Rip Van Winkle In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, literature began to show it was changing thanks to the newly formed democracy in America. As is the case with any young government, many different interest groups arose to attempt to mold the government according to their vision of democracy. Washington Irving, a native New Yorker born in 1783, grew up in a world engulfed in these democratic ideals. He grew up to be, as many would grow up in this atmosphere, a political satirist. This satirical nature of Irving’s shows up well in ‘Rip Van Winkle’, as he uses historical allusions and symbolic characters to mockingly compare colonial life under British rule to the democracy of the young United States. The reader assumes the appearance of Rip from the preceding paragraphs in which the author sets the general time frame in the colonial era before and after the American Revolutionary war.
To describe Rip one would have to look mostly at little hints in the story. The best way to describe Rip would be that he is very muscular because of all of the physical labor done in chores. We also learn Rip had light hair with blue eyes. Rip’s clothing was that of the time period: black suits with fluffy white collars, tri-cornered hats, and brass buckles on the black shoes.
Good-natured and helpful best describes Rip’s attitude, this good faith towards all that eventually lands Rip in trouble. This story is full of historical instances. The first historical satire occurs attached to the name Peter Stuyvesant, who is mentioned twice with exaggerated praise. Stuyvesant, a harsh and strongly disliked governor, was in power when the English seized New York.
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Irving uses a false respect for Stuyvesant to make fun of the Dutch in New York, who blamed him for the loss of the land to the English. Having set the scene as a Dutch-friendly narrator, Irving introduces Dame Van Winkle, Rip’s angry wife, who maintains contempt for Rip’s laziness and carefree attitude. Dame Van Winkle’ harsh control over her husband represents King George and the English rule of the colonies. Whereas George, yet felt faithful and attached to the Crown, mistreated the colonies Rip stood by his demanding wife.
The irony is in Rip’s non-caring attitude towards Dame Van Winkle. He was harassed and bossed, but he was content. Nicholas Vedder, the owner of the inn, who controlled the conversations and opinions of the tavern talks, represents the colonial governors appointed by the Crown. While he rarely spoke, his influence was always present. This mirrors the inactive role the governors took in every day life, and the colonist’s considerable respect for them. The relationship between the governors and Britain is illustrated perfectly by Irving when Dame Van Winkle comes to the inn to collect her husband.
‘Nicholas Vedder himself, scarred from the daring tongue of this terrible woman, who charged him outright with encouraging her husband in habits of idleness. ‘ (Irving 15) (6) While a characteristically influential man, Nicholas is no match for the intimidation of Dame Van Winkle. The turning point of the story occurs when Rip walks deep into the woods and encounters a mysterious band of oddly dressed strangers with foreign customs. These strangers represent the tribes of Indians who d welled in villages outside the colonial settlements. In the short conscious time Rip spends with them, he takes the time to notice a great deal about how their small town works. Throughout their entire party, the group remained completely silent, although they were definitely happy.
This portrays the Indians apprehension to interact with the settlers. Rip also takes note of a leader of the group. This leader wears a large, outlandish headpiece, and is shown to be a respected elder of the group. The entire scene where Rip waits on them out of fear, parodies the capturing and enslavement of the settlers by the Indians. This part of the story is a bit vague to the reader. The little men referred to here could be one of three different things.
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One could be that they represent the British in that they are small and soon go away. On the other hand they could be the colonists in that they look odd and act differently then the out side world. The last one is that the little men represent the Indians that live near the colonists. However, Rip is not awake long enough to become their slave, as Irving, in order to transport Rip to a post-Revolution society, has him drink too much liquor and sleep for 20 years. By the time Rip awakens, a war has been fought, and a new government has been formed.
Completely unaware of these happenings, Rip returns to the village and as it happen it was Election Day. Irving insults the values of the new democracy and its two party system, with the first question that is asked of Rip. He is asked what political party he belongs to, Federal, or Democrat. Irving goes on to make light of the politicians and their elected power in the new government by referring to one statesman as ‘a knowing self-important old gentlemen [who]…
made his way through the crowd, putting them to the right and left with his elbows as he passed… .’ (Irving 17) (6).
