The Hudson River & the Hudson River Painters

“The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York in the United States. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the Upper New York Bay between New York City and Jersey City, eventually…

Character Development in Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle

Character Development of Rip “…a simple, good-natured fellow, of the name of Rip Van Winkle. “…I have observed that he was a simple, good-natured man; he was, moreover, a kind neighbour, and an obedient, hen-pecked husband. Indeed, to the latter circumstance might be owing that meekness of spirit which gained him such universal popularity; for…

Setting in Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle

Painting of Rip Van Winkle by Jon Quidor – 1829 Washington Irving is considered the Father of the Short Story, which began as an American literary form. His delightful story Rip Van Winkle is thought to have been the first American short story. In 1916, W. Patterson Atkinson said the following about the short story: “A short…

Nature as a Theme in Literature

Map of the 100 Acre Wood in Winnie the Pooh Nature is often called The Wood in British literature “Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wild World,” said the Rat. “And that’s something that doesn’t matter, either to you or to me. I’ve never been there, and I’m never going, nor you either, if you’ve…