Part 1: We see in “Rip Van Winkle” themes of generational change, continuity, preservation, and tradition. Written nearly half a century after the American Revolution, in “Rip Van Winkle” Irving is making a statement about the Revolution. What is it Washington Irving is trying to convey to the reader through his story? Do any of the surrounding characters have roles or represent themes related to the Revolution? If so, what might those be?

INSTRUCTIONS: Each part of this forum post should be approximately 300 words in length. Both Part 1 and Part 2 should be posted in the same response. References must come from the reading provided in MLA.

Part 1: We see in “Rip Van Winkle” themes of generational change, continuity, preservation, and tradition. Written nearly half a century after the American Revolution, in “Rip Van Winkle” Irving is making a statement about the Revolution. What is it Washington Irving is trying to convey to the reader through his story?  Do any of the surrounding characters have roles or represent themes related to the Revolution? If so, what might those be?

Part 2: James Fenimore Cooper challenges the reader to consider who really owns the land and its natural resources. What evidence is in there of natural law versus human law? What can we say about individual freedoms versus the ideal of equal opportunities protected by the institutions of a justly ordered society? Express these juxtapositions using lines from the reading as support. And then please add your opinion of ownership and conservation, law, and freedoms. 

The Romantic the Real and the American Indian

Washington Irving: Author Bio

Washington Irving, Rip Van Winkle

The Romantic, the Real, and the American Indian

James Fenimore Cooper: “Author Bio”—220

James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers — Chapter I

James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers — Chapter III

James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers — Chapter IV