Title: Rip Van Winkle and Other Stories “Rip Van Winkle” Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver
Headings: Rip Van Winkle and Other Stories Summary and Analysis of "Rip Van Winkle"
Rip Van Winkle and Other Stories
by Washington Irving
Rip Van Winkle and Other Stories Summary and Analysis of "Rip Van Winkle"
Analysis

Content: Here the more idle men actually gossip and tell sleepy stories about nothing, every once in a while discussing “current” events when they find an old newspaper. Nicholaus Vedder is the landlord of the inn and the leader of the group. He never speaks but makes his opinions clear based on how he smokes his pipe. Even here, Van Winkle cannot escape from his wife, who berates everyone for encouraging his idleness. His indolence is probably to be blamed for his farm’s bad luck, so Dame Van Winkle has more than a little cause to berate him—which she does, morning, noon, and night. As the years pass, things continue to get worse, and his only recourse is to escape to the outdoors. His one companion in the household is his dog Wolf, who for no good reason is just as badly treated by the petticoat tyrant Dame Van Winkle. On one trip to the woods, Van Winkle wanders to one of the highest points in the Catskills. Fatigued from the climb, he rests, and soon the sun has started to set. He knows he will not be able to get home before dark.