Wash Irving
Washington Irving's Life
Birth and Background
Born on April 3, 1783, in New York City.
Last of eleven children; father was Scottish-born, mother was English-born.
Early influences included English literature and writers such as Shakespeare and Goldsmith.
Career Beginnings
Published first satirical essays in 1802 at age 19.
Was originally going to be a lawyer
Known for both humor and for addressing darker themes in his writing.
Created iconic characters like Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane.
Literary Achievements
First American writer of the 19th century to gain international recognition.
Innovative travel sketches; pioneer of the modern short story.
Secured British and American copyrights for his work, setting a precedent.
First American able to support himself solely through writing.
Notable Works
"A History of New-York" (1809) = parodic piece that brought him fame.
"The Sketch Book" (1819-1820) = includes "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
"The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus" (1828) = standard account for schools.
Personal Life
Experience with tuberculosis led to a two-year European tour.
Grief over the death of his fiancée, Matilda, shaped his bachelorhood.
this was very hard on him, he was in some ways never the same
shaped his writing of women - he doesn’t always write women in a great light - makes them very stereotypical and “tropey”
Lived in Europe for 17 years; worked various jobs before returning to writing.
Later Years and Death
Continued to write until his final work on George Washington, published just before his death on November 28, 1859.
Left a lasting influence on American literature, inspiring numerous writers.
Themes in Irving's Work
Cultural Representation
Explored themes of American identity and cultural transformation.
Characterization
Characters like Rip Van Winkle embody the concept of change and counterheroism.
Historical Context
Addressed the impact of the American Revolution and societal shifts in his stories.
Rip Van Winkle
Narrative Setup
Story narrated by Diedrich Knickerbocker, a curious old gentleman of New York.
Emphasis on Dutch history and cultural lore as component of the narrative.
Plot Overview
Rip is a kind-hearted but lazy man, henpecked by his wife.
Escapes to the Kaatskill mountains to avoid domestic strife.
Encounters supernatural beings while drinking and falls asleep for twenty years.
Awakens to find significant changes in his village and society.
Key Themes and Analysis
Mutability: Explores the idea of transformation and personal dislocation over time.
Anti-Benjamin Franklin: Rip represents the failure of conventional success by not conforming to societal expectations.
Cultural Reflection: The changes in Rip's life reflect broader social changes during the American revolution and formation of the U.S.
Symbolism: Rip's long sleep symbolizes avoidance of responsibilities and a search for tranquility.
Conclusion of the Tale
Rip ultimately finds acceptance in a changed world.
His experiences resonate with themes of nostalgia and the passage of time.
In Class Discussion
wiling to do things for others, but is he really willing to do things for himself
rip does what he wants to do, nit what he has to do
a question of if he’s lazy or something else
procrastination —> productive procrasination?
first two paragraphs have a very dreamlike tone with a lot of idealic imagery
he’s really well like by basically everyone
especially children: he plays with thme, they jump on his back, they world surround him
not realistic - represents ideologies, minds sets
being sarcastic about how all rip does is fish and hunt without any gain for it
he doesn’t have a lot of money so he doesn’t really have time to not make money, but he wastes time hunting and fishing anyhow
Making fun of ben franklin when he say’s how he never hunts or fish
“Rip was ready to attend to anybody’s buisness but his own…” - helps everyone except for his own wife
no wonder she “nags” him all the time
Rip has two escapes
going to the woods
going to the bench infront of the inn to talk with his friends
the group that he comes up calling to him are “ghosts” - early dutch settlers
his ancestors, having a party
keg of gin (CRAZYYY PARTYYYY LOL - the kind you don’t remember)
rip gets “ripped” - very drunk
participates in heavy indulgence
escapism
connection to other mythology and fairytales
when you eat or drink things from other worlds it can have a interesting effect
ex. persephone - she ate the pomegranite and had to stay with hades
Rip drank the gin from the keg and fell asleep for 20 years
when he comes out of the woods his gun is rusted and ruined
this is a falic symbol that represents the loss of his male power - “manhood”
aging gun isn’t just falic
also just a representation of how time has passed
the gun rusted very quickly which showed and dramatized the passing of time
interesting in comparision to other stories with a long sleep
He aged while a lot of the times time itself freezes and the people don’t age
skipping forward to a time where it’s okay for him to act like he does
doing nothing he’s an old man it’s okay for old people to just sit around and do what he wants when he wants
Not a story on lazyness, but a kind of joke - a satire
Illiad and the Odysse reference
comes back after 20 years doens’t look the same, but his dog argus recognizes him
he pets him and he dies
irving is having fun with history
rip comes back and his wife dies from yelling at someone - signal that this is a kind of satire
imidiate discussion of politics
america is political
the great tree has been replaced with the american flag
nature is replaced by the state
where they used to go to relax, but is not revolutionized and political
KING GEORGE —> GEORGE WASHINGTON
present time is busy, noisy, and cluttered
critique on america
at one level a funny folktale on another a real critique of america