Title: Rip Van Winkle Characters - eNotes.com
Headings: Rip Van Winkle Characters
Rip Van Winkle Characters
Characters
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Rip Van Winkle
Dame Van Winkle
Judith Cardenier
Rip Van Winkle, Jr.
The Stranger
Hendrick (Henry) Hudson
Nicholas Vedder
Derrick Van Bummel
Brom Dutcher
Peter Vanderdonk
The Self-Important Man
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Content: Despite all of Dame Van Winkle’s efforts, her husband still does not help her. He instead goes hunting and disappears for twenty years. She passes away before he returns. Rip is relieved by her death, happy to be free from her. Dame Van Winkle is characterized throughout the story by industrial descriptions. She represents commerce, growth, and hard work. Rip is the antithesis of Dame Van Winkle in that he enjoys an idle and gentle rural life. Dame Van Winkle and Rip show the contrast between rural peace and urban expansiveness among early American colonies. During Rip’s disappearance, his way of life begins to disappear as well. Dame Van Winkle’s lifestyle and work ethic ends up taking hold of the village and colonies instead.