Both of the stories by Washington Irving are fictitious tales written in the mid 1800’s. The author, Washington Irving, was an influential author. He invented narrators, who were both comical and fictional, to explain his stories. His work was based on German folk tales, and he added an American twist to the age-old tales. The first thing that strikes me after reading both of these stories is that Irving uses inflated diction in both. This is another reason Irving became so popular.
This way of writing made the story more enjoyable and comical. However, to some readers, inflated diction could be confusing and annoying. Either way, this style is prevalent in both of the stories. Another thing these stories have in common are either mysterious or supernatural beings. The Devil and Tom Walker has the Black Woodsman, a man who is neither black nor Indian.
This is a mysterious character in the story. In Rip Van Winkle, we learn of Rip’s twenty year slumber. Rip Van Winkle’s personality contributes to a mysterious man. Irving also wrote the plot of these stories near the East Coast. Rip Van Winkle takes place in the Catskill Mountains, which are located in New York.
The Devil and Tom Walker takes place in Boston. This tells us that Irving knew the land of that area that he grew up. He was born in New York City, which probably explains why both stories take place near New York City. The surrounding areas around New York City hold a special American historical value.
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The area of the East Coast was where America started, so it makes sense as to why Irving decided to make the plots in these stories roughly around the same location. As we know, Washington Irving was born in 1783. If you look at the time the stories take place, you will notice that they are actually written in a time period before he was born. The Devil and Tom Walker takes place in the year 1729. Rip Van Winkle takes place before the start of the Revolutionary War, which started long before Irving was born.
So why does he do this? I believe he does this because he holds the belief that the earlier American setting is more interesting. Irving draws on the history of the America he knew while growing up. It is true that both of these stories have a lot in common. But they do differ in some ways. The most notable difference are the endings. The ending of Rip Van Wrinkle is about the change he experiences.
Rip Van Winkle does not die, even though his wife dies. In the Devil and Tom Walker, Tom Walker dies and the ending is much more tragic than Rip Van Winkles. I enjoyed both of these stories were enjoyed by me and I liked Irving’s style of writing. His way of adding an American touch to German folk tales made him a popular and successful author.
