Washington Irving’s character Rip Van Winkle was a man looking to escape his troubles. When he escaped he slept for twenty years. During his sleep wars were won and lost, a new country was formed and people moved on from their memory of him. Rip Van Winkle’s town, townspeople, and house changed physically and politically while he stayed in the past during his sleep. His sleep demonstrates Irving’s idea of escapism.
Irving writes how Rip Van Winkle wanted to escape due to his troubles. Before Rip fled, he got into a fight with his wife concerning his work or lack thereof. Rip spent more time helping the neighborhood wives than working on his farm. He avoided work on his farm at all cost. His wife and children would do most of the work on the …show more content…
Before he escaped his town was small. The houses looked the same and filled with people he knew. He would often sit on his favorite bench dedicated to King George while watching the townspeople interact. When he returned into town he saw people and business he didn 't recognize. People stared as he walked past them. Rip noticed that the population grew in size and the town was bustling. Their style changed since the twenty years Rip was there. When he returned to his farm house after coming down the mountain he saw it in decay. The house was abandoned by his family and all that was left was the wood frame and his dog. All that he remembered about his house was …show more content…
Escapism is the tendency to seek distraction by escaping. During his sleep, Van Winkle missed twenty years of his life. The place he once knew completely changed along with the people in it. He went into the forest to escape the problems he was having at home with his wife. His escape caused more problems than what they would have been if he stays home with his wife and tried to fix the problem. He left for twenty years. He came back to a world completely different than he left it, which caused him to question himself. He questioned his identity, his memory and his existence. By escaping, he left the world around him to change and didn’t let himself. He was stuck in the twenty years’ prior which caused confusion and a sense of no
Irving writes how Rip Van Winkle wanted to escape due to his troubles. Before Rip fled, he got into a fight with his wife concerning his work or lack thereof. Rip spent more time helping the neighborhood wives than working on his farm. He avoided work on his farm at all cost. His wife and children would do most of the work on the …show more content…
Before he escaped his town was small. The houses looked the same and filled with people he knew. He would often sit on his favorite bench dedicated to King George while watching the townspeople interact. When he returned into town he saw people and business he didn 't recognize. People stared as he walked past them. Rip noticed that the population grew in size and the town was bustling. Their style changed since the twenty years Rip was there. When he returned to his farm house after coming down the mountain he saw it in decay. The house was abandoned by his family and all that was left was the wood frame and his dog. All that he remembered about his house was …show more content…
Escapism is the tendency to seek distraction by escaping. During his sleep, Van Winkle missed twenty years of his life. The place he once knew completely changed along with the people in it. He went into the forest to escape the problems he was having at home with his wife. His escape caused more problems than what they would have been if he stays home with his wife and tried to fix the problem. He left for twenty years. He came back to a world completely different than he left it, which caused him to question himself. He questioned his identity, his memory and his existence. By escaping, he left the world around him to change and didn’t let himself. He was stuck in the twenty years’ prior which caused confusion and a sense of no