By the 1820s, America had experienced dramatic transformations in all facets of social life: political, economic, and culture. As westward expansion moved across the continent and industrialization produced new types of labor (factories and mass production) as well as new forms of social connection (large cities and urban living), older traditions and cultural life-ways began to die out. These changes, of course, led to new debates about the modern world — namely, should slavery be expanded or abolished; should indigenous people be assimilated into or separated from so-called “civilized” society; should working-class people be allowed to vote; would westward expansion and technological innovation bring people closer or further apart?
Although it may not seem so on the surface, both Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” (1819) and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1838) are stories about and reflections on the dramatic transformations that took place during the first half of the nineteenth century. Whereas “Rip Van Winkle” story focuses on the dramatic differences between colonial and national life, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” asks how the historical disappearance of local cultural and oral storytelling impact the possibility for new national myths. Whereas “Rip Van Winkle” displays nostalgia for the supposed simplicity of America’s colonial past, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” asks whether western migration, economic expansion, and technological innovation should really count as “progress,” if these new realities help cultivate a nation of self-interested, rapacious individuals like Ichabod Crane.
For this assignment, choose either one of Irving’s tales to reflect on what changes and transformations to American culture does the tale seem to be most concerned about. What examples can you provide from the text to support your answers? Try to focus on at least three examples in your post