Title: Character Analysis in Rip Van Winkle - Owl Eyes
Headings: Character Analysis
in
Rip Van Winkle

Character Analysis in Rip Van Winkle
Character Analysis Examples in Rip Van Winkle:
Rip Van Winkle

Content: This inconsistency of opinion lends weight to the interpretation of Dame Van Winkle as a symbol of a larger tyranny, perhaps that of England or of civilized society, more than as a well-rounded character in her own right. Caitlin, Owl Eyes Staff
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"This, however, always provoked a fresh volley from his wife, so that he was fain to draw off his forces..." See in text (Rip Van Winkle)
Building on his earlier statement that Rip has “inherited little of the martial character of his ancestors,” Irving defines Rip’s marital relationship as a martial one. While his predecessors “figured gallantly” in battle, though, Rip is unable to muster more than a shrug of his shoulders and a shake of his head when confronted by his wife. Caitlin, Owl Eyes Staff
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"The great error in Rip’s composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor...." See in text (Rip Van Winkle)
This is the source of the conflict between Rip and his wife, and by extension the obstacle standing between Rip and a peaceful life in his village. It is not strictly true that Rip is unable to provide for himself and his family; he fishes and hunts, and his children are messy but not starving. Moreover, Rip is a conscientious and helpful member of his community, behaving appropriately for the earlier days of American settlement. However, he does not perform the sort of farm work considered productive in the more commercially established American colonies. As the colonies stabilized and began to move toward unification, programs for the encouragement of a market-based economy spread outward from major commercial hubs. Mountain communities like Rip’s would have been slowly converted from subsistence farming, relying on barter and self-reliance to survive, into commercial farming, using money to attempt a betterment of station.