Washington Irving

More Ideas for Discussion

Irving's continuing popularity with the American public?

Sources for Irving's persistent appeal?

• humor

• supernatural elements

• the short-story genre, which can be read in one sitting

• memorable characterizations

• American landscapes and themes

If his work was written and first published in England, and if it is based on German folktales (and inspired by English authors, etc.), why is Irving an especially "American" writer?

Two possibilities:

• his reinvention of American history and heritage in the setting of old New York

• his response to the quintessentially American Franklin model of hard work as the way to wealth

The selections from The Sketch Book interweave the following themes and issues:

• American history, legend, tradition

• American culture, manners, mores, and politics

• the role and characterization of the artist or writer

• the role of art in the new nation

Discussion Questions:

1.) Using "The Artist's Account of Himself," characterize Geoffrey Crayon as an artist and a character. What kind of stories and perspectives does this sketch lead one to expect?

2.) Using one of the essays in "Who Reads an American Book?: Calls for a National Literature," discuss how Irving invents American literature in "Rip Van Winkle."

3.) Irving's depiction of Dame Van Winkle is less than positive, but the story appears immediately after "The Wife" in The Sketch Book. Choose one of the following prompts and discuss the story from a woman-centered approach:

• Explain how the placement of "The Wife" and "Rip Van Winkle" in the original publication generates an overall narrative view of women. That is, does "The Wife" help to soften your view of Irving's stereotype of Dame Van Winkle? Is "The Wife" some kind of joke?

• What would "Rip Van Winkle" be like as a story if it were told from the perspective of Dame Van Winkle? Choose one passage in the story and rewrite it from her perspective.

4.) Compare Irving's view of the American dream to Benjamin Franklin's. Do their views share any common points? How do their views differ?

5.) Consider "Rip Van Winkle" in the context of one or more of the texts from "'To Begin the World Over Again': The Emerging Idea of 'America'" (p. 427). How does Irving present America pre-and post-Revolution? How do these ideas about America relate to Irving's popular appeal?