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Mythology and mythological stories are stories that transcend time and society. They are present in almost every society and they share many of the same characteristics even though the languages may not be the same. In mythologythe stories are often set in the past, filled with remarkable characters, feature heroic or mysterious events, and convey a positive message about their nation or its people (Burrows et al 1999). For America, some of these stories are Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed or Rip Van Winkle. The story of Rip Van Winkle is the first tale of American Mythology and after people heard this story it began an influx of mythological stories written by American authors.
Rip Van Winkle caters to most of the points established that make it a myth. It is set in the past, and in a mysterious location. It is set in the Catskill Mountains, years before the American Revolutionary war. Rip is a very happy man and is loved by the town and its entire people. On one winter day, he wanted to escape his Wife’s nagging so he climbed up a mountain and heard a voice (Irving 1918). It was a man who required his help of carrying a keg up a mountainside. He sees some bearded men bowling and he begins to drink the liquor. Here is a mysterious event and now remarkable characters that Rip Van Winkle comes into contact with.
Another instance where Rip Van Winkle coincides with the traditions of American Mythology is when he falls asleep after drinking too muchhe wakes up twenty hears later with his beard much longer and in a town that is post-revolutionary war. He had slept through the entire war (Irving, 1819). This projects the characteristic of American Mythology because it contains mysterious events and their consequences. He wakes up after helping, what he seems to find out later, are a bunch of ghosts.
The impact of these characteristics on the story is that it makes it engaging and fun because it contains parts of history with parts of fiction to grasp the reader’s attention. It contains a bit of history plus mythological characters. This also speaks volumes about the society as a whole during the time the book takes place (or the readers interpretation of the society). Rip Van Winkle is portrayed as a lazy man, but he is very amiable and doesn’t have many faults other than his laziness. It impacts the readers experience because the material engages the reader with history and fiction, often blending the two to make the reader decide if the whole tale is true or not.
Overall, Rip Van Winkle is a great story that portrays American Ideals and the notion of the American Dream at that time. The mythology of the story in connection with Rip Van Winkle spans generations and teaches us about the society of the people during the revolutionary war yet is entertaining and contains many requirements of a mythological story.
WORKS CITED
Burrows, Edwin G. & Wallace, Mike. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Irving, Washington. Rip Van Winkle.New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1819.
