Washington Irving
Author of the early 1800s
Washington Irving
Background
Common Themes
- Imagery was a literary device Irving used in all of his works
- Imagery- using words to create a picture in the readers mind and long descriptions of the American landscapes
- Irving's novel's themes were American
- His works were known as native literature
Major Works
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The story starts off with this guy named Ichabod coming from Connecticut to Sleepy Hollow, New York to teach. The only skill he has is teaching. He moves around from neighborhood to neighborhood tutoring kids and staying in people's houses. He keeps all of his belongings in a big handkerchief. Then he gets a student named Katrina Van Tassel whose family is very wealthy. Ichabod wants to marry her so he can get to her family's money ,but there is a problem she has a boyfriend (Brom Bones). Brom Bones knows Ichabod wants to be with Katrina so he plays a lot of pranks on Ichabod. Then Ichabod is invited to a party at Katrina's house. He goes there to try and win Katrina over. Ichabod gets to dance with her and Brom Bones gets really jealous. After the party, Ichabod finds out that the only reason Katrina danced with him was to make Brom Bones jealous. Ichabod gets mad and offended and rides away on his horse. While he is riding, the headless horseman rides up to him and throws his head at Ichabod. The next day the people find Ichabod's horse but can't find Ichabod and immediately the rumors spread. Some say he is dead, some say he is afraid to come back to Sleepy Hollow. Whenever Brom Bones hears people talk about the headless horseman and Ichabod, he smiles.
(Side note: Critics think that the headless horseman is Brom Bones.)
Rip Van Winkle
In order to escape his wife's constant harassment on an autumn day, Rip decides to go out into the Kaatskill Mountains with his dog. He takes his gun and heads out for some peace. Once he's alone, he hears someone calling his name and sees a man wearing old Dutch clothing carrying a keg. The poor guy obviously needs some help, so without saying anything, Rip helps the guy carry his keg to an amphitheater in the woods. Here he finds more men dressed in old Dutch frocks playing a game of skittles, or nine-pins, which is like bowling. The racket of the game makes a thunderous sound, and no one is speaking, so Rip says nothing and begins to drink some of the liquor from the keg. Next thing you know, he's getting a bit drowsy. Rip awakes in the morning to find that his dog is gone, his gun is rusted and he's had an abnormal amount of beard-growth over night. He remembers the men playing nine-pins and is worried about Dame Van Winkle's reaction to his late return. But when he enters town, things are different. There is a picture of George Washington at the inn, and all of the townspeople look different. After pledging his loyalty to the King (which doesn't go over so well in the post-Revolution state) and meeting another man by the name of Rip Van Winkle (who turns out to be his son), Rip is assisted by the crowd that has since grown around him and learns that he has been missing for 20 years. He is also told of the legend that Henry Hudson and his ghosts revisit the Hudson Valley every 20 years and many believe that Rip has been away with Hudson and his men in that time. It is then decided that Rip will live with his now-grown daughter and continue to live the life that he lived before, only he has escaped having to face a war and even worse, his hen-pecking wife.
Citations
Carroll, H. (n.d.). Washington Irving: Biography, Works, and Style. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/washington-irving-biography-works-and-style.html#lesson
Carroll, H. (n.d.). Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle: Summary and Analysis. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/washington-irvings-rip-van-winkle-summary-and-analysis.html#lesson
Schoolbytes. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.schoolbytes.com/english/summary.php?id=394#.VH0DcjHF-So
Washington Irving Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/washington-irving-9350087#profile
Washington Irving Essay - Irving, Washington - eNotes.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/topics/washington-irving/critical-essays/irving-washington