In Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle, Rip as a character is a lazy man when it comes to anything having to do with work. His work less lifestyle is displayed when his most important activities include shooting squirrels with his gun, and spending countless hours fishing without even the inkling of a bite. “The great error in Rip’s composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor. It could not be from the want of assiduity or perseverance; for he would sit on a wet rock, with a rod as long and heavy as a Tartar’s lance, and fish all day without a murmur, even though he should not be encouraged by a single nibble” (565).
This display of his character portrays an American quality of an individual who is lazy, unmotivated, and disinterested in the growth and unity of a nation. During this pre-revolutionary time, this attitude is written about in numerous works of English and American literature. English colonies were thought to be full of beauty and richness as opposed to the sluggish, lower-class living conditions which were stereotypical of American lifestyle. The idleness of Rip seems to represent the overall attitude of all people in this new American land.
To sum up Rip’s American character, Irving says, “Rip Van Winkle, however was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny then work for a pound” (566).
The Term Paper on Japanese Work Ethics Vs American Work Ethics
Japanese Work Ethics vs American Ethics "For an American to consider the Japanese from any viewpoint for any reason, it is important for us to remember that they are products of a unique civilization, that their standards and values are the results of several thousand years of powerful religious and metaphysical conditioning that were entirely different from those that molded the character, ...
When comparing a lifestyle such as Rip Van Winkle’s to the lifestyle of the well known Ben Franklin, there are extreme differences. Where as Rip Van Winkle’s main concerns were effortless and thoughtless, Ben Franklin was a man of great intelligence and integrity. He would travel great lengths intrigue the minds around him and support his community with great inventions and craftsmanship. Although Ben’s era was of a later date, he helped enlighten this young American country of the importance of good work and education. From Poor Richard’s Almanack, Franklin writes, “Employ thy Time well if thou meanest to gain Leisure; and since thou art not sure of a Minute, throw not away an Hour.
Leisure is Time for doing something useful; this Leisure the diligent Man will obtain but the lazy Man never; so that, as Poor Richard says, a Life of Leisure and a Life of Laziness are two Things.” Ben Franklin was a man of schedule, diligence, and punctuality. These traits were not known to Rip Van Winkle, and this is because he chose a life filled with solitude and free choice. What distinguishes our country from those surrounding, is it’s citizen’s attitudes toward bettering and helping their nation grow. One such as Ben Franklin chooses to make a difference in the world, and one such as Rip Van Winkle chooses a life of simplicity. Without motivation and hard work, a growing nation will be far from magnificence and affluence, which is the true characteristic of our young developing country.
