interpreted as old habits die hard, or time

Essay On Rip Van Winkle

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Essay On Rip Van Winkle