2.2 Washington Irving and the American Tale

Notes

Washington Irving (1783-1859) was among the first American authors to win international fame. His stories blend humor, folklore and atmosphere.

• "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" appeared in The Sketch Book (1819-1820).
• In "Sleepy Hollow," the superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane is frightened by a rider believed to be the Headless Horseman, and he vanishes. The ending hints that his rival, Brom Bones, played a trick.
• Rip Van Winkle sleeps for twenty years and wakes up in a changed, newly independent America.
• Irving uses a playful tone, gothic touches, and local settings from the Hudson Valley.
• Worked example: the story leaves it unclear whether the Horseman is real or Brom in disguise, which creates both humor and mystery.