For many generations, people around the world have read the short story of Rip Van Winkle,. The story was originally published in a book called “The sketch Book……………..” written by American author Washington Irving………………………. The story itself takes place around a small village near the Hudson River in a time around the American Revolution era where Great Britain still had control of the colonies. Irving uses effective writing to show the reader as much detail as possible to understand where and what is going on especially during the transitioning periods. But as a inadvertent thought by the author could the theme of this story be about depression as insinuated by irving in certain topics that the main character from the story experiences. Did …show more content…
For the adults He helped the children in the village in a variety of ways “He assisted at their sports, made their playthings, taught them to fly kites and shoot marbles…” (31). He was liked by everyone for all the generous things he would do for others. This was not the situation he had in his home though. The first section of the story symbolizes the personal depression of Rip Van Winkle by introducing his daily life in the Hudson river town place. Always seemed like a likable character to other except his wife. His son was exactly the same as him. His daughter wasn’t. In his personal life Van Winkle did not display any motivation to work for himself. his wife Dame Van Winkle would always scold him for practically any decision he made. She could be seen as the greatest instigator for his lack of motivation. Which leads to believe that deep down Rip Van Winkle could have been going through a form of depression and that could be what Irving was trying to describe inadvertently and possibly be a cry for help from himself. Irving wrote the story in a way that it could be narrated by a fictional character Diedrich Knickerbocker, who acts as the narrator for other tales from the same book, which could entail why there are not direct sources for the sadness Van Winkle was probably having thus giving the reader a bigger gap to think with their imagination on what could really be
In the playwright Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet often shows many signs of depression. It is argued whether he is putting on the act, or if he is actually severely depressed. I believe after the death of his father, Hamlet becomes very emotionally unstable. Three things affect Hamlet, the death of his father, the remarriage of his mother, and Ophelia. Hamlet contemplates death, and becomes prepared to die near the end of the play.
Irving composed the story in light of the American individuals at time when society has changed drastically due to American Revolution. The analogies of Irving's Rip Van Winkle cover an array of Revolutionary encounters: America before English enforcement, early American provinces under English principle, and after the American Revolution. He suggests that there is an immense contrast which leads Rip astonished, to know he is in some other time. This could symbolize the American's perspective on their new home.
Irving, Washington. "Rip Van Winkle." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe were both writers who exemplified the writing style of the Romantic era. Both writers used their great talents to take the reader into the story. For example, Irving, in “Rip Van Winkle”, starts the story by saying, “Whoever has made a courage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill Mountains.” He also involves the reader in the story by taking us into the everyday lives of the Van Winkles and goes into some detail describing Rip’s “business”. Poe also demonstrates his ability to pull the reader into the story. In “The Fall of the House Usher” he uses extensive descriptions of the settings to give the reader the feeling of being there while the story is developing around them. The writers are also similar in the use of tone in their works. Irving’s use of tone in his stories is typically lighthearted, yet dramatic. This is demonstrated in “Rip Van Winkle” when Rip comes back from the “Kaatskills” and is talking to all the people in the town. There, he finds his son and daughter and asks, “Where’s your mother?” By asking this question, Irving implies both curiosity and even fear if Dame Van Winkle is still around. This humorous approach to the subject of Rip’s wife, makes light of ...
This portrayal of Dame Van Winkle exhibits that Irving thinks lowly of women and that they’re controlling, manipulative people that perpetually aggravate men. A quote that represents that is “For a long while he used to console himself, when driven from home...” She made him so miserable that he didn’t even want to be at his home with his family. It is understandable that he would write this so the story is more interesting, but it’s disappointing that the scenario is repeated multiple times in many of his other works because it’s so degrading to women. The view of women being controlling and manipulative is also seen during the part when Rip finds out that his wife is dead, resulting in him being not necessarily sad about it. The controlling and manipulative aspect ties in here because it is just that which resulted in Rip not being affected that greatly by the event. When he is told by his daughter that Dame had passed away, he was more concerned about her not realizing that it was her own father rather than being sorrowful about Dame’s passing - “The honest man could contain himself no longer. He caught his daughter and her child in his arms. ‘“I am your father!’” Overall in this story, it is quite obvious that Washington Irving looks at women
In the beginning of the story Irving talks of how Dame Van Winkle would basically nag her husband to death. He never worked hard enough, and could not achieve greatness in her eyes. I believe that Dame Van Winkle, in this case, is symbolizing Royal England and the way it treated the colonies. You get a sense that Rip has somewhat lost his identity or sense to really care. This can be compared to the troubles the colonies were going through before the war. Rip Van Winkle is believed to be symbolism for America during this time. Even though he seemed to be at least content, Irving makes the statement that “he would rather starve on a penny than work for a dime (Washington 631-643).” When compared to America during the period before the Revolutionary war, you can s...
