EXERCISE I THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW OBJECT: By WASHINGTON IRVING To determine which is the most important element in the story: action, character, or setting. MATERIAL: The story itself; The Life and Letters of Irving, by P. M. Irving, (References are made to the edition of 1862, in four volumes.); Irving's "Wolfert's Roost" will be useful; a map of Tarrytown and the surrounding country, (An excellent map can be got for ten cents by addressing the Director, U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C., and asking for the Tarrytown sheet of New York.); pictures of the scenes in the story will be useful. DIRECTIONS: (1) Before reading the story, note the most important element as suggested by the title. Is it action, character, or setting? Note, just here, that there is a difference between the facts that you may notice, and the bearing of the facts upon our special question. Thus, probably all would agree that the element of setting was the chief thing in the title. It does not follow at once that the setting is the most important element in the story. Titles are given for all sorts of reasons, or for no reason that one can find out. Suppose it be the case that when Irving named the story, his mind 3 was running in Sleepy Hollow, and the old Dutch Church, and the Van Tassel farm, it does not follow that those things had been the chief matter in his mind as he thought out and wrote the story. It makes a probability in that direction which we want to consider in itself, and compare with whatever evidence we have. (2) It will be well for the student to familiarize himself thoroughly with the story. The following questions will help in this: (a) Where did Ichabod come from? (b) Why did the place become drowsy? (c) Was there any motive in driving Ichabod out of Katrina (d) What became of Ichabod after the race? Disa kea After reading the story through carefully, note which of the elements is most important judging from, (a) The relative amount of space in the story devoted to that element, (b) The general impression that the story seems to have made upon the public-what is best remembered about it-(c) The lasting impression which the story has made upon you as individual reader. (3) Find what you can about the origin of the action. (See the Life of Irving, Vol. I, p. 448.) Note what suggested the story to Irving, and show the changes that the suggestions took in his mind. Why did he not take the original legend of someone racing with the devil for a bowl of punch? Would that not have led to as interesting a story? Why should he have changed the devil into a headless Hessian? 1 (4) Find the origin of the character of Ichabod. In the Life, Vol. IV, p. 81, will be found some evidence on 1 Very possibly the student will answer that a local legend dealt with a headless Hessian, but the local interest and legend were Irving's invention. this subject. If you will compare carefully the language of the latter part of this letter with the account of Ichabod's discipline, you will find something that may be of value. A wider reading of Irving, say Knickerbocker's New York, and of the literature of New York at about this time, will show a tendency to good-natured satire on New England, especially Connecticut. (5) Compare the topography and scenery in the story with actual maps and descriptions of the country. It will be found to be correct, and the student will want to consider the value of this correctness. It need not be supposed that description of natural scenery ought to be a correct account of some particular place. Cooper rarely described any specific scene; his descriptions are often made up of combinations of separate scenic elements. Still if the description be correct, it will show that the recollection of the place was vivid in Irving's mind, which may be a matter of importance. One will now be ready (if one have not come upon it before) to appreciate Irving's own characterization of the story. He wrote to his brother Ebenezer, when sending him the MS for publication, as follows: "There is a Knickerbocker story which may please from its representation of American scenes. It is a random thing, suggested by recollections of scenes and stories about Tarrytown. The story is a mere whimsical band to connect the descriptions of scenery, customs, manners, etc." (Life, I, 448.) SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER Work: (1) Irving was in England when he wrote this story. Find out why he happened to have any idea of the country about Tarrytown. (See Life, I.) (2) It is clear that this tale is different from an essay- comparing it with those essays which you have read of Addison, Lamb, and Stevenson-chiefly by its having something of a story. Note, through your knowledge of the essay, the evident effect which it has produced upon the author, such as the long time it takes for him to get the story started. Note also the following, and see if you can find other material on this subject: "That our first eminent short fictions were written by a pupil of the school of essayists vitally affected their structure." C. S. Baldwin, American Short Stories. SUMMARY: If, then, the setting the Hudson River scenery and the old Dutch life—is the main thing in the author's mind, and in the mind of the critics, and of the reading public, the first step in the appreciation of the story may be to appreciate just that. We need not concern ourselves about whether the story answers to the technique of the modern short story, nor for the moment with much thought of the character-study to be found in Ichabod Crane. Let us first get imbued with the charm of the spirit of place. If possible let us go over the ground and see the Hudson and the hills on either side. Visit the old Van Tassel place (now Sunnyside, the late home of Irving), and thence follow along the road over the ridge and on the side of the hill till we reach the famous bridge and the old Dutch church. True the road is different from the road of old times: Tarrytown is a busy thriving place, and our walk will be different from Ichabod's ride. The way runs along a handsome residence street instead of a country road, just as the bridge is a substantial creation instead of the crossing of rough logs that was there in Ichabod's time. But the old stone farmhouse at the beginning of our walk, if not exactly like the Van Tassel house, may easily remind us of |