Rip Van Winkle Group

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smartstudent2008
smartstudent...
Student
High School - 10th Grade

In what ways is the classic story "Rip van Winkle" a tale of wish fulfillment?

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Posted by smartstudent2008 on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 11:39 AM and tagged with genre, meaning, rip van winkle, wish fulfillment.

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  1. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Before Rip goes to sleep, he lives with a wife who is constantly nagging at him for not taking care of his property. His property is run down and Rip would much rather engage in conversation with others, or even help others keep up their farms. After Rip awakens, he finds his wife has died, so there is no more nagging, and he goes to live with his daughter. His daughter takes care of him so Rip has time to spend doing what he wants instead of having all the responsibilities of a wife, a farm or a family. His "dreams" have come true.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/rip-van

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    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 11:52 AM

  2. mwestwood
    mwestwood Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    Part of the wish fulfillment may be that of the author, Washington Irving, who writes a story for the pleasure of his reader; his is the first story meant to please rather to express some purpose.  Here, for the first time is the introduction of Romanticism and its ideals of taking simple delight in pleasure and being in communion with Nature and its joyous beauty.  Irving describes the majesty of the Airondacks and the splendor of the countryside where Rip, the "anti-Franklin" as critics have termed him, rests his head for twenty years. 

    Another Romantic ideal sought by Irving is Individualism, an important aspect this movement.  An unconventional character, Rip van Winkle breaks from his nagging, work-obsessed wife [the Puritan] and heads for the freedom of Nature, the wish-fulfillment of the individualist.  That the aged Rip is given some respect upon his return to the village indicates that communion with Nature does have merits. So, ironically through the indolent Rip van Winkle, Irving expresses his wish for the Romantic ideals. 

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/rip-van
    http://www.enotes.com/rip-van-salem/rip-van

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    Posted by mwestwood on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 12:29 PM