Abstract The paper states that "The Legend of SleepyHollow", by Washington Irving, explores themes of gender stereotypes, sexuality and dominance. The paper comments that although varying widely in their conclusions, modern readings of "SleepyHollow" explore these ideas of masculinity, feminizing and sexual dominance. The paper comments that because of Irving's subtlety the exact meaning of the text is open to interpretation; however it is easy to see that what haunted SleepyHollow was not a headless horseman, but a struggle for power between genders.
From the Paper "That Crane's nightly walks around Sleepy Hollow are an example of his security and show that he felt that he was in his rightful place; the freedom that Crane feels to participate in this solitary exploration is a masculine one. He also points out that while at Van Tassel's he participated in a conversation where he felt the need to "one up" his competition with stories from his own travels and reading, a trait that Anderson equates with maleness (207). Anderson also accuses Ichabod of the male delusion of thinking that Katrina would be interested in him despite his inadequacies."
Abstract This paper explains that the character of Ichabod Crane, in Irving's "The Legend of SleepyHollow", represents the intrusion of the outsider upon an isolated and static community. The author points out that Crane threatens to bring disastrous changes to an environment. The paper relates that Crane's itinerant lifestyle, which he maintains even within this settled agrarian community, identifies him as one who does not seek the integration demanded by this environment. The author underscores that the character's tendency toward endless consumption and the perception that all he encounters should somehow be transformed into a means to benefit himself escalates the hostility of his environment. The paper concludes that his attempt to court the character of Katrina solely for the purpose of satisfying his mercenary desires creates a threat to the Hollow, which can only be eliminated by his permanent expulsion.
From the Paper "The figure of Ichabod Crane emerges as one that devours without nourishment, consuming and then moving on, which directly threatens the carefully balanced stasis of the environment of Sleepy Hollow. He is presented as one who eats large amounts of food, yet appears "tall and exceedingly lank" and is compared to a crane or scarecrow, implying an inability to absorb nourishment from his consumption. Even as he makes his way through the countryside, Crane transforms the landscape's autumnal bounty into feasts to be devoured: apples become ciders, corn becomes cakes, and pumpkins".
Abstract This paper discusses the life of Irving Washington, author of ?The Legend of SleepyHollow? and gives an analysis of the folktale. It shows how Washington takes two opposite characters, Ichabod Crane and his destiny, Brom Bones and gives them both the same desire. It looks at how his use of literature and style in this story adds an essence, which cannot be explained and how the plot, narrator and characters, all enhance the theme.
From the Paper "In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Irving Washington has written a folktale, which takes place in Tarrytown, New York, in which Washington's tone is humorous. The main characters are Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel and Brom Bones. The main theme was about a teacher named Ichabod Crane. The two main characters of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Ichabod Crane and his destiny, Brom Bones, are often assumed to be figures of American folklore. However, they are Irving's original creations. Ichabod Crane's elements have been enhanced by his ungainliness, while Brom Bones? are in broader strokes, conveying an impression of energy and strength. Washington's literary technique produces a sharply drawn portrait on the one hand and a catalog of personal qualities on the other. While being introduced in the story, Ichabod Crane is lording over his pupils, accommodating the rustic families that take him in, showing off his singing talents and education for impressionable ladies, and trading superstitious tales with the local gossips."
Abstract This paper presents a detailed critical analysis of "The Legend of SleepyHollow" by Washington Irving. The theme of the story is outlined and discussed at length and analyzed.
Abstract This paper examines how "The Legend of SleepyHollow" is representative of the time in which Washington Irving lived, as well as of the literary tradition of the time. It analyzes the culture, the history, and the philosophy expressed in the short story's literary style of romanticism.
Outline:
Introduction
Culture
History
Philosophy
Conclusion
From the Paper "The philosophy of Romanticism is apparent throughout "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Romantic philosophy was based on the ideals of Transcendentalism, which was "based on a fundamental belief in the unity of the world and God. The soul of each individual was thought to be identical with the world--a microcosm of the world itself" (USINFO, par. 6). Each of the major characters has a unique connection with the world. Balt van Tassel, for example, represents the world's bounty, while his daughter is a virginal, potentially fruitful earth mother. Crane himself is easily equated with a bird: not only does he migrate from roost to roost, but his frame and his singing voice complete the image that begins with his name. "
Abstract This essay draws on the similarities and comparisons between Washington Irving's "The Legend of SleepyHollow" and Tim Burton's film, "SleepyHollow" with specific reference to the daydream scenes.
