Rip Van Winkle” Weebly瑞普凡温克尔”Weebly.pptVIP

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, f