Rip Van Winkle Essay

Freedom brings felicity. This is a major message shown in the narrative Rip Van Winkle. Rip Van Winkle is about a adult male who slept through the American Revolution for twenty old ages. During those 20 old ages he slept. his small town and the whole state underwent a major alteration that affected the hereafter of America. Written during the early 1800s when American literature was to a great extent influenced by the Europeans. Washington Irving portrays America’s hunt for an individuality through one of the first true American literature.

Rip Van Winkle. utilizing elements and features of the literary epoch of American Romanticism.

Rip Van Winkle Main Idea

Washington Irving was born on April 3. 1783 to wealthy parents as the youngest of 11. His older brothers influenced Irving’s gustatory sensation in literature. One brother that indirectly led Washington Irving to success was named Peter. In 1815. Peter sent Irving to Liverpool to seek to salvage their household concern at that place which was on the brink of bankruptcy.

He failed to salvage it. and the concern became bankrupt in 1818. Irving chose to stay in Europe after this incident and decided to do a life as an writer. As he traveled Irving recorded his ideas. observations. and ideas in a bantam diary. He subsequently turned these entries into short narratives and compiled them into a aggregation in which he called The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon.

This aggregation contained short narratives based off of European common people narratives but in American scenes. every bit good as essays.

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Included in the aggregation is Rip Van Winkle. which was based off of the German folk tale. Peter Klaus. The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon became a success and was well-received by Europe. in which during the collection’s publication. 1819. did non respect American literature and even thought there was no such thing. The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon became an of import milepost in American literature history. and proved that American literature could be independent of European literature.

Rip Van Winkle is considered one of the theoretical accounts of American Romanticism and it demonstrates many features of this literary epoch. Normally. the chief character or hero of some literatures are already well-known and are of high position. One of the features of American Romanticism is the common adult male as the chief character or hero. The common adult male is an mundane individual ; he’s non particular or person well-known. This characteristic is demonstrated in Rip Van Winkle. “I have observed that he was a simple good-natured ; he was. furthermore. a sort neighbour. and an obedient henpecked hubby. ” Rip Van Winkle is merely a common small town adult male. He does non come from a reputable household. nor does he hold a high place such as governed. He is merely a sort adult male who obeys his married woman and enjoys assisting his neighbours. Another prevailing feature of American Romanticism is the chief character’s inclination to seek safety in nature.

They turn to nature when they are confronting jobs or experiencing inferior. “Poor Rip was at last decreased about to desperation ; and his lone option. to get away from the labour of the farm and blare of his married woman. was to take gun in manus and saunter off into the forests. ” Here hapless Rip Van Winkle is in hurt from being invariably nagged by his married woman. Dame Van Winkle. The lone topographic point he can acquire off from her and hold peace is in the forests of the Kaatskill mountains. Nonconformity is another trait that American Romantic plants tend to possess.

“Rip. in fact. was no politician ; the alterations of provinces and imperiums made but small feeling on him ; but there was one species of absolutism under which he had long groaned. and that was- petticoat authorities. ” In twenty old ages. Rip Van Winkle’s small town and the whole went through a drastic alteration. Before the American Revolution. the the villagers. normally the work forces. would sit in an hostel dish the dirting about small town events. After the American Revolution. alternatively of dish the dirting about small town events. they gossip about political relations and politicians. America’s swayer changed from a male monarch to a president. These critical alterations did non involvement him. Although he did accept the fact that the people he was familiar with are gone. he chose to non conform to this “new” state.

Washington Irving uses symbolism in Rip Van Winkle to showcase how the the American Revolution impacted the American society and their hereafter. Rip Van Winkle represented America. and his married woman represented England. Rip Van Winkle was controlled by his married woman. much like how America was controlled by England. When America eventually broke off from England’s control. Americans found happiness in their freedom which led them to bit by bit happen their ain individuality. including their literature individuality. When Rip Van Winkle gained freedom from the decease of his married woman. he was eventually able to be happy. to be at peace. and to be able to make as he wishes. Overall. Rip Van Winkle symbolizes how Americans are what they are today. because they eventually gained the freedom to make their ain individuality.