1、12010 年美国文学课程论文题 目 Idleness in Characters of Rip Van Winkle 专业班级 2007 级英语 1 班 学 号 0710010123 学生姓名 X-X 指导教师 陈智平 指导教师职称 教授 学院名称 外语学院 完成日期： 2010 年 6 月 1 日1Idleness in Characters of Rip Van WinkleAbstractWashington Irving held the proposition in writing not to attempt to lofty theme or to seek to look w
2、ise and learned and preferred addressing himself to the feelings and fancy of the reader more than his judgment. This paper is aimed at analyzing contextually his masterpiece, “Rip Van Winkle” according to these ideas to which he adhered in composition. It utilizes the thought that avoids moralizing
3、 from the point of focusing on Rip Van Winkle himself, in particular his characters. As an important part of Rips disposition, idleness complements and enriches the figure of Rip. This paper concentrates on an analysis of Rips characters at first then of his idleness and attempts to seek what causes
4、 the idleness and what the idleness reflects.Key words: Rip Van Winkle; character; idleness; cause; implication1. Introduction“Rip Van Winkle”，one immortal article in “The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent” of Washing Irving, tells us an unbelievable and magical adventure of a henpecked villager.
5、 Rip Van Winkle, the protagonist, goes hunting in quest for peace escaping from his wife in the Kaatskill Mountains, meets a host of singular men playing ninepins, drinks their beverage and has a deep sleep for twenty years. When he returns home, not knowing the American Revolutionary War has taken
6、place, he finds almost everything has changed. It takes him some time to adjust himself to the changes and live a normal life.“Rip Van Winkle” is of eternal fascination, which often attributes to expressing changes with continuity and preservation of tradition and presenting the magic of imagination
7、 in the short story (http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_van_Winkle). But success of an excellent fiction can also be found on the figures it creates. So this paper skips huge topics like history, time, life and death but to have an analysis of the Nobody, Rip Van Winkle, in the village.2. Rips characte
8、rsThe vivid description in the article gives a general outline of Rips entire personalities. As has been modeled, Rip is “a simple good-natured man”, “a kind neighbor”, “an obedient henpecked husband”, and “a pliant and malleable farmer” and has “a happy mortal of foolish, well-oiled disposition” (I
9、rving, 811-812).2Since peoples characters are connected with their surroundings, it is necessary to first have a look at the village in which Rip lives before analyzing his personalities. The voyagers up the Hudson may have described, at a distance, the light smoke and curling from the village, whic
10、h indicates the village is away from the metropolis. In this beautifully rural village with sequestered spots, people mostly conducting agricultural production are easy to be content with what they have got and will get. For Rip Van Winkle, little necessity or stress is laid on him to desire extra m
11、aterial achievement. However, enjoying a loose life with friends and neighbors is essential and dispensable in his life. Actually, Rip exercises this tip of theory thoroughly and “would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound” (Irving, 812). Thanks to the surroundings, without much pressure o
12、f survival, Rip hold no responsibility to admire the more or the better but “whichever can be got with least thought or trouble” (Irving, 812).As a result, he is naturally of simplicity and good nature as a happy mortal. This belief of Rip may be probably viewed as not ambitious or enterprising beca
13、use it resists change and advance. But in such a solitary village, it is really hard to expect Rip to possess super-real dreams. Whats important to him is that, apart from rural occupation, he could do what he likes. And considering the life style of early Dutch colonists who settled in America, agr
14、iculture and handcraft mainly included, there is a rough speculation about the life of the villagers. Men are engaged in regular work on the farm to produce cabbages, corn and potatoes to support the family and further to earn money for daily expenditure. Women take care of children “trooping like a
15、 colt at mothers heel” (Irving, 812), assist men with farm work, deal with trivial jobs at home and give curtain lectures to their husbands. From these typical rural activities it is obvious that people are living in quietness. This kind of serene setting, similar to the village in “The Pride of the
16、 Village” by Washington Irving, too, contributes to the formation and stability of Rips characters.Besides, the village is indeed not huge in size, just “a little village, of great antiquity” (Irving, 812), compared with the different, “larger and more populous” (Irving, 816) one Rip sees when he co
