Running Head: The American Renaissance/Romantic Period Assignment
The American Renaissance/Romantic Period Assignment- APA
Lindsey Slagle
Engl201
July 3, 2023
1
The American Renaissance/Romantic Period Assignment2
“Rip Van Winkle” as an Allegory
Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" is a great example of why Americans should study
their nation's history. At the time of Irving's writing, Americans were becoming tired of stories
based on fantasy and realism and favoring instead the more mature literary styles of their
contemporaries in England, who focused more on realism. Irving, being a writer, recognizes the
importance of fiction and comes out to influence his fellow Americans. He achieves his goals by
exemplifying for Americans the kind of spirited, optimistic writing befitting a nation on the rise.
Washington's "Rip Van Winkle" is the first real American narrative, then. This essay will discuss
the significance of Rip to the American Revolutionary War and analyze the many English literary
techniques that are used in the narrative.
As an allegory for the American desire to reflect on its past, "Rip Van Winkle" is uniquely
patriotic. Washington compares the carefree spirit of the colonies before the American
Revolution to that of the Rip character. Because of his easygoing attitude toward life, "Rip Van
Winkle" is admired by others who lived during his time. In a similar vein, the battle that was
raging in the colonies before the American Revolution did not look down on any artistic or
intellectual pursuits.
In this piece, "A crow winging its solitary flight across the mountain" (Irving 9) draws the
reader's attention to an unnamed bird. Rip also sees "a flock of idle crows... who secure in their
elevation, seemed to look down and scoff at the poor many perplexities" (Irving 14) as he regains
consciousness. Although crows and ravens have diverse meanings in various stories, it is
intriguing to contemplate the possibility that the author of the work that was inspired by the
reference used this likeness on purpose.
The American Renaissance/Romantic Period Assignment3
In order to understand the national identity of citizens in a freshly formed community, the
author resorts to allegory. The central significance of Washington's narrative can be interpreted in
a variety of ways. However, the protagonist often serves as a metaphor for the American
Revolution. The 20 years that Rip slept in the mountain were the same 20 years when America
was ruled by the British. When he awoke and came down from the hill, he saw that the world had
really altered since the American Revolution. Following the War of Independence, the United
States set out to define itself.
The hero stands in for the people of the United States, while the villain is a metaphor for
the British colonies that reigned over them. The author meant for the hero to represent early
American adversity. Dame has the same moral right as the Queen of Great Britain to lecture her
husband about this reality. As the story says, "His fences were continually falling to pieces; his
cow was always getting lost or eating up the vegetables in the garden," thus Dame got her rights
while Rip Van Winkle wasn't paying attention to the property. His fields were always a failure
(Irving, 18). Rip's wife has every right to be irritated with him and to start nagging because of his
mediocrity.
The opening of the narrative describes the condition of the American people under British
rule. The protagonist can be described as "a henpecked husband" who does everything his wife
tells him to do. The protagonist is described as "a kind neighbor, and an obedient henpecked
husband" (MASOTTA 1). Dame Van Winkle's dislikes are made clear on many occasions during
the narrative. For instance, while discussing Van Winkle’s family issues, the villagers always
label Rip as right and Dame as immoral, siding with Rip every time. According to the author,
"Rip Van Winkle's troubles increased as the years of his marriage passed. A hard woman never
The American Renaissance/Romantic Period Assignment4
becomes softer with age. A sharp tongue is an only edged tool that cuts better with constant use"
(Irving 24).
Furthermore, "Morning, noon, and night, her tongue was incessantly going, everything he
said or did was sure to produce more angry talk" (MASOTTA 7). This shows that Dame’s stress
on her husband causes him to have difficulties. And it's easy to see how the harsh English colony
must have seemed to the Americans as it ramped up its repression year after year. Royal England
levied taxes on colonial profits. Because of this parallel between the treatment of Rip during his
rebellion against his wife's rule and the treatment of Royal England by its inhabitants, the
struggle in the Van family can be seen as a metaphor (Verdejo 462). For a native English speaker,
this tale represents the British throne. For a long time leading up to the Revolution, Americans
disobeyed the government by not paying taxes and by instead funding militias to protect them
from the Spanish, Indians, and French. Because of its treatment of colonies, England could have
been henpecked. The Americans did not pay their fair share of taxes, including the stamp act, and
the monarchy's ineptitude in governing the colonies was exposed. When colonists defiled to pay
their taxes, the king did not punish them.
In the story's middle section, the author examines the plight of identity-seeking
Americans. The protagonist/Rip returns to his village from the mountain and discovers that
everything has changed much in the years since he left. His house has been leveled, and the
community has been replaced with a massive wooden building. The image sign represented a
different individual in each photo. The locals he knew had no luck. Rip Van Winkle was worried
and puzzled as a result of the dynamics and turn of events, leading him to question his own
identity. He has a hard time accepting the reality of the extreme conflict that has occurred. He
The American Renaissance/Romantic Period Assignment5
was not a colonial subject, but rather a free American citizen living in a country that had won its
independence from England's rule.
The narrative concludes with Rip embracing his newfound identity. The author writes,
"The changes of states and empires made little impression on him. But he understood one kind of
independence- independence from a sharp-tongued wife." Rip first struggles to understand the
changes, but he eventually adjusts and gets along with the other inmates. The phrase
"independence from a sharp-tongued wife" (Verdejo 469) might be seen as a metaphor for
American freedom from British rule. After escaping colonialism, American citizens were finally
free to pursue their own interests.
In conclusion, the entire "Rip Van Winkle" narrative may be understood in terms of
metaphors that explain the necessity, for contemporary American society, of defining its identity
in the years before and following the Revolution. The story's heroes are the original Americans,
who were first ruled by the English. Dame Van stands in for England, whereas Rip Van explains
American culture from an English perspective. When Englishmen attacked their hamlet, the
villagers did not put up any resistance. In retrospect, it's clear they were oppressed by England;
hence, they rebelled and won independence. The protagonist's life serves as a metaphor for
events leading up to and following the Revolution. Symbolizing American complacency in
inviting England into their communities and dominating them, the protagonist grants his wife
power over him at the beginning of the story. Similar to Rip Van Winkle's efforts to evade his
nosy wife, the Americans did their best to stay away from the English colony.
The American Renaissance/Romantic Period Assignment6
References
Irving, W. (2009). Rip Van Winkle and other stories. Wordsworth Classics.
MASOTTA, MASON, CONNOR SMITH, and AUTUMN STEARNS. "RIP VAN WINKLE: A
FEMINIST BATTLE CRY." The Open Anthology of Earlier American Literature: 646.
Verdejo, Víctor M. "Rip Van Winkle and the Retention of 'Today'-Belief: A Puzzle." Res
Philosophica 97.3 (2020): 459-469.
