THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW // WASHINGTON IRVING

This tale is the story of Ichabod Crane and his attempt to win 'the blooming' Katrina Van Tassel in marriage, in the context of a comical ghost story. Ichabod comes to Sleepy Hollow, New York, from his home state of Connecticut, to be the schoolmaster of the village. Sleepy Hollow is a very small and quiet town whic his said to be possessed by many elements of the supernatural. Sleepy Hollow has in fact had many incidents of supernatural occurrences, or at least stories of them, including the “Headless Horseman.” 

This story is heavily influenced by 18th and 19th century european concepts, such as Romanticism - particularly exploring the 'awe of nature' and stressing of the importance of the imagination. The tale places a lot of emphasis on the individual and is fascinated by the elevation of the ‘common man’, portrayed by the protagonist, Ichabod. He is known as a man with a 'happy mixture of pliability and perseverance in his nature; he was in form and spirit like a supplejack.' Many descriptions just like this one occur to explore Ichabod's nature - he is a schoolteacher that is talented at his teaching job, but lives a somewhat simple life. Many gothic elements appear in this text - including heavy explorations of the supernatural, where Ichabod is terrified by the threat of ghosts and other supernatural beings. It's setting is a spooky town, where even it's residents are afraid of what lies behind the lush landscape. There is definitely an atmosphere of mystery and suspense surrounding the rumours of the supernatural and overwrought emotion when the protagonist is terrified of animals and spirits. There is of course the woman controlled by a powerful male, as Katrina Van Tassel is 'owned' by her father' as well as being the object of desire for all the men in the town. This romantic elements of the story is explored through multiple suitors trying to win over her heart, despite her reluctance to commit to any man. The story also demonstrates the lack of class structure in America in the 19th century (or perhaps the myth of it), that was a heavily constructed concept in America at the time. This idea of no class helped America to be seen as an inviting 'New World' full of opportunity for all, even though this was not the case. The story sells America as a land of extreme abundance through it’s desriptions of the land and it’s resources - Ichabod is amazed when his 'green eyes grace over the fat meadowlands, the rich fields, the orchard....' It heavily explores the conflict between country and city people, through the setting (the small Dutch settlement of Tarry Town) and through this depicts the yankee as the ‘outsider’, perhaps showing how ‘real’ and ‘relatable’ American people are. It is set after the American Revolutionary War and is written in flowery 19th century language.