An Examination of Rip's Character in Irving's Rip Van Winkle

Having Katz being a slow walker even made it worst for Bill. He had no one to talk to, no one laugh with, or discuss his problems with during his walk. This makes him miss home, he wanted his wife to love him and kids to play with. Lastly, Bill losing his stick made him extremely homesick, “that stick ... had become all but part of me. It was a link with my children, whom I missed more than I can tell you.

California Irving had written Rip Van Winkle with the America citizens in mind. At now community was changing significantly. America was trying to go through difficult with developing their own identification. America was seeking to have an identification that would set them totally exempt from English lifestyle and concept. Irving uses his main character, Rip Van Winkle, to indicate America.

Dame was a short tempered woman who spends all of her time criticizing and nagged Rip about his responsibilities to the family and farm. Rip and Dane did not get along and the relationship continued to get worse. He would often leave the house to go to the bar or hunting in the woods to get away from his nagging wife. Goodman Brown is a resident of Salem, Massachusetts. He came from a Christian family that is known in the community as being godly men.

Rip’s biggest problem was that he was very lethargic. While Mr. Winkle was a pleasant man, his laziness affected many areas in his life such as his family, the farm, and also society. First, in analyzing Mr. Winkle he does not give the same amount of energy and attention around his own house as he does to others. He was not a great example to any of his children.

There were many causes that led to the American Revolution, some include economic situations, discontent with autocratic rule, and political changes in the British colonies. A major factor in the start of the revolution was the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763) changed the bond between the colonies and Britain, because of the colonists' identities. Thomas Paine (an American colonist born in Britain) published a Political Pamphlet in 1776, which supported the colonist into open rebellion. The excerpt, "Common Sense," Paine emphasized the case for the revolution in straightforward language, where it became clear and direct to understand the meaning of the excerpt. The excerpt itself influenced colonists to take actions for their tolerance from the British and gave them the strength they needed to become unified.

Also, there are numerous examples of marital conflict. Rip describes his wife as being a tyrant, but this is only because she is constantly nagging him to go out and care for the farm, his children, or to do something with his life. Rip, if left to himself, would have “whistled life away in perfect contentment” (43). But his wife, Dame Van Winkle, keeps “dinning his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family”(43). What was his response?

O’Connor uses language devices such as irony, metaphors, symbolism and allusions to convey the story. Throughout the story Parker’s dissatisfaction with life is an eminent concept. He is a lost soul, trying to find his place in the world. His unhappiness could be most credited to his wife, Sarah Ruth; a ruthless, coldhearted creature. “He was puzzled and ashamed of himself” this woman made him miserable, yet he “couldn’t understand why he stayed with her” (O’Connor 1).

Hamlet basically tells his mom (Queen Gertrude) to shut up and sit down, and Laertes tells Ophelia that he holds the key to her mind. Since Hamlet is notoriously the worst to the female sex, we will start with the assault on his character. Hamlet said "Frailty, thy name is woman,“ thus Hamlet believes his men are the epitome of stability and strength, right? Not really, but Hamlet's attitude toward women is definitely sexist and biased, and his hate seems to emanate from his revulsion at his mother's marriage to Claudius, which he considers “unfaithfulness” to his dead father. His attitude is totally unjustified.

Then he realizes he is alone, but it is too late. The reality is finally realized yet Willy cannot handle it because he has avoided handling it for so long. The pile of unsolved problems is too much and Willy is destroyed. There are many troubling issues Willy faces throughout the play. His lack of success and work and his troubled family relationships hurt him.

Although she too is insulted by Hamlet because of her femininity (“get thee to a nunnery, why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” (3.1.313-314)), she is a weak character because of her family structure (a brother and a father) and the men in her life. Hamlet and Polonius have such a significant power on her character and her life that her death is the very result of these two men. Shakespeare makes Ophelia an unfortunate character, whose demise comes from actually obeying her father’s wishes. Furthermore, while Hamlet is sexist towards his mother, Gertrude either intentionally or mistakenly saves her son’s life by drinking from the poisoned pearl cup. She goes against her husband’s warning, “Gertrude, do not drink / I will I beg you pardon me,” (5.2.287-88) and for the first time in the play, gains confidence to act according to her own will.