An-Analysis-of-Rip-Van-Winkle

1、Romanticism,DisturbedOrderandHumorinANobody’sTale—OnWashingtonIrving’sRipVanWinkleHaibeiHu0111163043June10th,2014Inthehistoryofliterature,folktalesareneverararetopic.Therearethoseaboutromance,revenge,heroes,theordinary,magicandetc.Differentstorieshavedifferentstylesandthemeswithdifferentlevelsofinfluence.Nodoubt,thehighreputationofWashingtonIrvingasFatherofAmericanLiteratureiswelljustifiedinhisworld-knownfolktaleRipVanWinkle.Thisessaywillfocusonanalyzingitsthemesaswellasthelanguagestyle.Thestor。

2、yissetbeforetheAmericanRevolutionaryWarinatranquilvillageatthefootofKaatskillMountains.RipVanWinkle,thegood-naturedandhenpeckedprotagonist,livesanidlelifethereandshirkshardlabor.Oneday,sofedupwithhistermagantwife’sincessantnagging,Ripwandersupthemountains.Therehehearsavoicecallinghimandseesastrangemanaskingforhelp.Together,theyreachahollowwhereRipfindssomeodd-lookingandodd-dressingmen.Gradually,Rip’sfearfadeawayandheenjoystheirmoonshinewhichputshimintoadeepsleep.Afterwakingandcomingbacktothevill。

3、age,Ripdiscovershimselfnolongerfamiliarwithalmostanythingoranyone.Itturnsouthehassleptthroughtwentyyears!InthemiraculousexperienceofRipVanWinkleliesthetracesofRomanticism—possessingenoughlucktoescapefromone’sresponsibilitiesandunpleasanteventsasiftheyneveroccurred.Rip,thetypicalrepresentative,isalwayswillingtoattendtoothers’businessbuthisown.Despitehislazinessandunconcernforthefarmwork,heismuchlovedbythewomenandchildrenwithhishelpfulness,thoughtfulness,amiabilityandsweettemper.Livinganeasyandsel。

4、f-contentlife,hewouldbeabletospendtherestoflifepeacefullyandjoyfullyhaditnotbeenhishard-workingcrankywife.MrsVanWinkleseemstosymbolthePuritannotions,whichemphasizeonself-disciplineandconsideridlenessasevilandunforgivable.Butontheotherhand,itisherendlesslecturesthatleadtoRip’sescapetothemountains.Withoutatermagantwifelikethat,amanordinaryandplainlikeRipcouldnevergetachancetoexperiencea20-yearmagicaldream,norcouldthisextraordinaryfolktalebecomplete.Thetasteofthemoonshinefurthershisescapefromhishom。

5、e,resultinginthatfromthetime.Allthenoisesofhislifefinallybecomeonly“distantthunder”,scarybutharmless.Whatgreatfortunehehastofacenomoreconflictsathomeandavoidtheearthshakingchangeshappeningintheawakeworld.Nowonderthestoryendsinthis,“itisacommonwishofallhenpeckedhusbandsintheneighborhood,whenlifehangsheavyontheirhands,thattheymighthaveaquietingdraughtoutofRipVanWinkle’sflagon.”Whatisnotromanticisalwaysfoundinrealitywherenoonehastheabilityorlucktosleepthroughundesirabledaysandlivelightheartedlyever。

6、after.Apartfromfocusingonmen’sescape,Irvingalsopresentsanotherenlighteningtheme:impactimposedonpeople’soutsideandinnerworldbychangesoftime.AfterRipawakensfromhislongsleepandreturnstothevillage,thereishardlyanythingoranyonehecanrecognize,notonlytheirfacesbutalsotheirdressingandthelookofthevillage.Hishousehasgonetodecaywithnoonelivinginit;thesmallinnhefrequentedisnowalargewoodenhotel;hiswifehasdiedandhisoldfriendshavejoinedthearmyormovedaway;KingGeorge’sportraitisreplacedbyoneofGeorgeWashington.Th。

7、eRevolutionaryWarhaswonAmericafreedomandprosperity.However,italsoturnstranquilityandharmonyinthissmallvillageintoscramblesforpoliticalpowersandtherapiddevelopmentinindustrialization.Thetempooflifehasquickenedandpre-warleisurelyexistencehasacquiredabusy,bustlingdisputationtone.TheonlythingsthatremainthesamearejusttheHudsonRiverandtheKaatskillMountains.Timehaschangedpeople,thegovernment,thebuildings,butnevernaturewhichisalwaysthemosttrustworthy,comfortingandinvariable.Truefreedomandprogressareyett。

8、obegrantedtopeople’sspiritualworld.Theyshouldhavebeenachievedinthebalancebetweensocietyandnature.Butrevolutionforcespeopleintoasituationwherecontentandeasearenowheretobefoundandchangesaretoosuddentobeadaptedto.Atthattime,itispeoplelikeRipwhostaysawayfromtheheartofchangesthatwilllivewithoutfeelingmuchlossoreager.Notonlycanathemebediscussedandrememberedbypeopleforalongtime,adistinctivelanguagestyleisalsocontributivetoagreatwriter’sreputationandpopularity.RipVanWinkleischaracteristicofIrving’sstyle。

9、:thesentencesarelongbuteasy-readandwell-balanced,andthetoneisfullofhumorandsympathy.TheopeningparagraphdemonstratesIrving’sremarkableabilitytodepictanatmosphericandvividpictureofKaatskillMountainswithdetails,colors,shapesandsounds.Itbecomessofabulousandattractiveunderhismagicpenwithvarioussceneries.IndescribingRip’sfearofhiswife,Irvingusesexaggerationandsatiretomakethisimagemorerootedintheaudiences’heart.Inthethirdparagraph,itendswith“atermagantwifemay,therefore,insomerespects,beconsideredatoler。

10、ableblessing;andifso,RipVanWinklewasthriceblessed”,showinginaninterestingwayIrving’sgentlewit.Exceptforthenarration,therearealsodialogueseasy,fluentandunobtrusivelysuitedtothecharacters’personalities.ItisindeedastoryfullofdistinctiveAmericanflavors:casual,cheerful,humorousandimaginative.Inspiteofvariousopinions,criticalorcomplimentary,thereisnodenyingthatRipVanWinklehasgeneratedfar-reachinginfluencesonbothAmericaandothercountries.Rip’sfantasticexperiencenotonlycreatesaworldwheretroublesandunpleas。