Romanticism Spirit In Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle

Abstract

This research utilizes Romanticism as the object of this study. The fairy tales used in this study is Rip Van Winkle. The purpose of this research is to find out how Romanticism discourse is presented in the short story. This object of study is aimed at how romanticism spirit constructed with the contextual background in the nineteenth century. Romanticism developed in America through Britain as their colonizer. America uses romanticism as the movement to resist against the regulation that harms America. Romanticism in America formed Patriotism. Therefore, in the nineteenth century, a lot of patriots in America began to appear and some resistance opened in some areas in America. Romanticism in America become a belief that America has a dream and become a new nation after the American Revolution. Furthermore, Romanticism that is presented in Rip Van Winkle mentions that there is a man named Rip Van Winkle that has a conflict with his wife Dame Van Winkle because Rip did not fulfill the demand of his wife. Rip always rejects, ignores, and avoids his wife because he cannot fulfill his family needs. However, Rip is a good neighbor, his hobby is entertaining kids around the village and going around to say hello to his neighbor, that is why he is considered a friendly neighbor. Until one day, he feels fed up by the mock of his wife, he decided to hunt in Caatskill mountain which is near from his village. After he helps mysterious man, he slept for many years. When he comes back to his village, he found his wife passed away. However, his reaction was happy to hear that. He can live his life free without the shackles of demand from his wife. His life went better after the death of his wife.