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Sleepy hollow and the legend of sleepy hollow comparative essay
Sleepy hollow and the legend of sleepy hollow comparative essay
Sleepy hollow and the legend of sleepy hollow comparative essay
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“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving is the classic ghost story. In which, Irving creates a connection between paranormal and human characters. Irving does this by both giving a literal description of the two and their interactions, and using a distinct narrative and writing style to convey his points. Using these key elements and literary devices helps describe the characters of Sleepy Hollow and their superstitious ideals of the supernatural. The narrator begins by describing the setting of Sleepy Hollow. The narrator states that the town has a “drowsy, dreamy influence” and that it is “bewitched.” The dreariness of the setting sets the mood of Sleepy Hollow being a mysterious, supernatural town. By giving many options of how
Every story, every book, every legend, every belief and every poem have a reason and a background that creates them. Some might be based on historical events, some might be based on every culture´s beliefs, and some others might be based on personal experiences of the authors. When a person writes a literary piece, that person is looking for a way to express her opinion or her feelings about a certain situation. A good example is the poem “Southern Mansion” by Arna Bonptems. The main intention of “Southern Mansion” could have been to complain, or to stand against the discrimination and exploitation of black people throughout history. However, as one starts to read, to avoid thinking about unnatural beings wandering around the scene that is depicted is impossible. The poem “Southern Mansion” represents a vivid image of a typical ghost story which includes the traditional element of the haunted house. This image is recreated by the two prominent and contradictory elements constantly presented through the poem: sound and silence. The elements are used in two leading ways, each one separate to represent sound or silence, and together to represent sound and silence at the same time. The poem mixes the two elements in order to create the spooky environment.
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.
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.
Despite the evidence that Washington Irving uses to show his love for America in his stories, he portrays some characters in the Devil and Tom Walker and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as greedy. Irving shows concern for America by placing stories in uniquely American moments. In this essay I will prove through passages and quotes from Irving's stories that he shows his love for America in his stories and portrays some characters as greedy in the two stories.
Washington Irving normalizes certain spooky locations in his story. He references the dark woods at night time, which at first gives the reader an uneasy feeling, but Tom enters the forest confidently, for he lacks
Washington Irving would use an emphasis on nature, the supernatural, and superstitions in his stories. His story "The Devil and Tom Walker" pictured nature as mysterious. Tom walked through a swamp that was so thick that when it was noon it would be still be very dark. At times, water logs would look like alligators floating in the water. The supernatural area also played an essential role in the story. The devil, being the supernatural being, seemed to have the ability to trade riches for a person's soul. Tom, having sold his soul, wanted to outsmart the devil by recruiting the help of another supernatural power, God, by carrying a bible. In the end, the devil took his soul and he learned a lesson he cannot forget. Another of Irving's works The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, demonstrates the power than superstition can have over people. Ichabod Crane was a very careful man who avoided walking under ladders, crossing black cats, or tipping over the salt shaker. When Ichabod heard the legend of sleepy hollow, he was so frightened even then simplest of noises like cattails beating on a log, scared him. The characteristics of Irving's works have been clearly expressed, thus proving that his works were in fact romantic.
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.
“They are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs; are subject to trances and visions; and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air.” The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a short story by an American author named, Washington Irving. This short story is one of 34 essays and short stories Irving wrote in his collection called “The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.” The story is set in 1790 in the countryside around the Dutch settlement of Tarry Tow. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was the longest one published as part of The Sketch Book. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is the best example of Romanticism. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” demonstrates the tenets of Romanticism by imagination, individuality, and fairies, witches,
The traveler goodman Brown encounters with the serpentine staff is one supernatural element Hawthorne includes in Brown’s quest. "He had cast up his eyes in astonishment, and looking down again, beheld neither goody Cloyse not the serpentine staff, but his fellow-traveler alone." (Hawthorne 390). Hawthorne’s use of the traveler with the serpentine staff suggests goodman Brown’s own subconscious debate of evil within man and his innocence. All the “witchy” encounters the traveler leads goodman Brown to on his quest seem to only lead him further from finding himself than he was at the start. Washington Irving also uses a supernatural element with the infamous headless horseman in “The Legend of Sleepy
“The Legends of Sleep Hollow” I think can be read as an allegory. The Legends of Sleepy Hollow is a story in which the whole town does not know what to believe. The town is full of superstition, ghost stories that are from wartime violence, it has headless horsemen. The town is all around creepy and really quiet. “The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilights superstitions: stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, and the night-mare, with her whole nine fold, seems to make it the favourite scene of her gambols (42).” The town’s population is made up of Dutch immigrants.
American Identity with his works . Being the first American author to make a living off of his
The short story I have chosen to read by Washington Irving is 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.'; This story takes place in a little village on the Hudson River which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally known as Tarry Town. The main character in the story, Ichabod Crane, who 'tarried'; in Sleepy Hollow came about for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity. The main point of the story began with the arrival of a Negro with an invitation to Ichabod to attend a party at the Van Tassel's mansion. After receiving the good news, Ichabod fixed up his best and only suit and borrowed a horse from Hans Van Ripper, in order to impress Mynheer Van Tassel's daughter, Katrina. He did so by dancing with her upon arriving at the party. During the dance, Brom Bones, who is a rival of Ichabod, sat brooding in the corner full of jealousy and sorely smitten with love. When the dance came to an end, Ichabod was attracted to some sager folks, who, along with old Van Tassel, were gossiping over former times about the war. All of these tales could not compare to the tales of ghosts and apparitions that had succeeded the conversation. The neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow is rich in legendary treasures of the kind. Several of the Sleepy Hollow residents were present at the Van Tassel's, sharing their wild and wonderful legends. One tale told was about old Brouwer, and how he met up with the Headless Horseman returning from his trip into Sleepy Hollow.
...cenery of the town and the often odd spiritual occurrences that take place in the town. "Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs; are subject to trances and visions; and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions." (Irving 1). Using words and descriptions like he did, Irving makes Knickerbocker's stories more believeable because he makes the reader feel like they are actually in the town of Sleepy Hollow. With just a little imagination he turned a ghost story into a credible account of actions that actually took place just by using his fake historian Knickerbocker.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, is a fictional story that takes place in the town of Sleepy Hollow. With its main characters, Ichabod Crane, Brom Bones, Katrina Van Tassel, and of course, The Headless Horseman, this story is brought to life. This story helps the reader develop their imagination in multiple ways. This research paper is going to be about the power of imagination that it’s developed in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. The power of imagination in this story it’s mainly towards the reader more than the characters. Also, this research paper is going to answer the main question the readers ask when they read the story: Who is The Headless Horseman? The purpose of this paper is to put the mind of the reader into
He continues talking about the setting, but begins to talk about with it makes him think of. He feels that everything around was dead, and the wind sounded like a moan. The world seemed like it used to be alive, but now it’s just small and old. He thought that everyone around him felt the same way. Even though he felt this, he still somehow felt alone.