Myth In Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle

As Greil Marcus once said, “It is a sure sign that a culture has reached a dead end when it is no longer intrigued by its myths.” For a story to be considered part of a nation’s mythology it has certain criteria it has to meet. “Rip Van Winkle” is a short story written by Washington Irving right before the American Revolution. This story does not just meet all of the requirements to be considered part of our nation’s mythology it surpasses them all. The short story “Rip Van Winkle” meets all the characteristics of any mythological story, and makes an even bigger impact on the reader’s experience of the story.
One of the many characteristics a short story should meet is that the story should be set in the past, often in remote or exciting