Washington Irving

*1783-1859*First international literary celebrity of the U.S.*Humorist and satirist (satire: literature that mocks and scorns).*A native of New York, Irving humorously wrote of the history and landscape of that state. He set much of his best-loved and best-known fiction in the Catskill Mountains, the Hudson River Valley, or in the growing city of New York. *Inspired by German Romantics and folklore and legends.

*Travelled widely abroad; wrote much about his travels and experiences in England, Spain, and elsewhere in Europe.*He never wavered in his loyalty and love

for the young United States. *Although popular in Europe, his fluid and

expressive prose paid homage to the liberty and democracy that animated American society in the early 19th century.

*Genius for inventing fictional narrators (Diedrich Knickerbocker).

*Up until this point, we had no real FICTION from America

*Borrowed openly from European writing

*New voice- the settings/sounds of America

*“Rip Van Winkle” is actually a German tale, but Irving used American settings; the Catskill Mountains and Revolution to make it his.

The main character in a story by Washington Irving (1783-1859), who bowls, drinks with some elves and then falls asleep for 20 years. When he awakes, he is an old man with a long, gray beard and realizes that many changes have occurred, namely, his wife has died and the AMERICAN REVOLUTION has taken place. By association, a person who sleeps a long time; a person who is not up-to-date with the current situation.

*Increased popularity of short story genre

*Added local settings

*Added humor

*Added rich atmosphere and tone

*Created independent genre

*Stripped it of educational/religious nature

*Fluid and beautiful writing style

*Individual characters (not stereotypes)

*The American Revolution

*Independence (both national and Rip’s personal independence)

*Change

*Aging

*Importance of imagination

*Henpecked, but lovable, lazy vagabond.*Refuses to accept adult

responsibility as a husband, father, and member of Sleepy Hollow.*Wife nags him for good reason –

he allows his farm to go to ruin and he does little to provide for his large, growing family.

*Kids and animals love his childish personality.

*He is the adolescent who refuses to grow up and he gets away with it.*The American hero

frontiersman; loved hunting in the woods with his dog to escape from his wife (the romantic journey).

*Characteristics of romantic literature in “Rip Van Winkle”:*Setting*misty “fairy” mountaintops* a mysterious forest* old-fashioned villages* days gone by from a distant

era.

*Rip as a romantic hero* Simple, good-natured,

innocent, unsophisticated, close to nature, domesticated by his wife, possessed youthful qualities.

*“Rip Van Winkle” is important to the development of American literature.

*This story, although modeled after British traditions, was uniquely American, featuring American settings (Catskill Mountains) and themes (American Revolution).

*Irving was considered as a talented equal to British authors, not an inferior.