Describe “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” versus “Rip Van Winkle” (Essay Sample)

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“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” versus “Rip Van Winkle”
The short stories The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle were written by the same author, America’s Washington Irving who is easily the nation’s father of short stories. Essentially, the two stories unfold in a similar setting of Dutch settlers in United States coming to terms with the end of British colonial rule through a revolution. Markedly, most of the characters are Dutch descendants deeply immersed in the folklore and myth of the era. Irving masterfully weaves legend and drama together to produce the two masterpieces that are not only classics but historical reservoirs. The rich imagery in the stories is regarded as the precursor to similar style in subsequent short stories (Baym, Nina, and Robert 54). This paper will delve into the two short stories, explore their similarities and differences, and demonstrate that though they slightly diverge on characterization, thematic concerns, and context, the two classics are quintessentially similar in their graceful prose and historical significance.
Washington Irving was renowned for building his stories around characters rather than themes and it would therefore be instructive to tackle the similarities and differences between the protagonists first. Ichabod Crane is Irving’s main character in The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow. Through the narrator’s omniscient voice, the reader learns that the Dutchman personifies his name. He is tall, lanky, and skinny with exaggerated ear, nose, and feet size that bellied his build. Precisely, the narrator describes him as clownish persona with “feet that might have served for shovels” (Irving b 45). Conversely, the protagonist in Rip Van Winkle, Rip, has a smaller frame. Because of his size and other shortcomings that will be tackled shortly, he is forced to be meek to a domineering wife. The subdued demeanor mirrors his own appetite and gullibility as they are not as gigantic as Crane’s.
Beyond their physical dissimilarities, Ichabod and Rip find commonality in certain traits including their likeability with children. As a school teacher, Ichabod practically spends all his time with kids. Despite being tough, he has struck a good rapport with students and their parents. Whenever he has time and is in jovial mood, he plays with children and only dishes punishment to those more deserving. His strictness in class stems from a desire to help school children as he also doubles as their guide escorting them home routinely. His personable attitude is only matched by Rip, a man so good that dogs do not back at him (Irving a 50). He has an insufferable wife but the whole community rallies behind him. He would shirk his duties to play with children and though hen-pecking gets the better part of him, he rarely brawls with anyone but his domineering wife. While Ichabod wins admiration for being a scholar, Rip is everyone’s favorite because he lends a hand everywhere provided they are ready to listen to his many stories.
Strikingly, the two men are different in the way they conduct their love lives, gullibility, and belief in superstitions. Ichabod is single and searching and has found hopes of love in Katrina, a daughter of a rich Dutch farmer in the neighborhood. The school master summons what the narrator describes as “old mixture of small shrewdness and simple credulity” (Irving b 46) to win her affection. However, he faces stiff competition from Brom Van Brunt, a bigger and robust guy who would not hesitate to crash him if it escalated to the physically level. Shrewdly, Ichabod launch his charm offensive by singing to the mistress. On the occasion of the night that he was to completely win her over, his adversary turns up and ruins everything. Coupled with his gullibility and belief in superstitions, the choir master fell for Brunt’s prank involving the mythical headless horse. He disappears mysteriously never to return.
Despite their dissimilar marital status, the two men find convergence in the fact and manner of disappearance. As if exorcising themselves from a community that never accepted them for what they were, both Ichabod and Rip make exits to other worlds. For Rip, he is in one of the many forays out of the village with his dog (Irving a 49). Mysterious men call him and he joins them for a chore before over-indulging in the alcohol they had. He passes out to wake up after what he deems is a night but in reality, it was twenty years. He returns to a changed world in which George Washington was the president. Luckily for him, his daughter recognizes him and the society is more excusing of his indolent ways. For Ichabod, however, his disappearance is permanent and it is rumored he is a lawyer and judge in another city.
Beyond the characterization, other aspects of convergence and divergence exist especially in relation to believe in myths and thematic concerns. In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the use of myths and folklores creates an eerie setting and atmosphere throughout the story (Gieseler 65). However, it is not until after the autumn party at the Van Tassels’ do superstitions come alive. The society believes the ghost of Major Andre, a fallen Dutch hero, lives in a tree by the old church. As Ichabod was going home from the party, he sees the headless apparition zoom past him. Because he is not a skilled horse rider, he could not outrun his pursuer. Finally, the schoolteacher follows the headless horseman to the church and beyond the bridge that no one was to follow. That was the last trail of him as he disappeared from the society. Though Rip is not presented as being superstitious, his disappearance and reappearance fitted within the long held folklore of Dutch soldiers who came after every two decades (Nienaber 43...