Sleepy Hallows: A Short Story

Washington Irving’s short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” was adapted into a movie titled “Sleepy Hollow” directed by Tim Burton nearly two centuries after the original publication. When the story was adapted as a film, several extensive changes were made. A short story easily read in one sitting was turned into a nearly two-hour thriller, mystery, and horror movie by incorporating new details and modifying the original version of the story. The short story relates the failed courtship of Katrina Van Tassel by Ichabod Crane. His courtship is cut short by the classic romance antagonist-the bigger, stronger, and better looking Broom Bones. Ichabod wishes to marry Katrina because of her beauty but also because of the wealthy inheritance

One dark and lonely night, after a dance at the Van Tassel estate, Ichabod attempted to travel home. On his old horse, Gunpowder, he slowly made his way through the dark woods that crossed his path. Unfortunately, appearing from the dark shadows came a headless figure, which frightened Ichabod. In an attempt to escape, he ran to the covered bridge where the horseman was supposed to disappear into a burst of fire. Unfortunately, the figure flung its pumpkin head at Ichabod, knocking him off his horse and knocking him unconscious state that the next day, all that remained was a smashed pumpkin. Ichabod had disappeared. The story leaves you guessing what really happened. Did Ichabod run away, or did the Haunted Horseman kill him? Or was it Brom Bones, who married Katrina shortly after his opponent?s disappearance, and laughed every time there was mention of the pumpkin.

“Pumpkins” is a complicated story by Francine Prose, about truth and deception, and distinguishing between them (19-22). The scene is set with the description of a fatal accident between a truck full of pumpkins and a small car, whose driver is killed instantly. A

Katrina was in deep regret that she never confessed her feelings to Ichabod. The last time she saw Ichabod was at her party where she had treated him poorly. That night, Katrina had just learned that Brom Bones was mad at her for associating herself with Ichabod.

“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.

Over the many weeks that followed second by second the dream gradually got longer. Amelia had grown used to the dreams and even got excited to find out what would happen next, alas her excitement was premature. As she sat in her boring English class, the teacher droning on, the only was gloomy disinterest spread amongst the young students. In her peripheral vision she saw a flash of black, her eyes subconsciously followed the black blur and found nothing. Just as she was about to give up looking for the cause of what spiked her interest, she heard a screech... The same screech that was in her dream nearly every night, that same sound that had caused both fear and excitement to run hot within her veins. Her eyes linked with those of the bird, at first look anyone would call

Near Sleepy Hollow is a village called Tarrytown. It was settled many years ago by people from Holland. The village had a small school. And one teacher, named Ichabod Crane. Ichabod Crane was a good name for him, because he looked like a tall bird, a crane. He was tall and thin like a crane. His shoulders were small, joined two long arms. His head was small, too, and flat on top. He had big ears, large glassy green eyes and a long nose. One day in autumn Ichabod was asked to come to a big party at the Van Tassel home. He dressed in his best clothes. A farmer loaned him an old horse for the long trip to the party. After when he arrived Ichabod was happy dancing with Katrina as Brom looked at them with a jealous heart. The night passed. The

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.

Katrina initiates to uphold her agency by gaining Ichabod’s affections through her flirtatious conduct which parallels with the women of town who are looked upon by Ichabod due to their storytelling skills. The narrator uses diction to initially elicit Katrina as a modern independent lady who

Ichabod Crane’s greed hindered his relationship with the townspeople, making some, such as Brom Bones, pleased to expel Crane from town, and others indifferent to his leaving. Crane had a great gluttonous appetite, so he “lived successively a week at a time” in his pupils’ homes because they could not afford to house such a gourmand (Irving 17). Moreover, he earned the distaste of the town’s other men while trying to earn the affections of Katrina Van Tassel, whom he hoped to marry because of her wealth. He knew if the marriage occurred, many delicious meals would await him. “The pedagogue’s mouth watered as he looked upon this sumptuous promise of luxurious winter fare,” (Irving 20). Furthermore, Ichabod Crane’s greed extended even to a love of power, which he executed over his schoolhouse. For slovenly, naughty, or lazy children, he always had his whip ready. Proudly, he

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a short story that has been remade from the original multiple times since it has been published. The supernatural events about ghost that take place in the short story are about most common in horror stories. This short story is about a resurrection of a headless horseman that was a soldier before he died. When the horseman comes back he is well known to take heads from people for taking his head many years ago. The supernatural events that are going to explain about in this research paper is the differences in the short story from the movie about how Crane and Katrina is involved. Crane on how he reacts different from the way he deals with the horseman and how Katrina

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a short story that has been remade from the original multiple times since it has been published. The supernatural events about ghost that take place in the short story are about most common in horror stories. This short story is about a resurrection of a headless horseman that was a soldier before he died. When the horseman comes back he is well known to take heads from people for taking his head many years ago. The supernatural events that are going to explain about in this research paper is the differences in the short story from the movie about how Crane and Katrina is involved. Crane on how he reacts different from the way he deals with the horseman and how Katrina from the short story to from being a witch in the movie.

Ichabod Crane moved from Connecticut to teach the children in Sleepy Hollow, which was a small rural town (535). As the schoolmaster, he was well known in his community as he was a regular visitor to the homes of his students. He would help with chores at the homes of his students and was certainly up for a visit to students’ homes with pretty sisters and mothers who were talented cooks (536). “The school master is generally a man of some importance in the female circle of a rural neighborhood” (536). “also, he was a kind of travelling gazette, carrying the whole budget of local gossip from house to house” (537) “and was a perfect master of Cotton Mather’s history of New England Witchcraft, in which, by the way, he most firmly and potently believed” (537). His preferred past time was to visit with old Dutch wives of

“So kids, every Halloween, it is said that her ghost, roams the empty hallways of this very school, searching for another female student to take her place.” The students were now on the edge of their wooden seats, eyes wide, listening to every word Mr. Morris said. All of a sudden the loud bell breaks the silence, making each one of them jump.

A chilled breeze caused my hair to stand up on end, so I peek over my shoulder to see the window in my bedroom door open. The blue, polka-dotted whipped around violently but I couldn 't hear the sounds of a strong wind. Huh, could have sworn I 'd closed that. . . I spring to my feet and shiver as I step across the cold floor toward my room. On my tip-toes, I pull the screen down to shut it and take a minute to stare out the window. The moon cast a dim light over the small town, illuminating only the fronts of houses and the tip of trees, abandoning all else to darkness. A light fog danced in the distance and I smiled thinking how perfect it looked on Halloween 's night. I looked down from the top floor one last time then tugged the curtains shut.