From the paper:
? Yet this daydream has no few of the aspects of a nightmare as well. In the real world, the worst Ichabod will ever endure is a fall from his faithful, and borrowed, steed Gunpowder. In the daydream film, he shall be skewered with a ghostly sword, beaten, choked, and otherwise bodily assaulted. The horsemen will not be a possible figment, a traveler who merely keeps pace and tosses pumpkins; to the contrary, he shall kill any number of people.?
Abstract This three-page undergraduate paper offers a thematic analysis of the 1999 Tim Burton film, SleepyHollow. The author discusses what the director wanted to impress upon his audience, and what elements made the film unique and memorable.
Abstract This paper explains how Irving used German folktales as a basis to create and embellish his own ideas and characters and turn them into his own. It looks at his stories,?The Legend of SleepyHollow?, "Rip Van Winkle", and "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent" in order to compare these to Dutch and German classics and see in which way he was inspired by these cultures.
From the Paper ""The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent" established Irving as a respectable author both in the US and in Europe. Published as the charming account of an Englishman's love for English landscape and counties, the book also reveals his anxiety about being dispossessed of home and security, the surface is famously genial and sentimental (Rubin-Dorsky 32-64). The book itself consists of 34 literary sketches, where four are about America, while the rest draws from Irving's own experiences and observations in England."
Abstract This paper discusses how Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleep Hollow" appears to subscribe to the aspect of the supernatural not only in its plot, but in the setting and characters, as well. It also looks at how superstition, a belief in something that results from ignorance of its true meaning, and is usually associated with the magical, or out-of-the-ordinary, is also employed in the "SleepyHollow" text. In addition, the paper looks at how critic Wilton Eckley uses his formalist theory to develop the supernatural theme in Irving's "The Legend of SleepyHollow" to entertain readers and how critic Samuel Bellman projects an unconvincing analysis of bad humor in his use of reader-response.
From the Paper "One may ask why Irving chooses the supernatural theme to utilize in the first place. Well, according to Eckley, Irving's choice was precipitated by the people's lifestyles in the United States in the beginning of the 18th century, amidst changing economic and social times. Most of them were uprooted from some quieter, rural lifestyle, into an industrialized and noisy metropolis, so they did not share a connection with a "past." Also, during Irving's era, society was concentrating on new ideals in newly found lifestyles. The old was definitely out, and people had to be entertained in fresh, different ways in the literary sense. The tension that Irving feels in the 18th century in trying to discover a new literary topic, while battling the changes of the newly formed cultural influence, led him to utilize the supernatural and discover a very interested audience (Eckley). "
This paper discusses the ideal man and women as presented in Washington Irving's ?The Legend of SleepyHollow? and Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark".
Abstract This paper states that, when looking at gender definitions, the context dictates the ideal characteristics for men and women. The author relates that Washington Irving's ?The Legend of SleepyHollow? shows the victory of the physical over the intellectual man, while applauding the ideal woman who craves such physicality. The author believes that Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" pits two opposite types of men against each other representing the ideal man as a blend of the two, while representing the ideal woman as a complicated blend between intellect and beauty.
From the Paper "Each man is diametrically opposed to another male influence in his respective stories, and these opposition figures represent the physical portion of the male that is lacking from both Ichabod and Aylmer. Ichabod is opposed by both the father of his love interest, and by a competitor for Katrina's love, Brom van Brunt. Brom is the ideal of masculine strength and carries with him a certain wild frontier quality. He is a braggart, a sportsman, and a swaggering daredevil wrapped into one. Katrina's father represents the town of Sleepy Hollow; he does not look beyond his own borders, cares little if any for education, and wants to keep his town continuing the way it is, free of outsiders and outside ideas. Aylmer is opposed by his scientific assistant, Aminadab."
