Washington Irving Ridicules The Government

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.

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

I think Irvings ability to bring the characters to life was very well portrayed in this novel. When Tom was at the fort he saw the tree stump that was representing Deacon Peabody. The stump was used because it was an uncanny resemblance to how Peabody was in life; rotten on the inside, yet flourishing on the outside. This particular story was harder to believe could really happy because the Devil is said to be portrayed differently in the real world with the use of demons and other supernatural beings. The characters were very plausible, but the situation with the Devil wasn't as easy to believe. The Devil could be thought of as a mafia leader or gang leader in order to relate to today's society. The unrealistic didn't affect the quality of the writing at all. It was the whole point of the story that Tom met with the Devil.

This book is wonderful and goes all the way back to when George Washington supposedly chopped down the cherry tree and wasn’t able to lie about it. It talks how the legend of the tree kind of symbolizes Washington’s rise from colonial citizen, to army general, and then to national president. The book says at first Washington didn’t want Independence himself. It says Washington rose to power during the time of the superpower called Britain. It also goes into how the Revolutionary War was unavoidable, and how the Articles of Confederation established the United States of America, which created us a national government. This

Rather than attempt to dissect the works of a more obscure writer I've decided to go with America's first well known and widely respected author, Washington Irving. Washington's story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is well known among my peers, but I can accurately assume far less have bothered to read it. I am sure most are familiar with the many movies and cartoon knockoffs the Headless Horseman has spawned. They shall not fret however, as I will explore this literary classic for thy dear lackadaisical MTV generation.

Washington Irving was a legendary American author who began his literary career by submitting a plethora of observational letters to the Morning Chronicle. Irving often used “pen names” in attempts to connect the reader with the style of writing in almost each of his literary successes. His literary work consisted of biographies of George Washington, Oliver Goldsmith, and Muhammad, satires such as “A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty” written under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, and folktales like “The Devil and Tom Walker”. Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” demonstrates a folktale on the inclusion of the characteristics of stereotypes, unlikely events, and lessons to be

The entire story of Rip Van Winkle is full of interesting metaphors about America’s new society. The metaphors of Irving’s story cover a large portion of the Revolution; America before English rule, early American colonies under English rule, and America after the Revolutionary War. There are many interesting characters such as the nagging wife Dame Van Winkle, the “henpecked” husband Rip Van Winkle, the stranger he shares a drink within the woods, and the town’s people all play important roles in this story. Rip Van Winkle's character plays the society of America as seen by England, Dame Van Winkle portrays England and the townspeople represent American society as a whole and how it changed with becoming an independent country. Americans fought to escape the tyranny of the Crown, just as Rip would do anything to escape his overbearing wife. This story conveys multiple positive messages about our nation and its people; things won’t always be easy, at times you will find yourself in new and confusing situations, but it is the American spirit that carries you to

Washington Irving was one of the first American authors to be acclaimed in Europe. He used writing styles that mirrored the popular romantic novels of the time. Throughout the story many of these elements are apparent, all of which

The nature of the Native American stronghold and remarks said here by the devil are interesting examples of how Washington Irving shows he is against the concept of predestination. Predestination is both introduced for the first time in the short story and is

Irving’s character Rip Van Winkle was seen by the townspeople as “a kind neighbor, and an obedient henpecked husband” (1). Van Winkle’s kindness is seen by everyone, even animals as Washington states, “and not a dog would bark at him throughout the neighborhood” (1). The love from animals

American writers have expressed their political and social views through their writing by attempting to establish a voice separate from Britain’s. Their fear of individual and national failure and their thirst for power consumes them and is evident in their writing. Washington Irving and Herman Melville involve the occupation of lawyers and Justices to bring in a patriotic element to influence residents of the young country as a way to share their concerns and inspire ambition. Their usage of metaphors and metonymy subtly convey a message of hope to white residents while, deflating the optimism of the soon to be freed slaves. This essay will prove that a critical reading of Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” and Irving’s “The Legend of

Washington Irving was raised the son of a well-off merchant. While growing up, he had the opportunity to observe people and their customs. Together he used this knowledge along with his clever use of irony in his literature to describe many varying themes and plots. His ability to convey these themes is seen in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” where we are taught the consequences of living with greed, gluttony, wrath, sloth, envy, pride, and even lust, the seven deadly sins. Irving begins his story with a description of the town of Sleepy Hollow.

In Life of Washington Irving, the author described and scrutinized Irving’s biography, aspirations and ethics, “W. Prescott [American Historian] believed that Irving availed himself of all picturesque and animating movements of the period which he had treated, and that he was not seduced from historical accuracy by the poetical aspect of his subject…”(Stoddard 26). This quote illustrated Irving’s uniqueness as a person where he created his insight from his own accounts instead of adapting information from similar works. In “Rip Van Winkle”, the protagonist enjoys solitary activities in the wilderness (Enotes.com)“[In the forest] he would sometimes seat himself at the contents of his wallet with Wolf, with whom [Rip] sympathized as a fellow-sufferer in persecution” (Irving 15). Irving used this quote to exemplify his individualism, where he developed a connection between a man and a wolf. He used Rip Van Winkle to illustrate how being unique is beneficial to a person because as Rip Van Winkle wandered in the forest and slept while others were busy working, time passed by

Washington Irving’s portrayal of Dame Van Winkle is not fair because he never described her, she had a very lazy husband, and her husband was willing to help other people but her. First, he is not fair to Dame Van Winkle Because he never really described her. He never described what she was like. He never described what she did to make there home better without Rip there.. Second, she had a very lazy husband that never did anything to help her around the house or on the farm. Rip Van Winkle was always trying to get out of helping her so that made her angry. She would always go to town to try to find him but he would slip away into the woods. Lastly, the author said Rip Van Winkle is always willing to help other people but he dreaded going

American author Washington Irving, born in 1783 in New York City, was the youngest of eleven children and born to a Scottish-English immigrant couple. He best known for the short stories “Rip Van Winkle” (1819) and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1820). He underwent private education as a child, and was a rather uninterested student, as he often played truant from his lessons in order to attend the theater. His family was included in the small merchant class occupying the city. Irving toured Europe from 1804 to 1806, financed by his older brothers whom were troubled over his well-being. There, Irving honed his social and conversational skills to such a degree that made him a highly sought out guest. He returned to New York in order to pursue