The short story, “Rip Van Winkle”, is a tale of a man who went up into the mountains and after a long string of odd events went to sleep. He woke up twenty years later. He went from being use to what the world was like before the Revolutionary War of the United States to how things changed after the war. When he came back from the mountain he found that his wife and friends were gone. His children were grown up and living in this new world that he had stumbled into. He found that changes had been made to clothing and how people acted; buildings that used to be in the town were now gone or changed, and a government that he had no idea about. In this short story the author used the differences between pre-Revolutionary War and post-revolutionary war to show the changes of life and maintenance of some traditions. This is a reoccurring theme in this tale.
“Rip Van Winkle”, a short story written by Washington Irving, is known for being a tale that illustrates multiple aspects of life before and after the American Revolution. After spending twenty years in the forest asleep, Rip Van Wrinkle returns to his quaint village to find his home transformed into a bustling town. By the end of the story, he has become a local historian; telling the townspeople what the village was like in days before the revolution. The events of “Rip Van Winkle” occurred due to the actions of Rip Van Winkle’s wife: Dame Van Winkle. Dame Van Winkle can be viewed as the main antagonist in “Rip Van Winkle”, as well as a symbol of Great Britain before and after the American Revolution.
With the end of the American Revolution, came an explosion of politicians hoping to influence the young democracy. At the time various political groups were attempting to fashion America politics into their vision of democracy. It was only natural that literature in the country at the time began showing the influence of this newly created democracy. Born in New York in 1783 and named for the American Revolution hero and first president, Washington Irving grew up a nation engulfed in the democratic passions. An atmosphere of this kind of politics could lend the idea that Irving would satire politics of this time. This satirical writing can be seen in the nature of the historical references and symbolic characters Irving uses in “Rip Van Winkle” where he mockingly compares colonial life under British rule to the young democracy that is the United States of his time.
Hamlet, a Shakespearean character, constantly struggles in a battle with his mind. He leads a very trying life that becomes too much for him to handle. Hamlet experiences hardships so horrible and they affect him so greatly that he is unable escape his dispirited mood. In speaking what he feels, Hamlet reveals his many symptoms of depression, a psychological disorder. While others can move on with life, Hamlet remains in the past. People do not understand his behavior and some just assume he is insane. However, Hamlet is not insane. He only pretends to be mad. Because Hamlet never receives treatment for his disorder, it only gets worse and eventually contributes to his death.
To start with, Irving's story Rip Van Winkle is set at the foot of the fairy mountains, the Catskills. The environment is quite exciting. "…and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky" (Washington, 2014, paragraph 4). The story is in...
Washington Irving’s story Rip Van Winkle is about a man named Rip Van Winkle, who lived in a small town near the Hudson Valley. All of the towns’ people really like Rip Van Winkle because he would assist anyone or anything in need of help. Others see Van Winkle as a kind neighbor, and an obedient henpecked husband. Everyone who knows him is happy with Rip Van Winkle except for his awful wife, Dame, their marriage is a symbol for the American Revolution. Dame Van Winkle, his wife, is the main source of their marital conflict. She would nag Rip to death over his duties so much that he would seek freedom from these tirades and run away. Irving uses the character of Dame Van Winkle as a symbol to represent
If there is one thing Rip Van Winkle has to offer to us I think it is to pay attention to ourselves. As many of us often do, we get to wrapped up in other's affairs and don't deal with our own lives. We tend to strive for perfection in everyone else's life and lack in our own. Rather that sleep away so many years and let time take its toll on us and those we love, we must act now and be a little more selfish in caring for ourselves.
In Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," Rip's character is closely correlated with the theme of nature and its prominence over the ever-changing world. The story is set in the Kaatskill Mountains, an important setting with a luminance that does not falter throughout. Similarly, Rip is immediately described as a respectable and well liked man in his mountainous setting. Right off the bat, the two can be easily associated. The magical elements in the story cause Rip to fall asleep for twenty years, and upon waking, he is in a world completely changed by the progression of time. However, despite the extreme alterations, only Rip and the nature that he is so familiar with are able to prevail, remaining ultimately unaffected by the new world.
In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, most literary works revolved around the dismissal and concept of progress with an evident desire to retreat back to the pure and simple lifestyles of the earlier ages. This is a prime example of how events, our history, and our society can affect our literature. Literature is greatly intertwined with our history, society, and lives. Literature has changed over time, has a major impact on our society, and affects us, as people.