Dame Van Winkle

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how, in the story "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving, Dame Van Winkle is an early representation of a woman as a cultural villain. It looks at how constant nagging and verbal abuse from Dame Van Winkle has been considered Rip's reason for "disappearing" for twenty years. It also explores how, apart from her constant nagging and scolding, she also prevents her husband from living according to his own character and identity.

From the Paper:

"Dame Van Winkle disapproves of other's actions. She believes that everyone should act right and do his or her own responsibilities. First, Dame Van Winkle abhors laziness. As a consequence, she is always harassing her husband because he is lazy. She disapproves of her husband Rip Van Winkle the most for not attending to his own responsibilities. During this time period, it was the husband's responsibility to provide for the family. As a husband, Rip was clearly not willing to fulfill this responsibility. Nevertheless, according to the narrator, he was able to perform chores, and he often helped his neighbors, but he was not willing to perform the same work for his family or on his own farm (450). As a result of her dislike of laziness, she is incessantly "dinning in his ears" (451) about it explains the narrator."

More papers on Dame Van Winkle:

• Analytical Essay # 142789 : "Symbolic Nationalism in "Rip Van Winkle"
• Book Review # 93041 : "'Rip van Winkle'"
• Essay # 73708 : "Rip Van Winkle:" The Price of Social Progress"

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