Dame Van Winkle's Fame

Rip Van Winkle desires to leave his nagging wife, driving him into the woods revealing a gorgeous, woodland landscape and a

Rip Van Winkle is described as a man who “was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound” (46). He was a stubborn man

The short story, “Rip Van Winkle”, is a tale of a man who went up into the mountains and after a long string of odd events went to sleep. He woke up twenty years later. He went from being use to what the world was like before the Revolutionary War of the United States to how things changed after the war. When he came back from the mountain he found that his wife and friends were gone. His children were grown up and living in this new world that he had stumbled into. He found that changes had been made to clothing and how people acted; buildings that used to be in the town were now gone or changed, and a government that he had no idea about. In this short story the author used the differences between pre-Revolutionary War and

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

When Popocatepetl returned and found his love dead he took her to the garden where they professed their love. He lay her on a bed of flowers not realizing the rose they told to keep their love promise had turned all the other roses red so that the promise stays

Almost as soon as the grand setting is told, the designation of the story itself, the character Rip Van Winkle, is introduced. He is depicted ideally as well, said to be simple and widely liked, and most importantly good natured. Without hesitation, it is stated that he is a descendant of a family who played a more than respectable role in the history that helped to capture and establish the land that is now his mountainous village. He is recognized as more than the average citizen already, perhaps one of great influence, not unlike the nature itself. "He was, moreover, a kind neighbor and an obedient henpecked husband. Indeed, to the latter circumstance might be owing that meekness of spirit which gained him such universal popularity," (Irving 702). Despite this constant distressing of his spouse, made eminent in the opening pages, Rip was able to ignore the chronic squabbling and seek elsewhere for loyal friendships, which in turn, boosted his regard. After some time, however, the nagging became overbearing, and he was forced to flee to the highest peak of the mountains where he would be surrounded by nature, and thus was at ease with himself. However, Irving introduces a twist; the nature of the mountains cast a magical command upon Rip and forced him into a sound sleep for twenty years. When he awoke Rip found himself an old man in a place that was, at first,

Lennie and John took care of all of the animals and crops while their Aunt Clara was dead. One day when Lennie was feeding the horses, he smacked the horse in the butt and got kicked in the head by it and got knocked out. John ran to Lennie and thought he was dead, but noticed he was just knocked out. After a couple hours of being knocked unconscious, Lennie finally woke up. When he woke up, John was so relieved because he thought Lennie had been killed by the

Next, the characters enter the scene of mythology. In order for mythology to come across as supernatural, the characters must lend themselves to mystery. In Rip Van Winkle, not only do other intriguing characters appear, but Rip himself tends towards strange behaviors. After all, Rip did sleep for twenty years without waking. That in its self begins to reveal the underlying interest of the story. Perhaps the most strange and exaggerated characters would prove to be the bowler in the forest. In the text it says, “He was still more surprised at the singularity of the stranger’s appearance.” It goes on to

Harry decides to introduce Sally to one of his friends, and Sally does the same. They all go out on a double date. As luck would have it, there friends his it off with one another and leave Harry and Sally. There friends end up getting married.

Rip Van Winkle is a citizen of a village by the Catskill Mountains. Rip is an easy-going man who is respected by his village. Rip was so interactive with his community, that making one decision changed his whole life and role in his community for the future, “The children of the village too, would shout with joy whenever he approached” (633). Rip decides to go wander the mountains for amusement with a crew of men, after his wife nagged him. He then unconsciously falls into a deep slumber for 20 years that is infamously known to transform his life. When Rip wakes, he notices a difference in his own life with his kids, wife, dog and gun, along with the architecture in the village. He also notices changes in the social, economic, and political structure of his habitat.

The character of Rip Van Winkle was one who was considered lazy and unproductive. He was "one of the happy mortals...who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, which ever he can be got with least thought or trouble..." (Irving 983). Winkle was the kind of

One thing we know about Rip Van Winkle is that this story is inspirited in a story belonging to a Dutch story, taking from the Dutch settlers of American colonies.

            If there's one passage in this story that would summarize the entire story it would be this one. Every theme throughout Rip Van Winkle is touched on somewhere in here and the constant theme of "who Rip is" is the underlying question of both this story and this passage. In the beginning of the story I think we all took a liking to such a friendly character who cares so much about pleasing everyone. However, towards the end of the story Rip seems to examine his life and realizes that he doesn't like everything about himself, and that quite possibly some changes are in order.

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

“Rip 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,” (Irving 10). Washington Irving is a romantic American writer in the 1800s with works including Rip Van Winkle as a part of the collection of essays and short stories called The Sketchbook. Rip Van Winkle is set in a village near the Kaatskill Mountains during the American Revolution and tells the story of a man who is loved by many in the town but spends his days in idleness. His wife often nags him because Van Winkle does not work for anything in his family. One day, to escape his wife’s nagging, Van Winkle walks off into the mountains with his dog, Wolfe. He stumbles upon a group of strange