Rip Van Winkle free essay sample

The exposition of Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving , introduces a man named Rip Van Winkle and the area around the Catskill mountains before the the Revolutionary War. The rising action begins when Rip goes to the forest, with his dog, to get away from his nagging wife. When he returns to the village, he hears someone calling his name. Rip sees an odd-looking man and follows him to an amphitheater where there are many more strange men drinking and playing ninepins. He joins in the party and is offered some liquor and soon falls into a deep sleep. The climax occurs when Rip Van Winkle wakes up and discovers that his dog is gone and his gun has been â€Å"replaced† with a rusty old gun. He believes the strange men have tricked him, but when he goes back to his village, he finds that everything has changed. The falling action commences when he tells his story to a group of people and learns that he has been gone for 20 years, his wife has died, and his old friends have left as well. He finds that his wife is also dead, which grants him the freedom to do as he pleases for the first time in many years. The setting of the story is also important. The fact that the story takes place in and around the Kaatskill Mountains makes sure the reader knows that it is in America. The Kaatskill Mountain setting also offers a location that was somewhat exotic, allowing Rip to encounter the strange men with whom he drank. He was able to explore areas of the mountains where not many had been before and sleep there for twenty years without being disturbed. The story that ‘Rip Van Winkle’ most reminds me of is ‘Babylon Revisited. ’ In the beginning of both stories the main character wastes time having fun and is not concerned about money. Both Charlie and Rip end up in the same place that they began, but find it to have changed considerably. Rip returns to his home and twenty years have gone by, whereas only a couple of years had passed when Charlie returned to Paris. Charlie and Rip have both lost their wives, but only Charlie seems to miss his. Both Rip and Charlie’s daughters appear to forgive them for their shortcomings of the past. Rip’s daughter allows him to live with her and Charlie is trying to get custody of his daughter. In the end, only Charlie seemed to have changed. He was trying to make better choices and provide for his daughter. I agree with Irving’s position that we must not waste the time that we have. Rip was an example of how we should not be. Rip spent his days doing anything that he could do to avoid work that would bring him pay. As the story says, â€Å"The great error in Rip’s composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labour. † He would do chores for others in the town and play with the children of the town. Rip did not like to do chores on his own land and there was no mention of him spending a lot of time with his own children. Rip was selfish when it came to providing for his family, but very generous with helping others. Rip slept for 20 years and missed a lot of important events, not only with his family, but in the history of America. He missed watching his children grow up, the passing of his wife, and the American Revolution. He did not seem upset at all. If anything, he was much happier after he awoke. He was essentially retired, and he was able to waste the day any way he saw fit. His daughter provided him with food and a place to live. No one in the town expected anything of him and he could do as he pleased.