Response Paper

Rip Van Winkle was renowned to be the man who had slept for 20 years. Due to such a long sleep, Rip failed to witness the Revolutionary War as well as America’s transition from colony to state. When he awakens he discovers that everything and everybody around him have changed. For the period of his 20 years sleep Rip misses proceedings such as the Revolutionary aggression and events in which a number of his acquaintances fought and passed on. Rip also failed to notice America’s conversion from colony to nation.

In addition, Rip was very famous in the village to all and sundry, as well as the dogs. When Rip discovers that his dog is gone, he feels distressed; on the other hand, he experiences relief and, to some extent, happiness finding out his wife passed away. According to Irving, any time her name was brought up, he wobbled his head, shrugged his back, and cast up his gaze, which might surpass either for an expression of accepting his destiny, or happiness for his liberation. Before Rip’s sleep, his village was rather diminutive and traditional; he describes it as a little village of immense antiquity. When Rip awoke from his slumber and finally came downward to the village, he did not distinguish anyone and became aware of the fact that the dress trend had altered as well. Irving writes, “The very village was changed; it was longer and more heavily populated.”

Even though Rip slept for 20 years and failed to notice all these proceedings round him, he maintains his old behaviors after his daughter allows him to reside with her. If Irving could choose a village to settle in, he would, most likely, choose the subsequent one: his wife is dead there and cannot mistreat him any longer. In addition, Rip’s daughter believes that Irving would not be bothered by which village to live in as long as Rip’s wife was not present and he can reverse to his old indolent ways once more.