Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the character of Ichabod Crane, in Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", represents the intrusion of the outsider upon an isolated and static community. The author points out that Crane threatens to bring disastrous changes to an environment. The paper relates that Crane's itinerant lifestyle, which he maintains even within this settled agrarian community, identifies him as one who does not seek the integration demanded by this environment. The author underscores that the character's tendency toward endless consumption and the perception that all he encounters should somehow be transformed into a means to benefit himself escalates the hostility of his environment. The paper concludes that his attempt to court the character of Katrina solely for the purpose of satisfying his mercenary desires creates a threat to the Hollow, which can only be eliminated by his permanent expulsion.

From the Paper:

"The figure of Ichabod Crane emerges as one that devours without nourishment, consuming and then moving on, which directly threatens the carefully balanced stasis of the environment of Sleepy Hollow. He is presented as one who eats large amounts of food, yet appears "tall and exceedingly lank" and is compared to a crane or scarecrow, implying an inability to absorb nourishment from his consumption. Even as he makes his way through the countryside, Crane transforms the landscape's autumnal bounty into feasts to be devoured: apples become ciders, corn becomes cakes, and pumpkins".

Sample of Sources Used:

• Irving, Washington. The Complete Tales of Washington Irving. Ed. Charles Neidler. Doubleday & Co., Inc., Garden City, NY. 1975, pp. 477-498.

More papers on Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow":

• Comparison Essay # 117907 : "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" And "Rip Van Winkle"
• Book Review # 132703 : "Case Study of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
• Book Review # 126746 : "'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' and American Society"

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