Rip Van Winkle Washington Irving - Book Report/Review Example

Rip Van Winkle, unlike his wife, was very happy with the way he was leading his life. One day, when he went up the hill to hunt with gun on his shoulder and his wolf by his side, he begins to admire the beauty of the view he sees below him. It begins to get dark in the woods and he decides to return home with the fear of facing his wife. On the way back, he meets a stranger who leads him to a small amphitheatre. The atmosphere and the people inside the amphitheatre are mystical. Rip Van Winkle drinks liquor along with others there and falls asleep.

When he wakes up and returns to the village, he discovers to his utter surprise that everything in the village has changed. As a result of the American Revolution that had taken place while Rip Van Winkle was asleep, the village is no more a province of the British but part of an independent nation, America. His friends and his wife are long gone and no one from the younger generation recognizes him. This was the story I was able to capture on the first reading. I found it extremely fictitious and quiet silly.

But my opinion drastically changed once I had a second, and a third reading as well. The author has, in the story of 'Rip Van Winkle', very intelligently used every character as metaphors to describe the British rule as well as the post revolution days in America. Rip Van Winkle represents the person who is under the British rule but is waiting to break free. He in a way also represents the post revolution American, longing to be free. In contrast to his character is his arrogant wife who represents the British ruler.

Dame Van Winkle is described to be such a strong and dominating character that she not only dictates her terms to her husband, but also shows her disapproval to all those villagers who accompany her husband in front of the inn. This can be compared to the kind of hold the British had over all those who were under their rule. Rip Van Winkle, a subject of the British rule, does not have a voice to express his views. Due to lack of motivation, he idles away like other subjects under the British rule.

Even his wolf is leading a dog's life under his wife's rule. However, when Rip Van Winkle returns after the American Revolution, everything about the village has changed. He finds his house in a completely dilapidated state. His house in a way represents the British colonies that existed in North America. The British colonies had disappeared and as a result of the revolution, it had given way to the new country America. Also, the death of Dame Van Winkle, though remotely, can be compared to the death of King George III.

On becoming aware of the fact that his wife was long dead and gone, Rip Van Winkle secretly rejoices. Now he is a freeman in new America. The author mentions that Rip Van Winkle, most of all, is happy to be no more under the rule of 'petticoat government'. By the term 'petticoat government', the author may be referring not to his wife's dominance, but Queen Victoria's government. If North America continued to remain a British province, it would have soon been under the rule of Queen Victoria's government.

(http://www.rebelswithavision.com/kinggeorgeiii.com/)(http://www.victorianstation.com/queen.html) Even the other characters in the story can be related to other aspects of British rule and the American Revo