Title: Rip Van Winkle Summary and Analysis
Headings: Rip Van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle
Background of the Story
Contents
Historical Context
Overview
Rip Van Winkle Summary
Rip Van Winkle Characters Analysis
Geoffrey Crayon
Rip Van Winkle
Dame Van Winkle
Derrick Van Bummel
Nicholaus Vedder
Judith Gardenier
Rip Van Winkle, Jr.
Hendrick Hudson
Peter Vanderdonk
Themes in Rip Van Winkle
Freedom and Tyranny
Constancy and Change
History and Fiction
Volunteerism vs Work for Money
Active vs Passive Resistance
Labor vs Productivity
Rip Van Winkle Analysis
Narrative Style
Local History and Mythical Narrative
Self Identity
Overlapping of Time
Rip as an Anti-American
Negative evasiveness of Rip’s Wife
Rip as Negation of Traditional American Hero

Content: Even the dogs respect him and do not bark at him. Whenever Dame Van Winkle creates a mess, he heads towards an inn where he sits with other people. They are usually talking about philosophical and political issues. Also, rumors, gossip, and sleepy stories are spread through this place. Every now and then they get an old newspaper and talk about current situations. Nicholaus Vedder is the landowner of the inn and the leader of the club. He never talks but makes notions on the basis of how he smokes the pipe. Van Winkle chides his fellows for encouraging his idleness. His farmhouse was hard-lucky so Dame Van Winkle has little reason to scold him for sluggishness that she does three times a day; morning, noon, and night.