Plot Overview
Rip Van Winkle tells the curious story of a a lackadaisical man who, to escape his nagging wife, wanders in to the forest with his trusted dog, Wolf, where he meets a band of ninepin bowlers who turn out to be the legendary Henry Hudson and his crew. After drinking some of their mysterious draft, Rip falls in to a deep sleep; so deep was the sleep that he does not awake for twenty years. When he does finally awake, he finds his pristine rifle has been "replaced" by an old rusted gun. He also finds that his bones are aching, his beard has grown over a foot long, and his dog has gone missing. When he makes his way back down the mountain to his home, his old simple town has changed into one that is thriving after the Revolutionary War and he discovers that he has returned on election day. When he left, the town was still under the rule of King George, and, upon return, the nation is under the leadership of General George Washington. The people have changed and old friends and neighbors have died during his sleep (the most noteworthy of these being his wife). Rip Van Winkle is welcomed back by his daughter and son and many others in the village. He is made to be a figure head in this new place as a representation of the old ways and the town’s history in living form.
The story focuses on the idea that change is inevitable, but you should want to be a part of it so you don’t get left behind. Rip Van Winkle could have lived and experienced all of this change first hand had he not slept through it all. This is a very important value to the Americans of the time and has made this story into a cornerstone of our American Literature.
The story focuses on the idea that change is inevitable, but you should want to be a part of it so you don’t get left behind. Rip Van Winkle could have lived and experienced all of this change first hand had he not slept through it all. This is a very important value to the Americans of the time and has made this story into a cornerstone of our American Literature.
Context
Historical Period
- Rip Van Winkle was written in 1819 at critical point in US history following the end of British rule in the Americas. The story is set in a Dutch village in New York in the years before and after the Revolutionary War. During the first part of the story, the US is still a British colony under the rule of His Majesty George the Third; after he awakes from his sleep, Rip is thrown in to the hustle and bustle of a newly formed colony being led to independence by General Washington. The Revolutionary War marked the start of a new colony and promised drastic change for the citizens of this newly formed state. It is clearly evident in Irving's Rip Van Winkle that this change was exacted by the war. Irving wanted to express this feeling through his work and did so in the description of the differences between Rip's town from the time he fell asleep to twenty years later.
Geographical Area
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washington irving: a brief history
Washington Irving was born on April 3, 1783 and died in late 1859. During his life, he wrote numerous stories for periodicals before writing for himself. Though he claimed that he was a poor student, he attempted law school and assisted in his brother’s business, both of which turned out to be failed attempts. Two of his most known works, Rip Van Winkle and Sleepy Hollow, have been made into many adaptations along with some others. Originally, he published these papers under the name of Geoffrey Crayon between 1819 and 1820. Though he was one of the very first American authors recognized, Irving doesn’t have as many works as other writers in his time and didn’t focus much on perfecting his craft of writing. Instead he is known for fighting for the protection of author rights in areas such as copyright infringement.
A timeline of the life of washington irving
1783: On April 3, Washington Irving is born in New York to parents William and Sarah Irving as the youngest of eleven children
1798: Irving graduates school 1802: Irving travels to Canada 1804: Irving travels around Europe 1806: On March 24, Irving returns to the United States 1807: Publishes Salmagundi Papers, a collection of essays on New York life 1809: Diedrich Knickerbocker (one of Irving's pen names) publishes A History of New York 1815: Irving travels to England to work for the family business 1819: Geoffrey Crayon (another of Irving's pen names) publishes The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent (Including Rip Van Winkle) 1822: Publishes Bracebridge Hall and travels back to Europe where he lives for the next ten years 1828: Publishes Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus 1832: Publishes The Alhambra and returns to New York 1835: Publishes The Crayon Miscellany 1842-1846: Irving becomes the US Ambassador to Spain 1855: Publishes The Life of George Washington 1859: On November 28, in Sunnyside, New York, Washington Irving dies |