The idea of persona being important in order to maintain a “good” class status is fluente in “ The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. The protagonist Ichabod desires the heart of Katrina Van Tassel, but must have the approval of her father, as well as beat the competition. The competition was with Brom Van Brunt who although was not as educated as Ichabod, had a more preferable personality and fiesque. Brom planned well before Ichabod did to marry Katrina. As Katrina and Ichabod became closer, Brom most likely would have been threatened by him and worried about his image. A man with his skills to lose to Ichabod could have both shattered his plans to marry and erased the evolving persona he would have gained. The conclusion the the Headless Horseman had some part in Ichabod's disappearance becomes less likely as the motive of others are observed. Ichabod was trying breaking a tradition of marriage being built on image and power.
The story “Rip Van Winkle” is also set in a place that seems to be built on tradition and persona. Van Winkle before his slumber, has a way of living which he enjoyed. When he woke, his way living or tradition was compromised. His persona, however stayed in tack, was constantly questioned due the political events of the time. The side of politics a person took would dictate their persona more so than and how others would react to