Rip Van Winkle (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Washington Irving
- First Published: 1819
- Type of Work: Short story
- Genres: Short fiction, Regional fiction, Folklore, Fantasy, Tall tale
- Subjects: Husbands, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Wives, Philosophy or philosophers, Magic or magicians, Marriage, Villages, Time travel, Eighteenth century, Storytelling, Adultery, Fantasy, Drinking or drunkenness, Fairy tales, Sleep
- Locales: Catskills, NY
“Rip Van Winkle” is an American masterpiece of the short story. It is based on local history but is rooted in European myth and legend. Irving reportedly wrote it one night in England, in June, 1818, after having spent the whole day talking with relatives about the happy times spent in Sleepy Hollow. The author drew on his memories and experiences of the Hudson River Valley and blended them with Old World contributions.
“Rip Van Winkle” is such a well-known tale that almost every child in the United States has read it or heard it narrated at one time or another. Rip is a...
[The entire page is 987 words long]