17、mes back after a deep sleep. In rural region, sometimes the smaller, the better. Contrasting with big towns, cities which are flush with thousands of people, a small village lacks noises and has a much slower life pace with peace. People could meet each other frequently on the country load and farml
18、and day and night. Constant contracts could bring warm greetings, instant assistance, shared enjoyment and harmonious relationship. Among people widely blessed with kindness, there is little strange for Rip to be a kind neighbor.With regard to Rips obedient henpecked characteristics and pliant, mall
19、eable conscience, to comprehend it only requests a respect to the authority of Dame Van Winkle, the neck determining the turns of head at home. And the shrew will help to check the distinguishing features of Rip. Her tongue also can make other personages in the village scare, let alone Rip. In compa
20、ny with such a powerful madam, Rip can hardly be self-determined or strong-minded.3. Rips idlenessAmong the errors in disposition of Rip, “idle” is the one incessantly mentioned and criticized by 3his wife. She “kept continually dining in his ears about his idleness” (Irving, 813), which puts up wit
21、h a question about Rip, born, growing, and living in the serenity of rural life. How could a kind-hearted and versatile farmer, who is at the disposal of people in need of his assistance, be idle? In another word, where does idleness in his disposition come from? Though the judgment of Dame Van Wink
22、le does not point out where the idleness originates and derive from, it is still possible to read between lines to find some hints in the article to finish this remaining task.First, the existence of Rips idleness is due to a set of contradiction, Rips merits and the environment, or the setting. At
23、the respect of Rip himself, he is not in “want of assiduity or perseverance” (Irving, 812), which is exemplified by what he does with pleasure. One thing is that he could spend a whole day fishing with a long and heavy rod eventually with no fish nibble at all, and the other is that it takes him hou
24、rs to trudge in the mountain just hunting for a few squirrels or wild pigeons. Although there is tiredness on rock paths, dangers from beasts and probability of getting nothing, Rip seldom cares them and does what he intends to do with enthusiasm. And in the childrens view, Rip is absolutely talente
25、d, for he “assisted at their sports, made their playthings, taught them to fly kites and shoot marbles, and told them long stories of ghosts, witches, and Indians” (Irving, 812). The children assure that a man proficient in so many skills could and should be their favorite. They prove Rips worthy ta
26、lents from a childish but delicate angle. And, in a larger sense, from children to adults, Rip is obliging. Indication of his wonder that “he had thought himself acquainted with every one in the country” (Irving, 817) suggests that he knows villagers well and have a good relationship with them. Owin
27、g to the familiarity and his kindness, women used to employ him to run errands and do odd jobs. And Rip is often ready to attend their business. Rips behavior, his internal quality and people attitudes towards him can be regarded as evidence that Rip is in harmony with his inner world and with peopl
28、e surrounding. They, at the same time, throw light upon Rips merits.After acquiring a general knowledge of what kind of person Rip is, the focus turns to the environment. Here Kaatskill Mountains and Rips farm in the environment can be taken as examples to make the contradiction clear. As has been m
29、entioned, the village is at the foot of Kaatskill Mountains. Like old castle and dark basement in Gothic fictions, mountain which is relatively stationary to witness and has a nearly infinitely capacity to absorb constitutes an irreplaceable setting for occurrence of mysteries. Kaatskill Mountains,
30、said to be often haunted by spirits, are home of many creatures and measure for villagers, furnishing plants, animals and other villagers but forget to fertilize Rips farm. Instead, they make his fence fall into pieces and disorient his cow and nurture weeds rather than farm produce. At last, Rips f
31、arm is “the most pestilent little ground in the whole country” and “every thing about it went wrong, and would go wrong” (Irving, 812). Moreover, the mountains with magical hues and shapes are praised by wives as perfect barometers, however, it fails to guide Rip to arrange properly to do farm wok o
32、utside because “the rain always made a point of setting in just have he had some out-door to do” (Irving, 812). The farm should have been the ground where Rip exercises all his talents to produce probably the most corn and potatoes and devote himself to creating a better family life. Unfortunately,
33、the odds are so slim. And Rips talents have nowhere to go, leaving his house time-worn, his children ragged and wild, and his wife complaining.4Now, the contradiction is clear that the environment is brutally against Rips merits, which are more likely to be seen when Rip plays the role as a hard-wor
