The lead character of the story, Ichabod Crane is faced with the terrifying legend of The Headless Horseman upon meeting with Brom Bones, his rival with Katrina Van Tassel. The audience is also presented with a rational school teacher facing a legendary imagination. This paradox could be identified as one of the major themes of the film.
The setting of the story, the creepy town of Sleepy Hollow, has added to the terror of Ichabod, making it difficult for him to erase the possibility that the story of the Headless Horseman is true. The story of the Horseman is not made up by Brom but is a town legend, and he has successfully turned the story to his advantage. The very superstitious Ichabod is terrified as his way home from Katrina’s house is the same path that the Headless Horseman takes.
He finds himself being hunted by the Horseman. As a schoolteacher, it is expected that his coherent thinking would not let him yield to such stories and be frightened by it. His imagination is boundless and this leads him to believe the story of the Headless Horseman. Eventually, he becomes prey to the terrifying bait prepared by Brom. However, the film is tailored to be parallel to William Irving’s original story which embodies the witty and humorous style of the writer.
This style makes it enjoyable to watch the film and be taken by the thrilling chase of Ichabod by the Headless Horseman which diverted the attention from criticism of the confusion and insensibility of the lead character. It is also expected that the audience are taken into the same place that Ichabod traverses and is chased by the Horseman. The place is depicted in a way that would draw people, most especially Ichabod Crane, into a sleepy and imaginary state. Work Cited The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 1949. Disney.
The Term Paper on Washington Irving, Comparison Of 4 Short Stories
Throughout four of Washington Irving’s short stories, characters manipulate the beliefs and superstitions of others for self-beneficence. A predominant sub-theme in these stories is romanticism. The four stories that will be discussed are “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, “Rip Van Winkle”, “The Devil and Tom Walker”, and “The Spectre Bridegroom.” ...
