Irving

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

Washington Irving: The Author’s Use of Fear Washington Irving is known as the father of the American Short Story. Not only is he significant for the previous reason, but he is also famous for popularizing the Gothic Tale of Terror. In terms of “fear”, Washington Irving is one of the most famous authors one would think of when considering the term because his stories are set up quite literally to send chills down the reader’s spine as they read the story. Irving uses the literary device called “effect”

Knickerbocker Washington Irving created a pseudo historian for the purpose of bettering his own work and to entertain his readers. In 1809 Irving wrote "A History of New York" through a persona known as Diedrich Knickerbocker. This was Knickerbocker's first appearance in Irving's work, but it sure wouldn't be his last. Although he was not real, Knickerbocker was a historian that seemed to be in love with the people and landscape of the northeast, particularly New York. Even though Irving never revealed

In the short story "The Devil & Tom Walker" by Washington Irving, the main character's fate is going to hell because of his wrong decisions in life when he sold his soul to the Devil for wealth. Washington Irving reinforces his message about why you shouldn’t make decisions that may damn your soul with the use of romantic literary elements and satire. Religion was widely written about during 1824, the year “The Devil and Tom Walker” was written, due to the large religious population and the fascination

A Prayer for Owen Meany In A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, Irving portrays the relationship between faith and doubt within the struggles of Johnny, which in the end alienates him from a normal, human life because the miraculous moments he has encountered changed him and vanishes all his doubt. However, it demonstrates that he is living in the past, which has causes grief and anger for his lost best friend, which has kept him from living normally. In the beginning of the novel, it demonstrates

styles. Irving, however, chose to write fictional short stories as a way to channel his comical side. For example Dame Van Winkle, Rips Wife, is noted to be the main cause of Rips failures, often nagging and goading him. Irving describes their relationship in a comical and waggish way when he writes, “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

as books, movies, and tv shows are associated with the genre of horror and superstition. One famous American short story writer known as Washington Irving wrote a famous short story and in this story, he uses the supernatural to dictate the plot of the story. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was a speculative fiction story written by Washington Irving. It takes place in the Post-Revolutionary War America. America at this time was

events. In the time after the American Revolutionary War people were very excited to have freedom and some chose to show this pride and excitement through the writing of the crazy legends known as national mythology. In “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving, he creates a national mythology through an incredible experience of the main character, Rip Van Winkle. The use of remarkable characters, mysterious events, and exciting places in “Rip Van Winkle” highlights the nation’s values and ideals, commemorates

The Search for America in Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow        In the early to mid-1800's, Washington Irving was an immensely popular writer heralded as one of the 'great' American writers.  Irving's importance lies especially in "Rip Van Winkle" and " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the sketches in which he creates the vision of the alternate America(n).  His critique of American society through his main characters-Rip and Ichabod-and the towns in which they live gives shape

constructed of logs; the windows partly glazed, and partly patched with leaves of old copybooks,” he says this in such a way that the reader can imagine the school room as if they were there and it adds suspense to the rest of the story. Washington Irving set the mood of thrilling suspense and the spooky setting of a quiet town by using imagery throughout his story of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. The use of imagery that Nathaniel