The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

While reading the short story, The Legend of Sleep Hallow by Irving Washington, I was immediately drawn to Washington’s unique visual descriptions. And the character Icabod Crane. Upon some of the first introduction to the setting you are able to get a good understanding on the village. Washington doesn’t try to use the cookie-cutter descriptions and give the reader a visualization of a beautiful, sunny, village but instead, lays out the scene to be almost too normal and quiet for anything to happen. This quiet little town resorts to creating its own excitement making up stories and legends. I found this interesting that no matter how ordinary or uninteresting a place or situation may be, a human or a community has a way of keeping their life’s interesting enough from day to day to be able to wake up and keep going. By creating and passing down old legends, such as the German doctor who bewitched residents earlier, it gives them an excuse to accept the way things are now. This is a huge reason why Icabod plays such an important part in this community. You can tell that the village’s form of entertainment and even knowledge of existence is based highly on legends. With Icabod Crane having seen more of the world and traveled to the village he seem exotic and full of wisdom and knowledge. Icabod Crane jumps at this opportunity and uses his power but makes sure not to absue it. He eats for free traveling from family to family and knows he could lie through his teeth or make up weird and crazy legends and won’t be doubted. This is why Icabod pursues Katrina. Besides being a good-looking, talented, student and musician she also comes from a family of wealth. When Icabod is invited to join the family for dinner he jumps at the opportunity and eats to his heart’s content and even steals a few dances with Katrina while her suitor Brom Bones sulks in the corner. As always the dinner conversation turns back to legends and myths were Brom Bones recalls a encounter he had with the headless horseman. Icabod leaves the party with such tales “crowding upon his recollections,” and rides his horse Gunpowder off into the night. This is where Icabod then encounters the legend of the headless horseman. As Icabod races off he tries to lose the headless horseman but is hit as he turns, is hit with the head of the horseman and falls off the horse. The horse returns home the next morning with Icabod nowhere to be found and when people return to look for Icabod only his hat with and a shattered pumpkin was found.

Add a comment October 6, 2009