“Rip Van Winkle” is a tale by Washington Irving that describes a passive man who travels in the woods. This was written during the Romantic Period, when things were heading into the American Revolution. Rip, the protagonist, is an easy going, lazy, and the type of man who never takes care of his own family or farm. Irving pictures Rip as an awful husband that is unhappy with his life. The story is based of Rip is avoiding domesticity and never doing what is necessary for him and his family to prosper. There are a lot of characteristics of Romantics in this piece: the deep love of nature, adventuresome personalities, and the interest in mysterious and strange details.
Irving places an overwhelming amount of love for nature in this story. Irving wrote in “Rip Van Winkle” about how important nature was, “Every change of season, every change in weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers” (p. 310). Rip acts as if
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This is another example of how Irving writes with Romantic Characteristics by showing the adventuresome side of Rip and his trips into the mountains. “It could not be from the want of assiduity of 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” (p. 311). He liked being alone so he could sense the freedom. Even though he had so much to do at his own home and farm, he choose to help others with their farms instead. This is how Irving wrote with the adventuresome side of Rip’s personality. Rip was free to come and go as he pleased. Irving did not only describe Rip as a man who loves his freedom, but Rip’s children were also described as “ragged and wild”. With Rip roaming in the woods and doing as he pleased, he finds these odd characters in the