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: Rip Van Winkle stays in the past in this way, holding on to traditions and a simple, quiet life that is free from ambition and work. Although the village appears to be entirely different, it is also possible to see glimpses of the past just underneath the new changes. This can be seen in the changes that happened to the inn. The inn has a new owner, and the people there look different, but the painting of King George III still hangs. It is now painted over with a visage of George Washington, but the face of King George III still shows through. This layered portrait reveals the remnants of the past that the new country is based on, suggesting that the past, present, and future are inseparable parts of the same continuity. The Tribulations of Marriage
One of the central themes in “Rip Van Winkle” revolves around Rip’s turbulent relationship with his abrasive wife. Rip is an obedient, simple and good man who has to deal with his nagging wife. Irving purposely gives only Rip’s point of view. Rip's wife, Dame Van Winkle, has no dialogue, and readers are not given her side of the story.