Rip Van Winkle Compare And Contrast Essay
Mikayla Souza
Elisabeth Bell
ENG 241-0001
April 1, 2014
Comparing and Contrasting the Two Stories of Rip Van Winkle.
The story of Rip Van Winkle was written in 1819 by Washington Irving. It was the first American short story. Robert Coover wrote Rip Awake 153 years later. It is his version of the continuing story of the man named Rip Van Winkle. Although both these stories have obvious similarities there are also many differences. These differences include the setting of the story, the character of Rip himself, and the mood of the story.
Rip Van Winkle was written as a short story. This is one of the many differences between Rip Van Winkle and Rip Awake. Coover’s version of Rip Awake was written as a play. The format in which a literary piece is written can drastically alter the way the audience perceives the work. If a piece is presented dramatically, all the audience knows is what they see and hear. They have no way of knowing a character’s thoughts. Alternatively, if the audience reads a piece of work for themselves, they do not have the benefit of dramatic inflection. Each of these forms of presentation are intriguing and unique. However, they both have there …show more content…
They have their similarities but they also have their differences. Rip Awake is dramatic action told in the first person while Rip Van Winkle is a short story written in third person. Rip’s character also greatly varies in both stories. Irving’s Rip is a sleepy soul, kind at heart, and well liked by his peers. Coover’s Rip starts out the same way but develops into an angry, resentful and ill minded man because of his circumstances while Irving’s Rip ultimately stays the same. Lastly, Rip Awake is a dark story driven by anger and confusion while Rip Van Winkle is a lighter story run on escapism. Both of these stories tell a tale of the same man but they do it in a way that is completely unique of the
Elisabeth Bell
ENG 241-0001
April 1, 2014
Comparing and Contrasting the Two Stories of Rip Van Winkle.
The story of Rip Van Winkle was written in 1819 by Washington Irving. It was the first American short story. Robert Coover wrote Rip Awake 153 years later. It is his version of the continuing story of the man named Rip Van Winkle. Although both these stories have obvious similarities there are also many differences. These differences include the setting of the story, the character of Rip himself, and the mood of the story.
Rip Van Winkle was written as a short story. This is one of the many differences between Rip Van Winkle and Rip Awake. Coover’s version of Rip Awake was written as a play. The format in which a literary piece is written can drastically alter the way the audience perceives the work. If a piece is presented dramatically, all the audience knows is what they see and hear. They have no way of knowing a character’s thoughts. Alternatively, if the audience reads a piece of work for themselves, they do not have the benefit of dramatic inflection. Each of these forms of presentation are intriguing and unique. However, they both have there …show more content…
They have their similarities but they also have their differences. Rip Awake is dramatic action told in the first person while Rip Van Winkle is a short story written in third person. Rip’s character also greatly varies in both stories. Irving’s Rip is a sleepy soul, kind at heart, and well liked by his peers. Coover’s Rip starts out the same way but develops into an angry, resentful and ill minded man because of his circumstances while Irving’s Rip ultimately stays the same. Lastly, Rip Awake is a dark story driven by anger and confusion while Rip Van Winkle is a lighter story run on escapism. Both of these stories tell a tale of the same man but they do it in a way that is completely unique of the