Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle

“Rip Van Winkle” is a short story by, Washington Irving. It was written in June 1818, after Washington was spending time with relatives, remembering their times in Sleepy Hollow. The interesting thing about this author is that he wrote this story based from his personal memories and experiences of living in the Hudson Valley. It is also partly based on local history, but with European myth and legend. Today, “Rip Van Winkle” is a well- known story tale. Almost everyone in the United States has heard of or even read about it. This tale is about a man named, “Rip Van Winkle” who goes into the mountains with a gun and his trusted canine wolf. He spit with his wife, when he decided he needed to get some air. He meets up with an English explorer named, Henry

He and his crew haves drinks together. Eventually, Rip Van Winkle, falls asleep. When he wakes up its twenty years later. Not having a clue all that has happened, he returns home to his village. Soon he discovers a lot has changed in those twenty years. He learns that his wife had died upon reuniting with his son and daughter. Many of the villagers recognize him. He is now referred to as The Legendary ‘Rip Van Winkle.’ Irving portrays his main character in “Rip Van Winkle” as lazy and not very admirable. In doing so, he creates a character that helps the people around him, with the exception of his own his family. “Rip Van Winkle,” is a character that is part American Mythology. The character trait most easily evident is how lazy he really is. For example, when his wife, Dame, asked Rip to work on the farm, he refused. He claimed, that it was only a little piece of ground, and just leave it as it is. In the story, it’s quoted, “He declared it was no use to work on his farm; it was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country.” (64) In the reading it states to be the worst looking piece of farmland in the neighborhood, but he did not care. If he