Character Symbolize in Washington Irving´s Rip Van Winkle

"Rip Van Winkle" is undoubtedly Washington Irving's chef-d'œuvre, and this story of a

man who falls asleep for twenty years seems to escape the law of time, as it haunts us still with

its mystery. Once the reader realizes that Rip sleeps precisely through the American Revolution,

the story begins to bristle with cultural overlaps and cultural conflicts occur between what was

and what is. Through the vivid picture of Rip Van Winkle, an image of the American colonies

under the rule of Royal England can be seen. By successfully using the method of character

description and psychological analysis, the image of England that Rip character symbolizes

stands out among many other symbols.

Romantic writers have a tendency to incorporate nature as a key factor into their writings.

To Irving, the Kaatskill Mountains have always the pride of American people from the days of

past to the present. At the outset of his story, Washington Irving uses personification to invest

the Kaatskill Mountains with human qualities. The Kaatskill unveils itself as a firm territorial

protector of the village with its “noble height”. Deliberately making the mountains come alive

enables them to become mysterious and unpredictable. In fact, they may even play tricks on

those who venture within its confines. There’s no surprise that those visual characteristics

contribute themselves as a symbol for a safe, undisturbed, and eternal life of Americans before

they suffer the domination of Great Britain.

Irving expressed the kindness of Rip Van Winkle as he was such universal popularity

and he was the great favorite of the village. Every single man and woman in town was fond of

him since he would help anyone who sought his help. His ...

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...then could he have immediately known that

they were gone in the first place? By showing the reader the very sight of what Rip Van Winkle

may have seen, the reader learns of his surroundings, which gives the reader an understanding

of how it all has changed after he wakes up. People are wearing clothes "of a different fashion

from that to which he was accustomed." Even the "village was altered; it was larger and more

populous. There were rows of houses which he had never seen before." This is a symbol of

America's growth and prosperity after the Revolution.

Through the vivid picture of Rip Van Winkle, an image of the American colonies under

the rule of Royal England can be seen. By successfully using the method of character description

and psychological analysis, the image of England that Rip character symbolizes stands out

among many other symbols.