One of the major themes we covered in class recently was Rip's 20 year sleep and what it may show or symbolize. We agreed it showed that rip was in his own little world ignorant to the changes around him and caring very little. In the story he sees that all he once knew has changed and adapts to his new surroundings, content. I believe this may either be influenced by or a different take on events near the Romantic literary era.
The Romantic era was preceded the revolutionary war and the politic ridden neoclassical era. Events at the time, specifically the war, could be easily related to in the Romantic era. To the ordinary person either in Europe or in the United States the idea of someone disappearing for years at a time was probably all too familiar. In addition to this the idea of coming home to an entirely different place than one remembers may not have been too foreign to people either. The story told in Rip’s case seems to parallel this in many aspects but puts it into an entirely different context.
When one thinks of a war veteran they usually see someone courageously fighting for a cause or what they believe in. Rip’s character conflicts with the typical idea of a soldier in many ways. First of all he lacks a productive discipline and pursues his own desires rather than the groups. While a soldier is thought to believe in what he is fighting for and the political changes in the world, Rip tends to stay ignorant to the world around him. While a soldier loses his time to war, Rip lost his time to spirits (pardon the pun).
Despite the huge differences in character Rip is put into a situation similar to that or a returning soldier. To both coming home was like visiting a new place filled with old familiar faces.
Do you believe that the story of Rip was at all influenced by the historical context of the Romantic era or even a new theme diverging from it all together? Is the story free from this influence?
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I think that Rip's 20 year sleep somewhat parallels the situation that occurs in the movie "Blast from the Past."
The movie begins during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when a family decides to go down to their bomb shelter. After they reach the bottom of the shelter, a plane crashes into their house causing them to believe that a nuclear missile has hit America. To avoid the "radiation" they lock themselves in the hatch for 35 years.
This situation becomes more similar to the the story after they are allowed to leave the shelter. Just as Rip is caught up in the past and is unable to grasp some of the changes of the time, when the Webers leave the fallout shelter they find themselves out place and in a world where several major social changes have occurred.
Even more similar to Rip van Winkle, after the parents of the family finally leave the fallout shelter, they move out to the country in order to keep from being overwhelmed- just like Rip moves into the hotel (and stays out of the way.)
It also becomes apparent that the father still has prejudice against Russians and is very suspicious that he should be concerned about a Communist threat. I think that this is similar to the changes in the political scene that play a major role in Rip van Winkle.
-Kelsey
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