Washington Irving

Washington Irving’s short stories are full of surprises. He does not waste a single line. Rip Van Winkle and The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow describe nature in a magical and poetic style. Irving gives new life to mountains, rivers, trees, and animals. For example:

“They (the mountains) are clothed in blue and purple. They will gather a hood of gray vapor about their summit (954)… A small brook glides through (a valley) it, with just murmur enough to lull you to repose (965)… Its limbs were vast, gnarled, and fantastic, twisting down and almost to the earth, and rising again into the air (981)… The small birds were taking their farewell banquets. In the fullness of their revelry, they fluttered, chirping and frolicking, from bush to bush, and tree to tree (976).”

In both stories, Irving has the power of transforming real-physical places into magical and romantic spaces. He does the same with people and animals. Irving takes the worst of Rip Van Winkle and brings out the best of him. Rip becomes a celebrated character, even though, he is the direct opposite of what an American should be like.

In addition, Irving created a companion for Rip. Wolf, the dog, becomes Rip’s best friend and takes on some kind of a personality that is reciprocal to Rip’s. Reading Irving short stories reminds me of Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes and of Cannery Row by John Steinbeck because Irving, Cervantes, and Steinbeck take real life characters and transforms them into magical and celebrated people, and in most cases, the characters they pick to transform are some of the weakest members of society.

Rip Van Winkle and The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow reveal an early American agrarian society in which supernatural stories are part of people’s lives. Legends are common in any agricultural society. These phenomenal stories are in relationship to the (trees, rivers, animals and humans) natural world. These stories served as entertainment and gave meaning to people’s lives. Sometimes these stories arise after the suspicious or violent death of someone. In some ways, these stories are not all that different from supernatural Native American stories.

The story of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow is filled with vivid, romantic and magical place, people, animals, trees, food, and water. Irving is an extraordinary artistic writer. His literary works have inspired painter like John Quidor to create The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane and The Return of Rip Van Winkle.