An Analysis Of Washington Irving's The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is short story of speculative fiction written by Washington Irving, published in 1820. It follows the journey of Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones in their attempt to win over Katrina Van Tassel. Many adaptions have been made of Irving’s original story with one of the most known being “Sleepy Hollow” a 1999 American horror film directed by Tim Burton. The movie follows a different but similar plot to the original story with the murders of the headless horseman being the main focus of the movie. In both versions it can be clearly seen how the setting has a huge impact on all aspects of the book and film particularly the themes, values and characterisation.

Washington Irving is the author of the tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” that was written in the nineteenth century (Baym 25). Irving was born in New York City on April 3rd, 1783 and was the last of eleven children. At home, Irving read a wide range of English literature and delighted in many other writers, including Shakespeare, Oliver Goldsmith, and Laurence Sterne. In 1830 Irving bought and began refurbishing a house along the Hudson River near Tarrytown (Baym 25). The beginning of Irving’s tale opens up with the description of the charming Hudson Valley region of Sleepy Hollow near Tarrytown. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” represents a popular tale in Irving’s book The Sketch Book. It’s ghostly tale that talks about a mysterious Headless Horseman that is said to be a Hessian trooper who lost his head in battle. It is said that every night, the Headless Horseman roams the countryside in search of his head. There is an unlikely hero in this tale named Ichabod Crane, but to the people of Sleepy Hollow the real hero is Brom Bones.

?The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? is a short story by Washington Irving. Based on a well-known legend, this story tells the tale of the disappearance of the main character, Ichabod Crane. An effective ghost story, Irving leaves you guessing what the truth is behind the ending. The movie Sleepy Hollow is Hollywood?s portrayal of Irving?s original story. Although the movie is similar to the story in the beginning, the movie takes a twist that leads in another direction that strays far from the original plot.

Unlike “The Tell-Tale Heart”, ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ plot is built around the main theme of superstition. Ichabod tends to be horrified and terrified with the Headless horseman stories. ‘Irving depicts a strong, controversial understanding between the supernatural superstitions the townspeople believed and the natural Sleepy Hollow setting ‘(Hoffman, 425). Despite the story describing in details the natural setting such as trees and birds of the area, there is also a vibrant understanding of privileging supernatural ideas. For instance, Irving believes that it is simply Brom Bones in disguise when finally, the headless horseman appeared.

Ichabod Crane’s adventure related in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow demonstrates where someone’s unchecked and undesirable personality traits can lead him. Washington Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in 1820. The story describes how Ichabod Crane persistently frightened himself by supposing he saw and heard supernatural beings. When Crane competed with Brom Bones for a lady’s love, Bones took advantage of Ichabod Crane’s character flaws scaring him out of town by impersonating the dreaded Headless Horseman. Ichabod Crane’s greed, superstition, and fearfulness resulted in his downfall.

Washington Irving is known as being one of the most famous American authors in history. He has created fresh and exciting stories such as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “The Devil and Tom Walker,” and “Rip Van Winkle” that continue to captivate those who read them even today. In these three stories, Irving takes a stance on what the early Americas were like as he creates settings full of both mystery and wonder. His settings are symbols of both America’s mystery and potential, and he uses personification and motifs to convey this message.

“The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head.” Although the movie Sleepy Hollow is based upon the book The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, there are also distinctions which allow each to tell their own tale. Washington Irving’s short story inspired Tim Burton’s film but did not limit it. The foundations of the two are much the same but their story lines unfold diversely. Some of the similarities include the setting, characters, and plot points. Two of the many contradicting ideas are the character of Ichabod Crane and the conclusions. The similarities and differences of both accounts can be stated plainly

“In the dark shadow of the grove… [Ichabod] beheld something huge, misshapen, black and towering...up in the gloom...some gigantic monster” and “summoning up, [from his trembling body] a show of courage...he demanded in stammering accents- ‘Who are you?’”. In the short story, the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, Washington Irving, tells the adventures of a schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, in the haunted town of Sleepy Hollow. There, he pursues the local beauty, Katrina van Tassel, competing with the town’s rowdy prankster, Brom Bones. As the plot intensifies, Ichabod’s superstition eventually leads to his downfall when he is chased by the legendary ghost of the Headless Horseman in a terrifying and vivid scene after a party at Katrina’s house. The next day, Ichabod has disappeared, his fate unknown. Throughout the story, Irving creates suspense with the use of imagery to build up a frightening scene in the reader’s mind and ambiguity to make them anxious as they feel a sense of mysteriousness as to what really happened.