Abstract Our world is dominated by fears of death - all fears ultimately end in the fear of death. Icarus could fly, Caine became invisible. "Hollow Man" is just that - a man in pursuit of that which will ultimately rob him of his soul, Caine is indeed hollow. The adventure story is by far the easiest medium to express the black and white nature of this confrontation of social fears. We are not allowed to challenge God / Nature / Society. "Hollow Man" delivers all of this in one simple film.
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the mood, theme, context, and writing style, as well as overall impact on the reader in "The Legend of SleepyHollow" with that of "The Spectre Bridegroom".
Abstract This paper discusses the poem by T. S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men" that contemplates the idea of how life would end and what the fate of man is when he dies. The author believes that, all throughout the poem, Eliot uses lines that depict hopelessness and emptiness in one's life. The paper concludes by comparing the theme of life and death in T. S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" with "Faust" by Goethe, the legend of "Beowulf" and "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare.
From the Paper Meanwhile, the legend of ?Beowulf and the play "Hamlet" are contrast views of Eliot and Goethe's perception of the meaning of life and the death of man in the world. In "Beowulf", it is imperative that the character die nobly and courageously, which is a generalized perception of how life should be led by mortals. Although Beowulf has extraordinary powers, he is still a mortal subject to death afterwards. Death is an honor for the legend of Beowulf, and a meaningful life is needed in order also to lead a meaningful existence in the afterlife. Hamlet, meanwhile, discusses death and its meaning in the initial and latter part of the play. The first discussion of death is through the ghost of King Hamlet, whose soul cannot enter heaven because he was not able to confess when he suddenly died because he was murdered by his brother Claudius.
Abstract In this article, the writer examines the book 'The Hollow Hope' by Gerald Rosenberg. This paper analyzes all aspects of Gerald Rosenberg's research and uses outside sources to critique his work. The writer looks at 'The Hollow Hope' as a pioneer in political science research. The writer notes that Rosenberg suggests that the study of political science should call for a careful reanalysis of the judicial role in politics and society. The writer concludes that Rosenberg collects an unbelievable amount of evidence to show, in each area examined, that at best the Court followed rather than led the move toward social change.
From the Paper "Many books pioneer certain ways of analyzing topics, yet it is very rare that a first attempt can demonstrate such a great amount of success. Gerald Rosenberg's Hollow Hope is such a book. Since the early 1950s, political scientists taking a political or procedural approach to the study of law and courts had asked, according to Jack Peltason: "What happens after the lawsuit is over?" Rather than focusing almost entirely on the court decision itself, as in traditional constitutional law, political scientists slowly began to broaden their inquiry to include the continuing political struggle following court decisions. Even a brief examination of this topic makes it clear that court decisions themselves are only one stage of the continuing political, policy-making, process. Through Rosenberg's empirical research as illustrated in Hollow Hope, it is clear that his theories can be applied in many instances successfully to understand the effect the court has on society."
This paper is a review of "Sleepy Time Gal" by Gary Gildner, a short story, which centers on a tale of love and loss that takes place in a small, unnamed town in Michigan during the Great Depression.
Abstract This paper explains that, in Gary Gildner's "Sleepy Time Gal",
the narrator, a third-party in the story, recounts the tale through his father and mother's experiences, presenting each parent's view on the past events as well as some of his own interpretation. The author points out that the narrator's re-telling of his father's story about the Great Depression without focusing heavily on love and its loss, is indicative of a male stereotype that portrays men as somewhat devoid of romanticism. The paper states that Gary Gildner has de-emphasized a cliched love plot and instead presents it in more of a 'no nonsense' manner. The author concludes that, regardless of how the story is told, the story remains one of love and how it is lost. The paper states that readers are aware of how the narrator provides a balance to an otherwise one-sided and potentially uninteresting story.
From the Paper "By mentioning the parts he would like to include, the narrator seeks to complete what, in his mind, is only a partial story. By mentioning that he had already intruded too far in a story that wasn't his, the narrator displays the need to balance the story and offers an apology for straying from his stated intent of relaying the story as it was told to him. Though his mother also did not experience the events first-hand, but rather heard it from the narrator's father, her view of the romantic side of the story should be given a certain amount of weight; since the story was most likely relayed to her closer to the occurrence of the events."
