Rip Van Winkle” ETWeb輔仁英文網瑞普凡温克尔”輔仁英文網台北益教网.pptVIP

“Rip Van Winkle” (1819) Washington Irving Washington Irving (1783-1859) last of 11 children lived from end of Revolutionary War to just before the Civil War 1809: published parody History of New York, under the pseudonym Dietrich Knickerbocker; became celebrity (?New York Knicks NBA team) 1815: departed for Europe; away for 17 yrs. 1819: The Sketch Book, including “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” both based on German folktales Washington Irving (1783-1859) first American writer to be a big success in England 1828: The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, research in Spain 1829-32: diplomat in London 1832-42: returns to U.S., builds home Sunnyside on Hudson River, New York 1842-46: minister to Spain 1851-59: 5 vol. life of George Washington Sunnyside Hudson River from Sunnyside Vision vs. Reality (1) “Rip Van Winkle” is the classic American story of a man who finds his home life intolerable, and so escapes into a world of fantasy and vision Even before Rip goes into the mountains and apparently falls asleep for 20 yrs., the story is divided between reality and fantasy/vision Vision vs. Reality (2) Reality: Home life, under the rule of Dame Van Winkle Farm: “most pestilent piece of ground in the whole country” (?8) Children: “ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody” (?9) Wife: “continually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family” (?10) Vision vs. Reality (3) Vision: Community anywhere outside the house Playing with village children/telling stories (?6) Minding “any body’s business but his own”; “an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labour” (?7) “frequenting a kind of perpetual club of the sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village” (?12) Escaping into the woods with gun and dog Wolf (?15) Vision vs. Reality: Rip’s Journey Rip’s Kaatskill experience extends his village “vision” Escape from family responsibility Dutch Drinking party: Male com