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1、Washington Irving and His Novel-The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Abstract: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of Washington Irvings representatives. Although the novel has been published nearly two centuries, it is still a popular novel. In his most acclaimed achievement, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Cray
2、on, Gent (18191820), he created charming sketches, tales, and travel reminiscences. Widely read in its time, the book is remembered for the short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” In the novel，the author details the run-in of a Connecticut schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, with a headless horsemanIrvi
3、ng wove elements of myth, legend, folklore, and drama into a narrative that achieved almost immediate classic status. Critics generally agree that “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” provided a model for the modern short story and introduced imagery and archetypes that enriched national literature. While
4、Irvings other historical writings are valued for their graceful prose style and historical interest, critics generally agree that “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” isalong with “Rip Van Winkle”his most lasting artistic achievement.Key words: Ichabod Crane; Brom Van Brunt; Imagery; Myth; Legend; Typical
5、characters.Introduction. The Authors IntroductionWashington Irving (1783-04-03 1859-11-28) was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was born into a small merchant class family. In his childhood, Irving was not interested in the study but in the adventu
6、re stories and drama. He studied law but did not give up the writing. In the mid-1815, he left for England for his family business and remained in Europe in the next 17 years. In 1842, Irving was appointed as the minister to Span. And on the evening of November 28, 1859, Washington Irving died of th
7、e heart attack at the age of 76. . Brief Introduction of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” opens with a description of the Dutch New York community of Sleepy Hollow, located in a rural valley near the Hudson River. Irving introduces the tall, lanky schoolmaster Ichabod Cran
8、e as a figure of mild derision, a hard-nosed itinerant Yankee from Connecticut who takes himself too seriously and possesses an enormous appetite despite his slight build. Proud of his erudition, at least in comparison to the rustics he encounters in Sleepy Hollow, Crane is described as “an odd mixt
9、ure of small shrewdness and simple credulity.” He quickly discovers Katrina Van Tassel, the lovely daughter of a well-to-do Dutch farmer, Baltus Van Tassel, and resolves to win her heart. His principal rival, Brom Van Brunt, nicknamed Brom Bones, is a burly outdoorsman, strong and somewhat arrogant
10、but with a well-developed sense of humor. Realizing that he cannot best Bones in feats of physical prowess, Crane sets out to woo Katrina by making regular visits to the Van Tassel farmhouse as a singing-master. Over time the competition between Crane and Bones intensifies. At an autumn party at the
11、 Van Tassel home, Crane endeavors to impress Katrina with his singing and dancing. As he seems to gain the upper hand over Bones the conversation turns to local ghost talesprincipally that of the Headless Horseman, an apparition of a decapitated Hessian soldier that haunts the area. Bones entertains
12、 the crowd by telling of his own adventure with the Horseman; later Crane recites extracts from the works of his favorite author, Cotton Mather. As the party winds down, Crane speaks with Katrina, but his advances are rebuked. Crestfallen, he departs on his horse. Shortly thereafter, while traveling
13、 through the darkness, Crane encounters the ghostly Hessian soldier who chases the schoolmaster until the frightened man is thrown from his steed. The following morning, the horse is found without its saddle or rider near the smashed remains of a pumpkin. Crane is never seen again in Sleepy Hollow,
14、though a rumor spreads that he has become a lawyer and a judge in another town. The tale is retold of his harrowing confrontation with the Headless Horseman, which produces a spirited laugh from Brom Bones whenever the pumpkin is mentioned. Irving closes the tale with a postscript describing the ori
15、ginal narrator of the story, “one tall, dry-looking old gentleman” who draws some conclusions from the extravagant yarn, but finally claims, “I dont believe one-half of it myself.”Typical characters Ichabod CraneIn the “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, Many critics maintain that Ichabod Crane represent
16、s the outcast artist-intellectual in American society; although he has been considered, conversely, as a caricature of the acquisitive, scheming Yankee Puritan, a type that Irving lampooned regularly in his early satirical writings. Other commentators have suggested that Crane represents a morally corrupt capitalist figure. Brom Van BruntIn the novel, Brom Van Brunt is a rude, energetic man. However, he is also a kindhearted, self-reliant
