drawing of the headless horseman holding a pumpkin and riding a horse through the woods

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

by Washington Irving

Start Free Trial

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Questions and Answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Study Tools

Take a quiz Ask a question Start an essay

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Comparing "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" book to its movie adaptation reveals significant differences. The book, written by Washington Irving, focuses on Ichabod Crane and his experiences in Sleepy...

5 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" exemplifies Romanticism through its emphasis on emotion, nature, and the supernatural. Key elements include the mysterious and eerie setting of Sleepy Hollow, the use of...

9 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The climax of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" occurs when Ichabod Crane encounters the Headless Horseman during his nighttime ride home. The ending is ambiguous, as Ichabod mysteriously disappears, and...

5 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is important because it helped introduce American literature to the world, it is one of America's first ghost stories, and it explores the perennial theme of city versus...

6 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Headless Horseman in Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is implied to be Brom Van Brunt, also known as Brom Bones, a local man competing against Ichabod Crane for the...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," symbolism plays a crucial role in character and plot development. The Headless Horseman embodies the tension between reality and superstition,...

6 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" employs various literary devices to enhance its narrative. Similes compare Ichabod Crane's nose to a weathercock and student voices to a bee-hive...

10 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving employs satire and humor to critique societal norms and character archetypes. Ichabod Crane, an awkward and superstitious schoolteacher, is ironic...

5 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane's fate after leaving the Van Tassels' party is left ambiguous. He mysteriously disappears after being chased by the Headless Horseman, with some speculating he was spirited away or met...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Headless Horseman in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" symbolizes the lingering impact of past conflicts and the unknown. He is said to be the ghost of a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a...

6 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Brom Bones impersonates the Headless Horseman by carrying a pumpkin, which he holds as if it were his head. Bones throws the pumpkin at Ichabod Crane during their...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Katrina Van Tassel was probably based on Washington Irving's neighbor Eleanor Van Tassel Brush, although the name Katrina was likely borrowed from Eleanor's aunt Catrina.

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," several details suggest the "headless horseman" was a trick by Brom Bones to scare Ichabod Crane away. Ichabod's superstition and Brom's...

4 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In the end, we do not know if Ichabod Crane dies in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." People in town decide, based on the fact that Ichabod never returns for his possessions, that he must have been...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Two actions Brom Bones takes against Ichabod for courting Katrina include harassing him by plugging up the chimney of his singing school and breaking into the school to rearrange his things, making...

5 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Five superstitions in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" include: (1) the area being bewitched by a High German doctor, (2) an old Indian chief conducting powwows there, (3) the ghost of a headless...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Brom Bones, also known as Abraham Van Brunt, is portrayed as a strong, broad-shouldered man with curly black hair, embodying a robust and...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane works as a schoolmaster in Sleepy Hollow, where he is known for his strict yet discerning disciplinary methods. Despite his role, he struggles financially due to his modest salary. To...

3 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Ichabod Crane symbolizes intellect and the outsider, while Brom Bones represents brawn and the native "guy's guy." Their rivalry for Katrina Van Tassel mirrors the...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The resolution of conflicts in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" occurs when Brom Bones builds a fake headless horseman to frighten the superstitious Ichabod Crane into fleeing the town forever. By doing...

6 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Headless Horseman in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a legendary figure believed to be the ghost of a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a cannonball during the Revolutionary War. His primary...

3 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Irving's purpose for using a metaphor in this quote is to illustrate Ichabod's physical ability to stand out in the community.

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," set in a secluded Dutch settlement near Tarry Town, New York, around 1790, explores themes of superstition and cultural clash between rural and urban life. The main...

13 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Brom Bones recounts a tale of encountering the Headless Horseman while returning from Sing Sing. During the encounter, Brom challenged the ghostly rider to a race, with a bowl of punch as the prize....

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane lives with various farmers in the community, moving from one household to another. He keeps his belongings in a small bundle because he does not have a permanent home, and his...

