Rip Van Winkle Literary Analysis

Rip Van Winkle In short story "Rip Van Winkle" is a classic American Romantic tale with a mix of gothic imagery (Dincer, 220). While the hero Rip displays the character of fantasy hero, the setting and the themes of the story comprise of supernatural elements (Dincer, 220). In the story the protagonist Rip lives in a village near the Hudson River at the foot of the Catskill Mountains (FFL, 2). While describing the setting of the place Irving uses the mystical elements by showing sensitivity of the landscape which can truly be classified under the gothic setting (FFL, 2). Much against the contemporary expectation of an ideal hero Rip Van Winkle is a typical example of an ineffectual hero who is essentially immature (FFL, 2). This can be seen by the life he leads where he is characterized as lazy person not wanting to do farming (Dincer, 220). Rip escapes from the materialism of life by turning to nature where he often
In the short the narrator explains that he suffered from a disease which resulted in sharpening of his senses especially acute hearing where he is able to hear voices from heaven and hell (Poe, 1). The narrator does not see this as a psychology disorder like hallucinations but goes on to affirm that he is sane and not mad due to which he states “How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story” (Poe, 3). As he affirms of his state he takes pride in talking about the way he plots to kill the old man under his care. The narrator states that he loved the old man but he decided to kill him as he was unable to stand the old man’s evil eye (Poe, 2). He narrates “He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever” (Poe,