How Does Washington Irving Use Direct Characterization Of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

449 Words1 Page

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 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 …show more content…

Throughout Irving’s story, he used characterization, irony, the dreams, and other literacy devices to bring The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to life for Irving’s audience. In the story, Irving used characterization to create the backstory, characters, and character’s personalities. Irving used direct characterization, so he could describe each character in the beginning of the story. The main character is Ichabod Crane was pictured as a school teacher, love interest of Katherina Van Tassel, and newcomer of Sleepy Hollow. Few people did not like the fact Crane wanted Van Tassel’s hand in marriage because of his position in society. In the story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Crane was described as a simple person with no beautiful features and not the type of man that a woman like Katherina

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Dark Romanticism

    1520 Words  | 4 Pages

    Goodman Brown’s character changes throughout many of the events that take place in the story and that it is due to the fact that he was dealing with the devil. At the end of the story, Goodman Brown is left with the unsettling fact that he cannot trust people because they are all sinners; this caused his attitude to changed that lead to his miserable ending and what the people’s view of him at the end of his life “they carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his dying hour was gloom” (628). As for Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow a tale that was driven by the supernatural events of the story’s climax with the encounter of the spirit of the Headless Horseman. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow focused mainly upon on the story of Ichabod Crane a schoolmaster; who one night while riding home encounter the evil spirit of the Headless Horseman. The story leaves the reader with uneasy, a doubtful feeling of what had happen to Ichabod Crane after the thrilling chase with the Headless Horseman and the line that reads “to this day that Ichabod was spirited away by supernatural means”(Irving).

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

    486 Words  | 1 Pages

    “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” represents Irving’s second comic masterpiece, a ghostly tale about things that go bump in the night. The tale opens with a description of the Hudson Valley region of Sleepy Hollow.The main character Ichabod crane is a narcissist because all he cares about is himself and getting rich. His character reminds the reader of someone who manipulates people and tries to make the pity them for money and stuff that he wants. He adds that type of snarky kind of

    Read More

  • Dark Romanticism In Washington Irving's The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

    879 Words  | 2 Pages

    With all these traits, his works became a representative of Romanticism as a whole. His well known short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a classic American Dark Romantic tale. The main character, Ichabod Crane, moves to a small town called Sleepy Hollow, to be a school teacher. There he tries to win the heart of Katrina Van Tassel, one of his students. The town Sleepy Hollow has an old folk tale of a headless horseman. Irving portrays a lot of the dark romantic style of writing while setting the scenes of this short story. An example of this is when he says “... it was dearly purchased by the terrors of his subsequent walk homeward. How often did he shrink with curdling awe at some rushing blast, howling among the trees of a snowy night, in the idea that it was the Galloping Hessian of the

    Read More

  • Comparing Sleepy Hollow and The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over time, a change has occurred from the typical horror story to a violent and bloody legend. The original short story " The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow" is an example of a simple, yet mysterious fable in which Ichabod Crane acts as the protagonist. Ichabod becomes the victim of the feared headless horseman after believing the superstitious tales of this spirit preying in the night. The film that is supposedly based upon the tale provides a deceiving, yet compelling title of Sleepy Hollow, as one might assume that the film is a reenactment of the short story. The film and original tale differ in that the film has blood, gore and controversy while the story depicts a simple and descriptive place where an evil incident occurred. The gap between the story and the film is somewhat large, as the two are almost completely different. This gap displays how our culture has transformed the originality of the 1800's to a gruesome and elaborate fairy tale through desensitization.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Washington Irving: American Story Teller

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    He also made great use of American themes in his literary pursuits. Such details, along with the people and events interlaced in his fanciful tales, are some of the reasons I find his work so distinctive and enjoyable. Washington Irving was the youngest of eleven children, born into a somewhat wealthy New York City merchant family in 1783. This collection includes two of the most recognized (and earliest) American short stories, “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which I will be addressing here.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Characteristics In The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    The characters Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” are an example of two American types, brains and brawn. The brainy American type is intelligent, book smart, and usually thin and tall. The brawny type is characteristically strong, muscular, and street smart, but not necessarily book smart. These descriptions epitomize Irving’s characters Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones.

