Analysis-of-Humor-in-“Rip-Van-Winkle”

1AnalysisofHumorin“RipVanWinkle”In1819,WashingtonIrvingpublishedashortstory,“RipVanWinkle”,whichbecameoneofhisfamousworkslater(Wikipedia,1).ThisisagoodexampleforlearningAmericanhumor.Inthisstory,Irvingcreatedhumorbyexaggeratingthingsandshowingtheconflictsbetweentheidealandrealworld,whichimpliedthesituationofAmericanSocietyatthattime.RipVanWinklewasthemaincharacterofthisstory.Hewasasimplegood-naturemanwholivedintheyearsbeforeandaftertheAmericanRevolutionaryWar.Hewassoafraidofhiswifethatheoftenwentoutsidetoescapefrombeingblamedbyher.Oneday,hewenthuntingwithhisdogandcameacrossandstrangeman.Hehelpedthemancarryastoutkegtoasmallamphitheatreandwatchedtheman’sfriendsplayingnine-pins.Afterdrinkingsomeoftheliquor,hefellasleep.Andwhenhewokeup,itturnedouttobetwentyyearslater.Therearemanyhumorousthingsinthisstorywhichwerecreatedbyexaggeration.Forexample,Winkle’sdogWolfwas“ascourageousasananimalaseverscouredthewoods”,however,whenhesawMrs.Winkle“histaildroopedtotheground,orcurledbetweenhislegs,hesneakedaboutwithagallowsair,castingmanysidelongglanceatDameVanWinkle,andatleastflourishofabroom-stickorladle,hewouldflytothedoorwithyelpingprecipitation”(Irving,3).ThisdescriptiongivesreadersaclearimageofthecharacterofMrs.Winkle.Itseemedthatshewassoterrifyingthatsuchabravedoglike“Wolf”wasafraidofher.Thatwasexaggeratedbutitwassuchkindofexaggerationthatmadethestoryfunny.Suchkindofhumorconformstooneofthetheoriesofhumor——SuperiorityTheory.AccordingtoThomasHobbes,whoisamajorfigureofSuperiorityTheory,“thepassionoflaughterisnothingelsebutsuddengloryarisingfromsomesuddenconceptionofsomeeminencyinourselves,bycomparisonwiththeinfirmityofothers,orwithourownformerly”2(Smuts,2.a).Thedescriptionofthedog’sbehaviorwashumorousbecauseitshowedthatDameVanWinklewasabnormallytermagant.Itisnotuncommonforamantoscaresuchabravedogaway,butDameVanWinkledid.Shewassofiercethatmaymadereadersfeelthattheyaresuperiortoher,andthat’sthereasonthatpeoplemaylaugh.Irvingalsocreatedhumorbyshowingthedifferencesbetweenidealandrealworld.TomostAmericanpeople,thevictoryoftheAmericanRevolutionaryWarwasverymeaningfulbecauseitbroughtgreatchangestoAmerica.AmericawasnotlongeroneofthecoloniesofGreatBritainafterthat.However,toRipVanWinkle,theAmericanRevolutionaryWarjusttransformedthefaceofKingGeorgeintoGeneralWashington,and“theredcoatwaschangedforoneofblueandbuff,aswordwasheldinthehandinsteadofascepter,theheadwasdecoratedwithacockedhat”(Irving,8).IrvingexpressedhisownopinionsontheAmericanRevolutionaryWar——whatithadbroughttotheAmericanswasnotassatisfactoryaswhatpeoplethoughtitwouldbe.People’slifewasstillsimilartowhatitwasinthepast.Inaddition,theUnitedStateswasnotasdemocraticasmanypeoplethought.TheindependenceofAmericadidnotgivepeoplethefreedomtheywanted.Peoplewerestillcontrolledbythegovernment.Thisideacanbeseenfromhowpeopletreatedthe“stranger”.WhenthevillagerssawRipVanWinkle’sgunandheardhesaid“Iamapoorquietman,anativeoftheplace,andaloyalsubjecttotheking,Godblesshim”,theyshoutedto,“Atory!Atory!Aspy!Arefugee!Hustlehim!Awaywithhim”(Irving,8)!Thosevillagersdidnotunderstandtherealmeaningofdemocracy.Theyjustdidthingsaswhattheyweretold.Theyusedtobeloyaltothekingandthentheyshouldbeloyaltothepresident.Anyonewhowasinviolationofwhatthegovernmentsaidmustbepunished.3ThiskindofhumorcanbeexplainedbytheIncongruityTheory.AaronSmuts,whocomesfromUniversityofWisconsin-Madison,toldusthat“intheRhetoric,Aristotlepresentstheearliestglimmerofanincongruitytheoryofhumor,findingthatthebestwaytogetanaudiencetolaughistosetupanexpectationanddeliversomething‘thatgivesatwist’”(Smuts,2.c).Inthestory,whatRipVanWinklesawwasoutofthereaders’expectation.AlmostallpeoplethoughthighlyoftheAmericanRevolutionaryWar.AnditisprobableforthereaderstothinkthatthiseventwouldimpressoldWinklealot.However,whathappenedisthat“thechangesofstatesandempiresmadelittleimpressiononhim”,andwhatheconcernedmostwasthathecould“goinandoutwhereverhepleased,withoutdreadingthetyrannyofDameVanWinkle”(Irving,10).Thatfrustratedpeople’sbeliefsandexpectations.Itmadetheeventsinthestorybecameironicandmadethestoryhumorousaswell.Inconclusion,Irvinginterpretedthetheoriesofhumorsuccessfullybymakinggooduseofrhetoricaldevices——exaggerationandironytocreatehumorsinhisstory“RipVanWinkle”.What’smore,thosehumorsreflectedthecontradictionsbetweenidealandrealityinAmericansocietyintheearly19thcentury.WorkCited:Irving,Washington.“RipVanWinkle”.2013.Smuts,Aaron.“Humor”.Web.April12,2009.Web.April24,2013.“RipVanWinkle”.April17,2013.Web.April24,2013.