Brandon Bellmyer November 9th, 2017 Ms. Roger Short Research Essay Short Research Essay: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Washington Irving, an American author, wrote the short story called “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” that takes place in America told by the narrator Diedrich Knickerbocker. His story tells the tale of a man by the name of Ichabod Crane, who has arrived in Sleepy Hollow, New York from his home state of Connecticut. Ichabod is a schoolteacher who is intrigued by the supernatural, which is why he chooses Sleepy Hollow as his destination since it is known for its folk tales and to be under some kind of enchantment, mostly known for the common folktale of the Headless Horseman. Throughout the story, Ichabod seeks to win the heart …show more content…
There are many contributions that are shown throughout the story that lead to Ichabod Crane’s downfall. So the question is what are the causes that lead to Ichabod’s downfall in the story? The first reason to Ichabod’s undoing in the story is his passionate imagination. From the very beginning of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Ichabod is told as being interested in superstitions and ghost stories. These interests of his lead him to actually believing in the supernatural and thus causes him to have many events in the story where he displays fear at the result of his own imagination during the night. For example Ichabod shows how powerful his own imagination is when he treads home at night and observes the tall tulip tree and believes to hear and see things. The example of this is when “Ichabod approached this fearful tree, he began to whistle; he thought his whistle was answered” and when he approached closer to the tree “he thought he saw something white, hanging in the midst of the tree” and then stopped whistling only to see that it was a mark on the tree that had been scathed previously by lightning(57 Irving). As displayed in the previous quote from the story that was shown, …show more content…
His greed and imagination led him into a bad place for his wanted relationship to form a marriage with Katrina Van Tassel since his greed caused him to think mostly about her family’s wealth, while his imagination led him to think about his future with Katrina’s wealth after they had married for he could only think about the farm’s food and selling it for money. However, this caused him to lose his chance with Katrina and would ultimately lead to his downfall on that night after he left the Van Tassel farm. After he left the farm he was chased by the Headless Horseman, which because of his own imagination caused him to overlook the chance that the ghost was not real instead of seeing the man as Bronn. Ichabod’s downfall was caused by his own greed and imagination which were faults in his character that made him susceptible to Bronn’s prank that ultimately defeated
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
A philosopher named Paul Brunton said, “We should control our appetite, otherwise we will lose ourselves in the confusion of the world.” Washington Irving’s short story, “The legends of sleepy hollow” spins a tale about Ichabod Crane's experiences as a city teacher, while living in a magical place known as Sleepy Hollow. Appetite defines Ichabod Crane in the three following ways: food, wealth, and superstitions.
Many evenings during the winter, Ichabod spent with the old Dutch wives. They would tell ghost stories as well as other super natural beings and demons while sitting by the fire. There was a certain story that was never left out, the legendary Headless Horseman, or sometimes known as the Hessian of the Hollow. The story went on that there was a soldier who with a cannon ball had gotten his head shot off and since roamed through Sleepy Hollow looking for his lost head while on his horse. The Headless Horseman has a jack-o-lantern that sits in replacement of his head. In addition, a love story is part of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” however many find it to be more of a pure lust or greed story. There was girl named Katrina Van Tassel who was
Jem begins to understand that Boo is not dangerous instead he wants to help him and Scout. Boo leaves gifts for the children in hole in the tree and Mr. Nathan puts cement in the tree to stop Boo from communicating With the children. Also later in the story they find out that Boo put a blanket over them during the fire.
The Opening Sequence of Sleepy Hollow The very first thing the audience sees when watching this film is a thick red liquid dripping onto a parchment. Because the audience expects the film to be a horror film, they automatically think the liquid is blood. Seeing this image makes the audience assume someone has been murdered or at least injured. This one picture spurs questions in a person's mind like, 'who does the blood belong to?'
The original story by Washington Irving starts out in a small town of Sleepy Hollow. Irving paints an image of bountiful crops, beautiful scenery, and prosperous landowners. Ichabod Crane was a local pedagogue, who taught at the local schoolhouse. He was known for his strict ways and yet he was very popular amongst the families of his students- especially the ones who had ?pretty sisters.? Ichabod enjoyed spending fall evenings with the old widows as they sat by a fire and told stories of ghosts and demons and other supernatural beings. One story that was always told was one of the legendary Headless Horsemen. The tale tells of a soldier who had his head shot off with a cannon ball. His ghost now roamed Sleepy Hollow on his horse, looking for his lost head. In place of his head, sits a jack-o-lantern, which had a fiery glow.
Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Ed. Jayne M. Fargnoli. New York: Houghton, 1998. 1354-1373.
As the story progresses, Boo becomes more of a symbol of kindness and bravery than that of the "town freak" which he is made out to be. Boo leaves presents for the children in the hollow trunk of an old tree, as well as covers Scout with a blanket during Miss Maudie's fire. However, it is not until he saves Jem and Scout's life from the hands of the deranged Mr. Ewell, that Boo shows his true heroic character. Even though Boo is a physically weaker man, he shows no fear when it comes to protecting Jem and Scout's life.
It tells the story of a school teacher who is enamored by the daughter of a wealthy
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.
People in Maycomb generally stick to their daily routines and stay away from anyone who seems suspicious or out of place. Because of this ideology, Boo Radley a mysterious, seemingly sinister figure that never comes out of hiding becomes the subject of the town’s never-ending streams of gossip, accusations and fallacies. For the children, Boo was a fascinating figure that seems to be the center of all their ghost stories, which they share like ones around a campfire. Boo is said to be a man who, “dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch…” This is a vicious, bloody image that is painted in the reader’s mind. Boo is described so vividly through the eyes of a variety of characters that this portrayal of him almost becomes the reality. For the children, fear is a sign of weakness and Boo is the source of their fear. As the time passes on, the children’s plans to force Boo out of hiding become more and more elaborate. Jem, Scout and Dill decide to role-play what Boo’s might be like. In a way, this helps the children cope with their fear. The more they think they know about Boo, the less fearful they become.
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.
In the original story Ichabod Crane was a teacher and was not brave or courageous at all and this is how Burton portrayed the original story. Johnny Depp did a very good job at portraying Ichabod Crane as a fearful yet courageous person as he tried to fight the Horseman. The way Depp talks in to the witch makes him sound nervous and anxious yet puts on a heroic voice to try and make the witch not think he is scared. When he leaves the cave he see’s Katrina riding through the forest and thinks that she is a evil witch trying to follow them, Ichabod again puts his ‘heroic’ voice on to try and show no fear as Katrina puts her hood down and Ichabod lowers his pistol and shows he is now relaxed. This scene is significant in the film because it introduces Lady van Tassels sister who is later killed by Lady van Tassel when she talks to Katrina; it is also very significant because the scenes show that the forest is full of witches and evil things as said by Young Masbeth when entering the forest. Which Witch is one of the scenes that specifically describe Ichabod Crane’s cowardice but he goes in anyway which makes him courageous, this builds an atmosphere of suspense when Ichabod
Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Ed. Illustrated Arthur Rackham. United States: David McKay, 1928.
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