    Read More

  • The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Character Analysis Essay

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a festive short story by Washington Irving circa 1820. The story takes place in a quaint town named “Tarry Town,” which has the eerie valley of Sleepy Hollow nearby. Moreover, among the townspeople, Sleepy Hollow is renowned for its superstitious and speculative happenings since the town’s creation. Most importantly, the legend of the Headless Horseman is the most prominently spoken of. The story follows a single man, Ichabod, and the conflicts he experiences externally leading to his assumed death. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Ichabod’s characteristics of overconfidence, false expectations, and naïveté are the reasons for his demise at the end of the

    Read More

  • Ichabod Crane and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

    1724 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many facets that can either make or break someone as a “hero”. In literature, a hero does not necessarily have to be a knight in shining armor, a caped crusader, or an exact replica of the archetype but, there are certain qualities and expectations that determine what makes a hero. A typical hero has strength, appeal, courage, righteousness, and success, meaning that they have the physical and mental capabilities that can lead them to eventually achieve their goals. In most cases, the protagonist of a story is the hero, but this is not true in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Set in Sleepy Hollow, the story chronicles schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane’s, time and sudden disappearance from the “haunted” town. Seemingly the “good guy” and hero of the story, it is made apparent that Ichabod is a man of many faults which undermine this surface assumption. Ichabod’s gangly and bird-like physique is the first indication that he is not cut out to be the triumphant hero. In the face of danger, a hero stands up with bravery while Ichabod shrinks back from mythical tales and superstitions. Likewise, the simple fact of being morally upright is challenged by Ichabod’s overwhelming greed. Affirming his lack of heroism is the story’s conclusion in which Ichabod’s overactive imagination was so prevalent that it clouded his sense of reality and caused his downfall and failure. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, Ichabod Crane is shown to be an anti-hero through his mere physical description, cowardice and greed, and ultimately destructive imagination, all of which completely contradict the traits that make a true hero.

    Read More

  • The Search for America in Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

    3268 Words  | 7 Pages

    Commentary on the Works of Washington Irving, 1860-1974.  Ed. Andrew B. Myers. Tarrytown, NY: Sleepy Hollow Restorations, 1976.  398-411.

    Read More

  • The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Irving Analysis

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since Irving was a young boy not only did he grow up in a time where the supernatural was huge but he was sent to live in a town where it was more prominent and had one of the most famous myths or legends in today’s society. The headless horseman the main focus when reading “the legend of sleepy hollow,” and it’s all based of the revolutionary war. Irving was a sickly little boy and he began to write about his experiences and the things he seen and heard about. In the 1700’s life was or seems to be dark and gloomy and that is where this story gets its mood and tone. The historical aspect is the reasons why the headless horseman is an old war soldier, the setting of the story dates back to the 1700’s, and the superstitions of ghosts and mythical creatures were more and more believed during that time

    Read More

  • The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Sexism In The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    Simultaneous reviews exhibit the degree of support Irving gained in the nineteenth century. Although numerous reviewers were aware of inadequacy in Irving's work, their recognition is mainly overwhelming. Not all critics have been thrilled; critical response of the author's work has been diverse over the past two centuries. Nevertheless, most modern critics label Irving as one of America’s greatest writers, accountable for implementing an American style of writing, particularly in short stories. His short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” are treated as American masterpieces, their legacy so great that they have been introduced to popular culture.

    Read More

  • Ichabod Crane: The Man and the Movie

    1183 Words  | 3 Pages

    Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a magnificent short story, with action, superstition, and a little humor all rolled into one. The story of the headless horseman has scared little children of Sleepy Hollow for many years. Then along came Hollywood and decided that Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” needed something more. Hollywood needed a more exciting main character in Ichabod Crane and story line to appeal to the twentieth century. Washington Irving had to write in a way that the reader could visualize Ichabod Crane and how utterly terrified he was of everything, whereas, Hollywood could use its own Jonny Depp to deliver a wonderful performance. Hollywood’s image for Sleepy Hollow needed more action, blood, more superstition, and better looking characters. Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and the movie “Sleepy Hollow” differ on three main points: 1) the story line, 2) the appearance of Ichabod Crane, and 3) the occupation of Ichabod Crane.

    Read More

  • American Gothic Essay

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the novel and the movie of Sleepy Hollow, both has its own uniqueness. The biggest change in narrative from the movie by Tim Burton of Sleepy Hollow from the short story by Washington Irving was the fact that Crane was presented as a skeptic who relies on scientific methods to solve the murders happened in town. In the movie, he was being sent from New York who goes to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders. This alter the meaning of the story because he wasn’t as superstitious as he was supposed to be. According to the book, Crane is an extremely superstitious man who often believe in supernatural and led to him being scared at night. He was supposed to be afraid of the Headless Horseman and hope he won’t be beheaded by him.

    Read More

More about How Does Washington Irving Use Direct Characterization Of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

Open Document