Title: Characters - Rip van winkle
Headings: 
Character list
Analysis of major characters

Content: Dame Van Winkle As Rip's wife, Dame Van Winkle acts as a controlling authoritative figure. She constantly diatribes and reprimands him like one of her children. She is depicted very negatively and is even disliked by the members of her village who consistently side with Rip over her. She is even blamed as the reason for Rip's deeply rooted escapist fantasy. However, despite all of her negative attributes and her lack of sympathetic charm, she is not without reason. Her husband is a veritable failure who, though he does make some effort, can barely provide for his family. She has essentially been stuck with someone with whom she must become a parent rather than a spouse. She and her husband are polar opposites but, at the same time, they are different sides of the same coin. They exemplify the idea that there is no one who is without fault and that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side. Derrick Van Brummel As the village school master, Derrick Van Brummel is the most learned gentlemen of the pack that gather at Nicholas Vedder's inn.