Rip Van Winkle

I believe Washington Irving's purpose in writing RipAfter talking with a few people he finally figures out
Van Winkle was to teach his readers a lesson as wellthat twenty years have passed him by. Rip's
as entertain. Irving is telling his readers through thisdaughter takes him in, and he is able to live out the
story that if you live an idle life, never accomplishingrest of his life idly in old age.
anything, and are always satisfied with the bareUsing the time period of the revolutionary war was
minimum life will pass you by.symbolic in this story. For starters in symbolized
Rip Van Winkle is a character who always has been,change, change in the whole makeup of American as
is, and always will be. There are millions of peoplewell as a revolutionary change in Rip Van Winkles life
around the world who take his nonchalant view of(he is now an old man). It also could have symbolized
life, his uncaring, unmotivated attitude and accomplisha new beginning for Rip in that he no longer had to
absolutely nothing. Rip is an icon to the stagnant, thedeal with his nagging wife and could live the life he
lazy, and the useless. He is the person who goeswanted for himself similar to the new beginning of
through life never fully living it and before he knowsThe United States of America.
it, is old and dying wondering where has the timeI was best able to contrast Rip Van Winkle with
gone.Charlie from Babylon Revisited. Although both
Rip was not a bad man as clearly illustrated in thecharacters started out in the beginning as being very
text; he lived his life somewhat contently and simply.similar, Charlie changed his life for the better, he
People liked him and he did not shy away frommade something of himself and gave up his foolish
helping others. His only problem was his aversion toways. Rip on the other hand just went back to being
working for a living, and the problems this caused forhis same old self. Charlie learned from his mistakes
him at home. The main character of the story isRip Van Winkle did not.
constantly getting yelled at by his wife and takes allI agree with the author's message that if you are
the time he can to get away from her to enjoyalways idle life will pass you by and you will be old
himself. One day Rip walks off into the mountains toand virtually by yourself before you know it. The
go hunting where he runs into a man hauling up a kegmost important things in Rip's life should have been
of beer. He encounters this man and being thehis family and providing for them. Instead, he thought
good-natured guy that he is, helps him carry his drinkof only himself and what made him happy. His wife's
to his friends. Eventually he starts to drink with themincessant nagging was his own fault for falling short
and before he knows it, he is out cold. He wakes upas husband and father. Rip Van winkle was selfish in
not yet aware that twenty years have passed andthat regard, he cared nothing for his family and only
originally thinks he has been robbed of his dog andin satisfying himself. I found it to be a great act of
gun. This part is significant because it tells how hecharity that his daughter took him in after twenty
believes he has been robbed, looking at it symbolicallyyears; most children would probably be bitter after
in context with the rest of the story he has beentheir father left for so long. Rip is an eternal
robbed of more than just his gun and dog but of hischaracter. As long as there are people, there will be
time and life. He than walks down the mountain andthose who are content doing nothing. Life will pass
everything has changed. He does not recognize thethem by, they will oblivious to what's going on around
people, all of his old hang outs don't look like they'vethem and will rely on others to take care of them.
been inhabited in years and his house is deserted.