Washington Irving's 'Rip Van Winkle'

Washington Irving was born in New York, NY on April 3, 1783. He was the first internationally recognized author of America. Studied law and worked as a lawyer on Wall Street. He was interested in satirical writing in serial productions, and American boys often studied his books as a model of graceful prose. After a close friend passed away, he stopped writing stories for quite some time. “Rip Van Winkle” is one of his largely known works in America. The story is based off of other short stories out of his short story collection called The Sketchbook. Most of his stories were based on German folktales and were fiction with some type of connection to history. Irving declared bankruptcy and was in dire need of money. His only choice was to write another story to bring in funds (Evans 1268). After staying with his brother in Birmingham, England, they have an evocative conversation that inspires Irving to write a story. He locks himself in a room and writes nonstop. It’s said that he said, he felt like a man waking from a long sleep. The main point is to entertain the reader. Washington Irving used many literary devices to convey the story, “Rip Van Winkle”. …show more content…
It was written in 1819 during the most pivotal moments in American History. America was developing and changing as a nation. New industries were forming, inventions, and technology. The Era of Good feelings is what this was known as. This era brought a sense of purpose and desire of unity. In the story it takes place before and after the Revolutionary War (Edwards). Many times throughout the story historical references are evident. Van Winkle says that he is a faithful subject of King George III. This is before he knows that the country is under George Washington. The history behind the story conveys a strong