The relative flaws and problems of the young legal system is exposed when Rip is first accused of attempting to start a riot, and then of being a spy for the British. Finally, after talking to his old friends, Rip asks about the whereabouts of his wife, whom he is told died from a broken blood vessel in a fit of anger at a merchant in New England. This ironic death represents the British loss of power over the colonies due to their anger becoming more powerful than their care for control over the colonies.
Even more indicative is Rip’s reaction upon hearing of his wife’s death. The emotion felt by Rip is described by Irving as ‘Happiness,’ along with a sigh of relief given by the colonies after breaking away from British control. Irving sums up his views of democracy towards the end of the story, after Rip is placed back into society to fully understand and interpret the new government. It is obvious that Irving promotes Rip’s laziness and carefree attitude as the most sought after and hoped for lifestyle, and he uses this characterization to analyze the young democracy. While Rip understands that there was a war, and that his status of citizenship is changed, he still is the same person. Irving is mocking the lack of importance of the dramatic changes to many Americans.
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The one aspect of his former life that he is glad to have lost, however, is what Irving refers to as ‘petticoat government’. (Irving 18) (6) The Americans no longer were controlled by England and Dame Van Winkle no longer had a tight grip on Rip’s affairs – now he was truly free. In one final satirical blow to the values of his present society, Irving closes the story with a note from the invented author, Diedrich Knickerbocker. In this note he begins to explain that while the events discussed in the story may seem questionable, he has talked with Rip himself. However, he stops himself, realizing that claiming first-handed experience will not win credibility. Instead he says that a judge signed a certificate saying the story was true, which must convince everybody that the trustworthiness of the tale is no longer an issue.
Irving is obviously amazed that people won’t believe something someone says, unless a judge decides it is true. In this it shows the whole change of America pertaining directly to Rip Van Winkle’s life from an overbearing king (played by his wife) to the bickering people in the tavern that depict the behavior of the governors of this new land. Unlike most Colonists of the time, Rip is shown to be very lazy when it comes to taking care of himself. It is first shown in paragraph five, lines one and two along with paragraph eight lines nine and ten.
‘… eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound.’ This quotation symbolizes Rip’s attitude of doing what takes less effort and not doing work when not watched. In this story there are two very direct views of the revolutionary war, one that is factual and the other that is mostly more for the fun of the reader. The more factual side is shown very little in the story but it is still there. The man in the cocked hat brings up the more historical points.
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In the early eighteen hundreds, literature in the Americas started a revolution of style in upcoming authors. Authors started to look towards nature for symbolism and society as a source of sin. The underlined meaning in most of these stories was meant to leave the reader with a new perspective of their personal lives and society as a whole. Three stories that use this particular technique are ...
He asked Rip very direct questions about the time and because of this he expects very direct answers. When Rip re-enters the town after being gone for twenty years, he asks Rip what political party he is part of – a very direct and historical question. Of course Rip, having been gone for twenty years, doesn’t know what he is talking about and it goes on from there. Rip becomes very popular after telling his story to the villagers over and over again which proves that, in most cases, a fairy tale will beat out the truth in the order to please the public – and this story is no exception 1. Poulard, Dennis ‘Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism.’s haron K. Hall, Vol.
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194-1953. Gales, Judith. ‘Nineteenth-Century literature Criticism.’ Joann Cerrito. Vol 41 Detroit.
Gale Research inc. 1994 Pg. 31-354. Greene Gayle. ‘Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism.’ Laurie Lanz on Harris.
Vol 2 Detroit Michigan Gale Research Company. 1982 Pg. 62-645. Magill, Frank N. ‘Cyclopedia of literary Characters.’ A. J.
Sobe zak. Vol. 4 New Jersey. Salem press Inc.
1998. Pg. 1641-16456. Roch in, Domingo ‘Rip Van Winkle an American story’ Washington Irving. David Barefoot New York 1998 Pg. 14-20.