5 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane is an anti-hero in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." His cowardice, avarice, and peculiar appearance are all in opposition to the archetypal hero. Brom Bones is a much more conventionally...

3 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane, in Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," is a tall, lanky, and awkward schoolteacher with a voracious appetite and a vivid imagination. He is depicted as a comical figure...

9 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane can be described as a teacher and singing master by profession. Physically, he is tall, skinny, thin, awkward, and emaciated, with a nerdy appearance. His personality traits include...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Brom Bones and his horse, Daredevil, share similar traits, both being described as "full of mettle and mischief." This mirrors Brom's personality...

3 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane is attracted to Katrina Van Tassel primarily because of her beauty and wealth. Described as a blooming lass of fresh eighteen, she is the only child of a wealthy farmer. Ichabod is...

4 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane treated his students with a mix of sternness and fairness, typical of the education standards of his time. He believed in "spare the rod, spoil the child," administering punishment...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Ichabod Crane prepares meticulously for a party at the Van Tassels' estate, aiming to impress Katrina Van Tassel. He dismisses his students...

4 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane's large appetite for food and ghost stories makes him an easy target for Brom Bones' tricks. Crane's gullibility and superstition, alongside his vivid imagination, lead him to believe...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane, the school teacher in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," enjoys reading about witchcraft. He is particularly fascinated by Cotton Mather's history of New England Witchcraft, which he...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The first part of the story is introduced by a framing device. We're told that the story has been found among the possessions of its late narrator, Diedrich Knickerbocker. The framing device is...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The plot of the original "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is relatively short and somewhat simple. It is easy to see where Tim Burton embellished on this story to create a full length featured horror film.

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The humor in Ichabod's characterization and actions in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" stems from his exaggerated traits and gullible nature. His lanky appearance, superstitions, and over-the-top...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane is depicted as a multifaceted character who parodies the Romantic hero. Unlike traditional Romantic heroes who are brave and noble, Ichabod is superstitious, awkward, and driven by...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

When Ichabod Crane crosses the bridge in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," he is pursued by a mysterious headless horseman. Ichabod sees the horseman holding his head on the saddle. As they race,...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Six key scenes in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" include the eerie legends of Sleepy Hollow, particularly the headless Hessian trooper. Ichabod Crane's visits to Katrina Van Tassel's home highlight...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Van Tassels' child-rearing philosophy in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" appears unwise, as it results in Katrina becoming an arrogant flirt. She is depicted as aware of her beauty and wealth,...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Irving wrote in the short story genre and combined both comic and gothic elements in its composition.

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

It is ironic that Ichabod Crane, tasked with educating others, favors reading Cotton Mather's History of New England Witchcraft, a collection of superstitious tales. Despite his role as a...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod is in a desolate and crestfallen mood when he leaves Katrina's house. This change in mood is implied to be due to Katrina's rejection of his marriage proposal, leaving him feeling dejected....

3 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is classified as American literature due to its unique setting in the American landscape and its focus on themes relevant to the early American colonies, such as the...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane's competence as a teacher is questionable due to his biased discipline methods and self-serving behavior, such as favoring students with pretty sisters or good-cooking mothers. These...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod differs from Katrina's other suitors, notably Brom Bones, in several ways. While Brom is a physically imposing, rugged, and uneducated country man, Ichabod is a scholarly, clumsy, and...

1 educator answer

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod arrives at the Van Tassels’ party in a hopeful, sanguine, and cheerful mood, anticipating a great feast and the beginning of a relationship with Katrina Van Tassel.

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Women consider Ichabod Crane important because he is an educated man in a rural community, which elevates his social status just below the parson. As a schoolmaster and singing instructor, he is seen...

2 educator answers

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Katrina Van Tassel is known for her beauty and "vast expectations." Her attire reflects these qualities by combining ancient and modern fashions, showcasing her beauty and wealth. She wears antique...

2 educator answers