Folk Tale Characteristics in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the most well-known stories in
American literature, and with good reason. Throughout his story,
Washington Irving uses many stylistic ideas to create a fantastically
detailed and descriptive romantic folk tale.
Irving begins The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with a vivid description of
the setting of his story. Beginning with the Dutch history of the area,
he goes on to describe the town as "one of the quietest places in the
whole world", with a tranquil brook running through it and the sweet
sounds of chirping birds all around (1). Irving delves into the town's
history, citing Indian legends which say that the town is "bewitched",
and that those who live there often have their eyes and ears play
tricks on them (1). His focus in this description is to give the
history of a little sleepy town, using an element of romanticism to
choose his peaceful, remote setting, and paying special attention to
the nature and native legends of the area. He spices up his story with
many other examples of this local color, such as the details of Baltus
Van Tassel's farm. His land is described as being "one of those green,
sheltered, fertile nooks in which the Dutch farmers are so fond of
nesting," with elms, alders, dwarf willows, and a well which contained
the sweetest, softest water imaginable (5). This description of the
land also ties into the traditional romantic technique of having a
person's house represent the character of that person. Baltus Van
Tassel is directly characterized as "a perfect picture of a thriving,
contented, libral-hearted farmer" (5). Si...
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... gives him the dancing skills of St. Vitus,
patron of the dance. As he is courting Katrina on the dance floor,
Brom Bones is left brooding in the corner. This again pokes fun at the
traditional sense of romanticism, because one would think that it
would be Brom who would be wooing Katrina at the party. Through these
tiny, laughable moments in his story, Irving brings a light, playful
tone to the drowsy, dreamy, deeply romantic Sleepy Hollow.
It is through the ample and skillful use of these stylistic ideas that
Washington Irving is able to weave the characteristics of a folk tale
such as humor, hearsay, and local color together to create a
deliciously romantic story of nature, love, and supernatural events.
Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Ed. Illustrated Arthur Rackham. United States: David McKay, 1928.
The story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was written by Washington Irving, and the story is about a man name Ichabod Crane who was trying to win Katherina Van Tassel’s hand in marriage, but he is failing. The small town named Sleepy Hollow has a folklore about the Headless Horseman, who rides through the town at night to find his head. Irving explains that Sleepy Hollow has many ghost stories, but the Headless Horseman is the most popular in the town. Ichabod Crane was a school master, and he was killed by the town’s ghost. The townspeople believed Crane was taken by the Galloping Hessian, so the story of the Headless Horseman would not be associated with Crane’s disappearance. As the news about Ichabod’s disappearance rummage through the town, the Brom Bones’ reaction to the news made people question the Galloping Hessian’s part
The readings “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving and The Monster by Stephen Crane are to amazing readings. However, these two texts represent violence and conflicts in different ways, which shows that although they have the same concept their tactic for this same concept is used in a different approach.
When we compare Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to the 1980 television movie The Legend of Sleepy Hollow starring Meg Foster, Dick Butkus, and Jeff Goldblum, we find that while there are several similarities between the two, there are also some key differences. When we look at various characters as well as the storyline, we see those similarities and differences.
Fifteen years separate Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” with Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Young Goodman Brown.” The two share an eerie connection because of the trepidation the two protagonists endure throughout the story. The style of writing between the two is not similar because of the different literary elements they choose to exploit. Irving’s “Sleepy Hollow” chronicles Ichabod Crane’s failed courtship of Katrina Van Tassel as well as his obsession over the legend of the Headless Horseman. Hawthorne’s story follows the spiritual journey of the protagonist, Young Goodman Brown, through the woods of Puritan New England where he looses his religious faith. However, Hawthorne’s work with “Young Goodman Brown” is of higher quality than Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” because Hawthorne succeeds in exploiting symbols, developing characters, and incorporating worthwhile themes.
?The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? is a short story by Washington Irving. Based on a well-known legend, this story tells the tale of the disappearance of the main character, Ichabod Crane. An effective ghost story, Irving leaves you guessing what the truth is behind the ending. The movie Sleepy Hollow is Hollywood?s portrayal of Irving?s original story. Although the movie is similar to the story in the beginning, the movie takes a twist that leads in another direction that strays far from the original plot.
Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Ed. Illustrated Arthur Rackham. United States: David McKay, 1928.
there a written story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, but in 1999 director Tim Burton
The women admire his thirst for literature most notable Cotton Mather’s “History of a New England Witchcraft” He has some type of fearful pleasure, speaking about ghosts. goblins, haunted bridges, or haunted houses with the older women while, eating roasted apples on bitter, winter evenings. Crane is captivated by the legend of the headless horseman which has been told for many years in Sleepy Hollow. The story is about a hessian, German mercenary whose head was cut off, during battle in the Revolutionary War. The headless soldier rides around Sleepy Hollow in search of a new head. The headless horseman was an actual person who Washington Irving uses in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow as a weapon against Icabode Crane. Not only does Crane like old ghost stories, yet he seems fixated by them. Crane believes these stories are more fact than fiction. In the evening while walking home Crane wishes to hear the howling among the trees or the sounds of the headless horseman’s horse, galloping along the dirt road, Perhaps deep down Icabode Crane wishes to see the headless horseman face to face. The idea torments him with delight as if he wants death to show itself. Wrong move Crane. On the other hand. Icabode Crane’s pleasant life is damaged not by devilish creatures of folklore, yet by a young, attractive
Irving Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. 5th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1998. 948-69.