34、king farmer. Without the stage to work industriously, Rip seems to a bird without wings, a fish off water, a tree with rotted root and a stream with source blocked. In spite of little survival pressure, Rip is under the despotism of environment under which he has long groaned. With little hope of ha
35、rvest on the ground, Rip is converted to have “an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor” (Irving, 812). If the story is a painting in accordance with Irvings preference to envelope stories in an atmosphere, Kaatskill Mountains are the picture frame, the village is the setting in the
36、frame, the farm is special point of the setting and Rip, miserable and having no alternative and even a little desperate, is the center. That Rip is restricted strictly can be spotted from the painting. His merits are oppressed and constrained into so-called idleness.Following the collision between
37、Rips characters and the environment, conflict between Rip and his wife Dame Van Winkle is another paradox to which the idleness owes. In general sense, the environment is the fundamental cause for Rips characters and people close to him have a final say to affect his thoughts, behavior, and then his
38、 personalities. And Dame Van Winkle is the very factor with dominant strength to pull Rip under her principle. She discovers Rips idleness and gives her tongue not a bit rest from morning to noon till night, complaining he brought ruin to the family and totally lost the glory of ancestors during the
39、 age of Peter Stuyvesant. It is in her eye that whatever Rip said or did should deserve countless household eloquence from her. The individual judgment reflects the close relationship between Rip and idleness, for Dame Van Winkle is his life companion. But Rip, appearing to have been accustomed to t
40、he blame, grows into a habit that he “shrugged his shoulder, shook his head, cast up his eyes but said nothing” (Irving, 813) as a response. Since one is eager to criticize while the other is indifferent, how cannot the conflict break?When Rips meekness cannot stand the volley of words he goes to th
41、e outside. But the conflict, though having driven Rip away from home, does not come to an end. Leaving home, Rip consoles himself by frequently the village club before the inn “designated by a rubicund portrait of His Majesty George the Third” (Irving, 813). But he was still unlucky to be traced by
42、his termagant wife. From home to inn, all the way covers shadow of idleness Dame Van Winkle frowns at. At home, needless to repeat, she discontents Rips performance and defines it as idleness that brings the family in gloom. Furthermore, the dog Wolfe is unable to get rid of the blame that his hoste
43、ss regards him as his masters companion in idleness. Before the inn, Dame Van Winkle would suddenly break in the session sometimes and “call the members all to naught” (Irving, 814). Whats more, taking into account the portrait of the George the Third who is a symbol with nobility and power, shouldn
44、t one give considerable respect? It isnt Dame Van Winkles choice. She leaves the rule behind, and charges them of encouraging his husband in habits of idleness. The conflict between Rip and his wife extends from home to the inn, leading Rip to have to escape from home and inn and finally go into the
45、 mountains. Away from home, he is not capable of much work, instead, addicted to hunting in the depths of the mountains. Like “the flock of idle crows” (Irving, 816) that answers Rips call when he awake suddenly, Rip is of idleness all the time.Coincidences on Rips farm can result in the assumption
46、that Rip and his ground has been cursed. 5The environment in which Rip does not behave insistently with his virtues makes it impossible for Rip to be super on the ground but to be idle off the land. The shrew Dame Van Winkle, whose tongue “grows keener with constant use” (Irving, 813) as years go by
47、, makes the home and the inn not suitable for Rip, drives him into the woods with idleness. To conclude, the conformation and establishment idleness is due to contradictions between Rip with environment and his wife, which both benefits the appreciation of this vivid figure who has been known to all
48、 households for nearly two hundred years in America and will long endure.4. ConclusionThere is a string of idleness in the story. Before he strolls away into the woods in which he has the long sleep, he shares idleness with the dog Wolfe at home and with other idle villagers, say, “the sages, philos
49、ophers, and other idle personages” (Irving, 813), in the session. After the sleep lasting twenty years and returning the village, he resumes his idleness and can be “at that happy age” and “can be idle with impunity” (Irving, 820). Other hen-pecked neighborhoods also wish to “have a quieting draught out of Rip Van Winkle flagon” (Irving, 821), showing that people similar to Rip exist and the number is not small. It further p
