“Rip Van Winkle” “Rip Van Winkle” was written by Washington Irving and first published in 1819. Rip Van Winkle was the main character in the short story, and he lived at the foot of the Kaatskill Mountains. He was welcome by his neighbors because he was nice, an “easygoing” person, and enjoyed to help the neighbors. He was the favorite with the children of the village; he taught them different games and told them interesting stories. However, he was also known as a lazy man. Not because he didn’t work, in fact, he was ready at any time to help his neighbors for anything. He just didn’t work on his farm, his own business. He didn’t take care of his family neither. As a result, his wife, Dame Van Winkle, was cantankerous and always nagged him.
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He’s actions and behaviors would never harm the community. But, he could not be a successful man, in his life and his family. Rip Van Winkle did not have any plan or dream on his life. In the first part of the story, Irving described the details on how Rip enjoyed to assist the neighbors, and how he played with the kids. But Rip refused to work. “The great error in Rip's composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor.” “Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. If left to himself, he would have whistled life away, in perfect contentment.” (Irving) Traditionally, a man in the family was considered to take care all of the outside works and earn money to support the whole family. But, Rip was a noble person who pursued freedom and followed his favor more than the real life. He is “the man who wanders into the hills has refused to accept adult responsibility in his community. He plays at work instead of working.” (Ferguson). Rip was the one who had failed to hold up his end. A symbol of American infancy and misplaced innocence, he refused to grow up. Twenty years and the changes in the world couldn’t change Rip’s mind. At the end of the story, he still spent much of his time in sleepy idleness, and enjoyed his role as a
He’s actions and behaviors would never harm the community. But, he could not be a successful man, in his life and his family. Rip Van Winkle did not have any plan or dream on his life. In the first part of the story, Irving described the details on how Rip enjoyed to assist the neighbors, and how he played with the kids. But Rip refused to work. “The great error in Rip's composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor.” “Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. If left to himself, he would have whistled life away, in perfect contentment.” (Irving) Traditionally, a man in the family was considered to take care all of the outside works and earn money to support the whole family. But, Rip was a noble person who pursued freedom and followed his favor more than the real life. He is “the man who wanders into the hills has refused to accept adult responsibility in his community. He plays at work instead of working.” (Ferguson). Rip was the one who had failed to hold up his end. A symbol of American infancy and misplaced innocence, he refused to grow up. Twenty years and the changes in the world couldn’t change Rip’s mind. At the end of the story, he still spent much of his time in sleepy idleness, and enjoyed his role as a