A Magnificent Story

The Reading Review of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Ⅰ.Introduction The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is an 1820 short story by American author Washington Irving. First published in a book of short stories and essays entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent, it is one of the first enduring works of American fiction. It has been adapted multiple times for other mediums, although many adaptations only keep the bare bones of the story as a framework for supernatural horror. Its most famous adaptations are the faithful. Ⅱ.Summary The legend of Sleepy hollow mainly tells the story of an ecdemic poor teacher Ichabod Crane. The story happens in Sleepy hollow, a beautiful, quiet town said to be under some kind of enchantment, where villagers are closed minded and believe in ghosts. The teacher fell in love with a well-off woman Katrina van tassel and dreamed of becoming a manor owner in the future. He was not only obsessed with the beauty but also the property of Katrina. One day, he was invited to a party at the Van Tassel’s and attended in his shabby outfit. On the way home, a headless knight followed and frightened him: it was a prank set by Katrina and her infatuated young man. When Ichabod found out the truth, he was so awkward and ashamed that he left without saying a word and went to teach at another place. Ⅲ.Own reaction On the surface, the legend of Sleepy hollow seems to be a romantic love story, in which Ichabod and his rival Brom compete for winning their goddess Katrina’s heart. However, if you think more deeply, it is not difficult to find that Ichabod is more interested in the wealth Katrina will inherit than in herself. When he visited Katrina's house, it wasn't her who attracted his attention, but her superior material conditions: room, fireplace and food, and even living poultry turned into hot food in his eyes. Perhaps we should judge Ichabod's love in this way: he fell in love with the wealth of the Katrina family, and then imagined that he fell in love with the heirs of these wealth. But in fact, Irving wants to express more than a funny love story. Ichabod was a poor scholar who broke the peaceful life of Sleepy hollow. Although he has some knowledge, he is an unwelcome foreigner in the eyes of the local people. He is the representative of the outside world and the bourgeoisie. His arrival not only made him at a loss, but also made the local people uncomfortable. No matter how hard he tried, as he played with children and helped their parents, he could not really integrate into the small village. As a result, he not only lost the beauty's heart, but also was expelled from the Dutch territory. As for Brom, although he is reckless and mischievous, he is not a bad man. He stands with all the other residents of Sleepy hollow and is a typical representative. The confrontation between Brom and Ichabod reflects the opposition between Sleepy Hollow and the outside world. Irving's arrangement for Brom to drive Ichabod away reflects his political inclination: to keep the country peaceful and stable. After had left Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod found his own place in New York: running schools, studying law, being a politician, running campaigns, writing articles, and finally becoming a judge. This reflects Irving's exclusion and ridicule of the rapidly developing American society at that time. For this reason, Irving fictitious a utopian Sleepy Hollow in the novel, which provides an ideal destination for the escapist people. Nevertheless, we can’t escape the reality after all. In this story, Owen describes the ideal life of a quiet village and the simple, kind and humorous character of the villagers in poetic language. This is a great companion to Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". This book gives me insight into the many legends and folklore's of the Hudson Valley that inspired Irving's wonderful Halloween favorite staple of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. The author is an amazing storyteller who colorfully sheds light on these folklore's, bringing to life a world long gone.