Analysis of the theme of history in Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle.

Analysis of the theme of history in Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle.

Objective: Investigate and analyze the concept of history as it plays out in Rip Van Winkle

Points possible: 10

Overview:

In our lecture on Rip Van Winkle and new beginnings we noted 4 places where this issue of history comes up in the story. I will list them again below

1. The background story: Washington Irving pretends that the entire story is a real historical account, even though we all know it is fictional.
2. Old Dutch figures: The figures who give Van Winkle the drink that puts him to sleep are dressed in the “antique Dutch fashion.” They do not look like contemporary American colonists.
3. Van Winkle loses his own history: His past is lost because he slept for 20 years.
4. The modern colonists reaction to Rip: After losing his history the residents of his town are at first afraid and distrustful of him, but then grow fond of him.
Writing the paper

For each of the 4 references to history in the story that are listed above, please try to show how that element can be interpreted if we see Rip Van Winkle as a story about how Americans in general (or at the time of the story) relate to their own history. Please consider each of the 4 instance separately. You will need to generate an interpretation of at least 3 of the 4 references to history given above for a complete paper. Your paper should be at least 1 page (325 words) in length. (paper is worth 8 points)

Please use the same format and the same type of bold paragraph headers that I have used in the example below.

Sample Paper

Sample paper

Introduction

In this paper I will discuss how four references to history in the story Rip Van Winkle can be interpreted as ideas about how Americans in general deal with the concept of history when we live in a land of new beginnings.

History Reference 1: The background story

It is interesting that Washington Irving chose to pretend that this fictional story is really a true account. I think that this invention of history can be understood as saying something about how Americans in general deal with their history. Specifically, I think….

History Reference 2: The old Dutch figures

I could not figure out what these historical figures might mean in the story, nor could I figure out how to interpret what they say about the American relationship with history. This is the one of the 4 instances of history that I will skip.

History Reference 3: Rip loses his history after taking the drink

I think that this incident relates in a lot of ways to the way Americans deal with their own history. As I see it the drink taken by Rip represents…. And his sleeping for 20 years represents…. This is a common scenario that Americans deal with….

History Reference 4: The colonists’ reaction to rip

I think this part of the story also can be interpreted as saying something about how Americans deal with history. I see Rip representing…. And I see the colonists who are afraid and amused by Rip as representing…. We can see that this is an issue many Americans deal with because….

Posting your paper

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