Washington Irving’s short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” was adapted into a movie titled “Sleepy Hollow” directed by Tim Burton nearly two centuries after the original publication. When the story was adapted as a film, several extensive changes were made. A short story easily read in one sitting was turned into a nearly two-hour thriller, mystery, and horror movie by incorporating new details and modifying the original version of the story. The short story relates the failed courtship of Katrina Van Tassel by Ichabod Crane. His courtship is cut short by the classic romance antagonist-the bigger, stronger, and better looking Broom Bones. Ichabod wishes to marry Katrina because of her beauty but also because of the wealthy inheritance she will receive when her father, Baltus Van Tassel and stepmother, Lady Van Tassel die. However, the film tells the story of Ichabod Crane as an investigator who is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the recent decapitations that are occurring. These modifications alter the original story entirely, thus failing to capture the Irving’s true interpretation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The film and the original story have similarities and differences in the plot, characters, and setting.
There are many commonalities between “Where are you going, Where have you been?” and other folktales too. One such folktale is Cinderella. In the story of Cinderella, she is often dreaming of escaping the situation she is in. Connie also dreams of escaping the constant nagging that she is receiving from her mother. She also wants to escape constantly being compared to her older sister June. Every girl also wants to be attractive and has this want to feel pretty or appear pretty to others. In the story of Cinderella, she is often dressed in tattered and dirty clothing while at home and doing chores (Kozikowski). This is why going to the ball and wearing the big gown is such a big deal for her. For once in her life she feels and looks beautiful. Connie is struggling with the same sort of self-image problem. Connie is constantly being told by her mother that she should be more like her big sister June. Whether it is her hair being dirty or her room not being clean enough, she constantly feels like she will never be good enough or as perfect as her older sister. Both Cinderella and Connie have to deal with a family who does not full appreciate them or give them any of the support they need. Cinderella is made to think that her sisters are much better than she is and much prettier than she is as well (Kozikowski). She is made to do chores and labor to make her less beautiful and desirable to others. Connie’s situation, although not as bad as Cinderella’s, is one of constant comparison and judgment. She too had to live with the constant reminder that her mother feels like her sister is better than her in every possible aspect. Just as Cinderella, Connie is immediately associated with a feeling of helplessness and uncleanliness from the ...
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, one of the most classic books of all time, written by Washington Irving, was remade into a movie in 1999 by Director Tim Burton. Surprisingly there are many differences between the book and the movie, and little to no similarities. One of the major differences was that in the movie Tim Burton made Ichabod Crane a detective, while in the story he’s a nerdy teacher. Tim Burton did this to make the movie more interesting and for there to be a reason why Ichabod is so good at finding clues and solving the headless horseman case. Also they made Ichabod a little bit more brave in the movie so that there would be more action and drama in the movie. A total different between the story and the movie, is that they give a background of young Ichabod and his mother, but none of that was
The improbable plots and unlikely characterization showed how much they used creativity. According to a Romanticism article, “The Romantics tended to define and to present the imagination as our ultimate ‘shaping’ or creative power, the approximate human equivalent of the creative powers of nature or even deity” (“Romanticism”). They believe that imagination is an essential and amazing ability that humans possess. Romantic authors often included examples of imagination and creativity within their works. In the short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the supernatural plot and improbable characters illustrate the imagination of Romanticism writers (Irving). Washington Irving must have used a significant amount of creativity to come up with a story that involves a headless ghost riding a horse. He thought outside of his reality and environment in order to create an impossible and fascinating character. The Romantics favored imagination and creativity because they realized how invaluable it truly
Irving does this to help readers realize how caught up the society of Sleepy Hollow is with their past. Irving frequently brings up the Revolutionary war and how the headless horseman was a Hessian soldier from the war. When he writes, “The dominant spirit that haunts this enchanted region is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head. It is said to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannonball in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War… The specter is known, at all the country firesides, by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow” (Irving 2). This is an allusion to the Revolutionary war because the headless horseman was a hessian soldier. This explains the theme of supernatural because the Headless Horseman haunts their town and the main character, Ichabod Crane, comes across the ghost of him. Another major allusion in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is Ichabod's belief in witches. The author supports this when saying, “He was, moreover, esteemed by the women as a man of great erudition, for he had read several books quite through, and was a perfect master of Cotton Mather's 'History of New England Witchcraft” (Irving 4). Ichabod also believes in the supernatural past. His belief in witches supports the theme of supernatural within the book. Referring to the past using allusion develops different themes within the
When you where a kid did your parents ever tell you stories about your culture or about your family’s values? Chances are they where telling you a folk tale. Folk tales are stories passed down usually by word of mouth but often they are written down. Folk tales teach a valuable life lesson while entertaining the reader or in some cases the listener. This essay will give examples of three folk tales and go into depth on how they teach lessons and still remain entertaining for children and even adults.