Sleepy Hollow Analysis

Many characters in Washington Irving's original text, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", are markedly changed to suit many different versions of the story. By comparing and contrasting the character Ichabod Crane in the original Washington Irving text and Tim Burton's 1999 film, "Sleepy Hollow", both characters' influence on the audience may be analyzed. Through literary techniques and production elements, the characterization of Ichabod's physical appearance, beliefs and personality including his love for Katrina can be used to influence the response of the audience. Although both versions of Ichabod Crane are different, they are also similar in many ways. Through certain appearances, beliefs and behaviors, the audience is positioned to see Ichabod
Irving's Ichabod develops a cowardice persona from the audience as his superstitious beliefs come from unproven stories, in comparison to Burton's Ichabod, the audience is position to favor the character as his fears originate from his sympathetic past in which he is trying to forget. The original Ichabod is a school teacher who is constantly reading supernatural books and stories and due to his credulity, he superstitiously believes everything he is told: "Cotton Mather's 'History of New England Witchcraft,' in which, by the way, he most firmly and potently believed." (Moses and Irving, 1995) Due to his constant fears, his gullible belief in the Headless Horseman causes him to flee Tarry Town in which emanates his cowardice - causing the audience to view him as the coward he is within the text. However within the film, Ichabod is presented as an investigator similar to Sherlock Holmes in which many modern audiences' love. Rather than credulity, Ichabod is interested in scientific causes, and justice, "by pathology,... I will need to examine the body." (Sleepy Hollow, 1999) His vast collection of self invented equipment and notebooks further support his portrayal as more scientific than naive. His fears originate from his past as Ichabod is often haunted by flashbacks of his father and memories of his mother: "By a Bible-Black tyrant behind a mask of righteousness. I was seven when lost my faith." (Sleepy Hollow, 1999), therefore, eliciting sympathy from the audience. Similar scenes occur in both the text and film. Within the text, Ichabod's disappearance is caused by the pursuit of the Headless Horseman, evidently revealed to be Brom Bones: "Brom Bones,... was observed to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of