Like all great works of literature, critics interpret stories in multiple ways. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving is no exception. His story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is an exciting read, but when further analyzed, one finds that many interpretations exist. Ranging from feminist perspectives to economic perspectives, this story appears to have a much deeper meaning than many readers initially give the story. To truly understand the many interpretations of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” one must understand the historical and cultural context of the story.

In the film an atmosphere of suspense is created using various film techniques such as lighting, music and through the plot itself. The film also takes on a Gothic tone using different characteristics and techniques such as the settings, symbolism, emotions such as fear and the different atmospheres in the film. The director explores the theme of good vs evil through different elements and characters in the film generally following normal good vs evil stereotypes with some exceptions.

Stories come and go, but Washington Irving integrates “Rip Van Winkle” into American Mythology by describing mysterious events and their consequences. Rip Van Winkle, the main character, unknowingly walks into a mystical trap that costs him dearly. The man agrees to help a seemingly helpless fellow carrying a keg of liquor, and he enters an amphitheatre that held “a company of odd-looking personages playing at nine-pins” (Irving, 68-69). After settling down, Rip Van Winkle tries the mysterious liquid and slowly falls into a deep sleep, and twenty years later, he finds himself in different society and is confused to the point he “can’t tell what’s [his] name, or who [he is]” (Irving, 69-75). As Irving crafts his story, the main character comes

Washington Irving was born on 1783 (Manhattan) and he is consider as “the father of American fiction” and the creator of the short story.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, written by Washington Irving, fits nicely into the Romanticism period due to its eloquent descriptions and detail to the nature around the village, the attention and focus on the main character and the addition of ghost stories and superstitions. These pieces come together to build a story of conflict and adventure. To further describe how all of the pieces fit together, we must first begin with the author. Washington Irving, born in 1783, was a well-traveled and well-educated young man. He dabbled in the areas of law, family business and even a diplomat for Spain but found the most success in his writing. Irving was considered the first author to write American Short Stories (Irving Biography). The two he is most well-known for is Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was written in 1819, contains elements from light romanticism and humor (Dincer 219). The piece is about a young man by the name of Ichabod Crane whom tries to win the heart of a young lady by the name of Katrina Van Tassel. This story takes place in a small rural

It is evident throughout the story how Crane brings out the worst in people. Perhaps, the biggest enemy Crane made was Brom Bones. For example, “Of the sorts of falls that such an agent as he might induce, consistent with Irving’s fondness for his Dutch characters, there is sort of pillow-soft, post-Miltonic fall of Brom, who, encountering evil without accepting it, passes from innocence to a knowledge of virtuous action and in the process gains his method” (Von Frank). Brom was not always an angry, jealous person. Ichabod coming into town and trying to take his love away from him, set him off in the wrong direction. Ichabod was very interested in Katrina Van Tassel, or rather, he was very interested in Van Tassel’s wealth. Crane was frustrated with his poverty and poor financial situation. He concluded that he was going to marry Van Tassel just to inherit her wealth and live like a king. “Ichabod Crane had a soft and foolish heart towards the females; and it is not to be wondered at, that so tempting a morsel soon found favor in his eyes; more especially after he had visited her in her paternal mansion, old Baltus Van Tassel was a perfect picture of a thriving, contented, liberal-hearted farmer” (Irving 14-15). He was never deeply interested in her personality, he was only trying her use her. Irving portrayed that Brom was so upset with Crane for many reasons, ultimately ending up with the fact that it was because of Crane’s relentless pursuit of Van Tassel’s wealth. The dark character traits of jealousy and envy were portrayed by

In Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the conflict between Enlightenment and Romantic ideals is narrativized. Irving’s story is an exploration of the conflict between these two schools of thought. Irving uses his setting, his characters, and his “moral” (or lack thereof) to critique the Enlightenment. At first reading, “Sleepy Hollow” may seem no more than a dreamy folk tale. But when read in the context of the emerging resistance to Enlightenment thinking, it reveals itself to be a striking denunciation of the ideals of the Enlightenment.