Title: Rip Van Winkle Themes - eNotes.com
Headings: Rip Van Winkle Themes
Rip Van Winkle Themes
Themes
Tradition versus Modernity
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The Tribulations of Marriage
The Natural versus Supernatural
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Content: Instead of spending time with his own children, he spends time with the village children, letting his own go ragged and wild. Dame Van Winkle is left on her own because of Rip’s idle ways and tendency to help others instead of himself and his family. Their conflict serves as a major catalyst in the story. Had Dame Van Winkle not nagged Rip as much, he may never have wandered into the woods to get away from her and find peace. Rip’s stroll into the mountains spurred his encounter with Henry Hudson and the crew of the Half Moon. This gave him the ability to skip over the years of his life that he otherwise would have had to spend in conflict with his wife. Thus the story’s central tensions play out in both private and public spheres. The conflict between the idyllic past and the bustling present parallels the marital conflict between the leisurely Rip and the boisterous Ms. Van Winkle. The Natural versus Supernatural
"Rip Van Winkle" is set near the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River, both real places. Despite the reality of the setting, the short story slowly begins to fill with supernatural elements.