Allegory: Rip Van Winkle

• English
• 9th Grade

Understanding Allegory: Rip Van Winkle

What is an allegory?

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Rip Van Winkle - On the Surface

• Written by American author Washington Irving in 1819
• Tells the story of an easygoing, colonial Dutch American villager who runs from his responsibilities and falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains for twenty years
• Wakes up and finds the American Revolution has been won and America has changed

Read the story from your textbooks

Characters

Rip Van Winkle - Beneath the Surface

The underlying themes of the story

Tyranny vs. Freedom

&

Change vs. Consistency

Tyranny vs. Freedom

“Rip Van Winkle” presents multiple forms of tyrannical power in the shape of an unhappy marriage, unpleasant personal responsibilities, and the literal tyranny of the King of Britain over his American subjects.

Rip Van Winkle longed to escape the tyrannical rule of his wife and domestic responsibilities.

Change vs. Consistency

• This tale thematizes the challenge of seeking continuity and familiarity in a world undergoing a radical transformation
• Rip’s sleepy colonial village transforms into an active post-Revolutionary hub
• Rip works to find his place in this new world without changing himself

Symbols

• The Catskill Mountains represent mysterious, magical, or supernatural forces of change that affect human life 
• The inn in the old village represents the idleness and rejection of profitable work that is the core of Rip's life
  

Characters Revisited

Rip Van Winkle: Embodiment of early colonial tradition

Dame Van Winkle: Domestic tyranny

Villagers:  Dramatic change over time

How would you describe Rip Van Winkle?

Lazy & Unmotivated

A Poor Husband & Father

A Man in Search of Freedom

Additional interpretations... 

While the story of Rip Van Winkle is primarily a socio-political commentary, it also speakers to the human condition, offering characterizations of idleness, poor personal relationships, escapism, and dereliction of duties.

Other than its socio-political meaning, what else might this story represent?