Summary and analysis of Washington Irving’s book, « Rip van Winkle »

According to the website Encyclopedia, « Rip van Winkle » is a short story writes by an American author, Washington Irving. This author was born in 1783 in New York City and died in 1859.

This story is published in 1819 in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Kent in the United States. It knew such a success it belongs ofAmerican popular cultureand thatthe author must make a British edition. Indeed,it is the most popular storyof Washington Irving, and it is famous worldwide.

At the beginning of the text, the author relates the journey of Diedrich Knickerbocker who is the supposedwriter of this story. He is a character invented by Washington Irving according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The author also explains research of his man on Dutch’s legends. He is although a three-person and limited narrator. So, he speaks at the third person and knows only things of one character, Rip van Winkle.

The novel takes place in a village, beside Catskill Mountains. It tells the adventures of a man, Rip van Winkle who lives in this village. He is described as good man who is very kind, in fact, he helps all his neighbors,but he doesn’t work in his farm.He has a moody wife, a dog called Wolf and a child.

He isn’t very rich and usually, he is economical, but because of his wife who urged him to spend his money to buy stuff, he became poor. Nobody appreciate his wife because she isn’t kind with his husband and Wolf, the dog.

The other characters are Nicholas Vedder, he is the dean of the village and all people respected him, Derrick Van Bummel, the institutor, Rip van Winkle’s wife and son. Number of them are well-rounded characters, they don’t have an important place in the story.

It is a fantastic short story, because, one day, whenhe walks alone, he hears a voice who says his name. Then, I see a man who looks strange. After, he sees other people who are although looking weird. Then, he falls asleepon the hill and when he wakes up, he realizes that he has grown old.

When he returns in the village, he is surprised because he doesn’t recognize houses, people, the name of the streets and people don’t recognize him. When he requests atthem, he realizes that many of his friends died or left the village, and he feels sadness. He understands that the world that he knew didn’t exist. He doesn’t know if he really is himself as we can see in page eight  » He doubted his own identity, and whether he was himself or another man. ».

When I have read this short story, I felt surprised and confused, because I didn’t understand that he travelled in the time. In my opinion, when he returns in the village, I believed, through his description of village and which he identified nothing, that he went back up in past. But after, the reader can conclude that Rip van Winkle is in the future, because the main character sees the stars and stripes banner and doesn’t understand why there is this flag which he doesn’t know.

I found the narrative interesting because is well told and that we can identify with RipvanWinkle. We can know his thoughts, his emotions and his reactions. We cans see that at page eight « Rip was sorely perplexed » and  » Rip’s heart died away, at hearing of these sad changes in his home and friends ». I was especially moved, and I felt pity for him when he learns that he is in future, and he have lost more people he knew.

I didn’t like the moment when he discovers that all his friends are dead and when nobody recognize him even his dog as we can see in page seven of the story « “My very dog,” sighed poor Rip, “has forgotten me!” ».

I have really liked its story. Even if, at the beginning of the story, Rip van Winkle is a good and very naïve person, he seems brave to me. He felt fear in attendance of these men, but he decided to come back at the place to find his dog and his gun.

I think,from middleof the story, the atmosphere becomes a little bit disturbing and weird as we can see in page seven « Strange names were over the doors—strange faces at the windows—everything was strange. ».

The history begins with a putting in context, a description of the researches for Diedrich Knickerbocker to write the history and of his life generally.It is a narrative framework. Then, the history of Rip van Winkle starts and tells his various adventures. It is a story box.At the end of the story, there is a paragraph in which Diedrich Knickerbocker says that the story of Rip van Winkle wasn’t believedby many people. To demonstrate the veracity of this story, he tells that he met Rip van Winkleand he seemed not to be mad.

This story reveals about the culture: the fantastic stories are very appreciated. Indeed, Rip van Winkle has drawn attention all over the world. Ghost stories, returns in time, the paranormal always interested people, we can even notice it today.

The short passage who I decided to explain is in page five and six.

«  As Rip and his companion approached them, they suddenly desisted from their play, and stared at him with such fixed statue-like gaze, and such strange, uncouth, lack-luster countenances, that his heart turned within him, and his knees smote together. His companion now emptied the contents of the keg into large flagons and made signs to him to wait upon the company. He obeyed with fear and trembling; they quaffed the liquor in profound silence, and then returned to their game.

 By degrees, Rip’s awe and apprehension subsided. He even ventured, when no eye was fixed upon him, to taste the beverage, which he found had much of the flavor of excellent Hollands. He was naturally a thirsty soul and was soon tempted to repeat the draught. One taste provoked another, and he reiterated his visits to the flagon so often, that at length his senses were overpowered, his eyes swam in his head, his head gradually declined, and he fell into a deep sleep. »

This passage is interesting and the most important because it describes the moment when Rip van Winkle meet strange people on the ill and when he feels fear, drinks alcohol and fall asleep. It is the trigger for what will happen to Rip van Winkle, the transition between before and after.

Today, there are many fantastic stories or movies who speak about the same subject. But characters in these stories returns frequently in the past and less in future to improve their future or avoid a disaster. Futhermore, characters in these stories or movies use a machine to go back in time most of the time, whereas in this story, Rip van Winkle didn’t change voluntarily of time and without any technical material.

This story reminded me the fairy tale of The Sleeping Beauty because all people who are in the castle fell asleep during numerous years and when they wake up, they are in their future.

Sources used:

Link to the text Invention based on the book of Paul Auster, « The Red Notebook » : https://perraudin-lucille.alwaysdata.net/wp/2020/07/26/invention-book-paul-auster-the-red-notebook/

Laisser un commentaire

Votre adresse de messagerie ne sera pas publiée. Les champs obligatoires sont indiqués avec *