The setting of certain stories can affect how the story integrates as a whole. Examples of this is John Winthrop’s essay, “A Model of Christian Charity” as well as Washington Irving’s story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Both share similarities with the idea of country and city people and acting as a whole community. Winthrop believes in the Puritan lifestyle which in turn affects the way he wants to run his community, and by making it based upon Christian beliefs 1and way of life, he can hope to help his community. In Winthrop’s essay, he inspires others by with the use of his idea of a “city upon a hill” with everyone else looking up to them because of the way they act as a model community. However, this also gives the feeling of isolation because as their community is being looked up upon, they are also by themselves in a sense, as they are the only …show more content…
In Irving’s story, he uses the dreamy setting of Sleepy Hollow to add to the sense of community as well as making the town feel isolated. By using the dreaminess of Sleepy Hollow, it gives the sense of the supernatural beliefs of the villagers which in turn, helps add to the idea of community because only these Dutch villagers can relate to the beliefs because of their history in their town. Using these examples and exclusively comparing them, it shows the diversity in communities and how one was expected to act during these times. By matching the setting with the theme of the story, this allows the reader to see how the idea of a “new nation” is reflected on the lives of individuals as well how the physical and mental feeling of isolation helps inspire but also affects communities such as the Dutch villagers. John Winthrop's essay, “A Model of Christian Charity” relates to the idea of the setting taking whole in the story. The
From the prologue through chapter one in “Wilderness and the American Mind”, the author emphasizes the affect wilderness had on the Europeans during the colonization of America. In today’s society, we are familiar with the concept of wilderness but few of us have experienced the feeling of being encapsulated in the unfamiliar territory. Today we long for wilderness, crave it even. We use it as an outlet to escape the pace of life. However, we have a sense of safety that the Europeans did not. We are not isolated in the unfamiliar, help is usually a phone call away. Though we now view the wilderness as an oasis because we enter at our own terms, in the early colonial and national periods, the wilderness was an unknown environment that was viewed as evil and dangerous.
Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a novel in which religion is of great importance. One of the main themes in this novel is faith in God and oneself, and even more, the conflict between belief and doubt. Irving writes in such a way, that this is very evident throughout the book. John Wheelwright, at the start of the novel, is a young boy who does not seem to know much about how strong his faith really is. Part of the reason for this, is that the choice between believing in and doubting God is that there isn’t any complete evidence that He even exists.
Throughout Irving’s story, he used characterization, irony, the dreams, and other literacy devices to bring The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to life for Irving’s audience.
Winthrop, John. "from a Modell of Christian Charity." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and company, 1990. 226-238.
[This is an introduction sentence, wow amazing, I can’t believe I made it to the third page.] I believe that if John Winthrop were to suddenly come back to life in order to witness the Salem witch trials, he would first consider it the work of the devil, then later disapprove of the actions taken by Parris and his supporters. In order to break down this argument, one must draw upon Winthrop’s sermon, A Modell of Christian Charity, and his traditional Puritan values.
This extract emphasises the lonely, outworld feeling that would have been felt living in such settings. This puts into perspective the feeling that will be felt during the coarse of the plot development.
In Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle,” an allegorical reading can be seen. The genius of Irving shines through, in not only his representation in the story, but also in his ability to represent both sides of the hot political issues of the day. Because it was written during the revolutionary times, Irving had to cater to a mixed audience of Colonists and Tories. The reader’s political interest, whether British or Colonial, is mutually represented allegorically in “Rip Van Winkle,” depending on who is reading it. Irving uses Rip, Dame, and his setting to relate these allegorical images on both sides. Irving would achieve success in both England and America, in large part because his political satires had individual allegorical meanings.
In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Company set sail to the New World in hope of reforming the Church of England. While crossing the Atlantic, John Winthrop, the puritan leader of the great migration, delivered perhaps the most famous sermon aboard the Arbella, entitled “A Model of Christian Charity.” Winthrop’s sermon gave hope to puritan immigrants to reform the Church of England and set an example for future immigrants. The Puritan’s was a goal to get rid of the offensive features that Catholicism left behind when the Protestant Reformation took place. Under Puritanism, there was a constant strain to devote your life to God and your neighbors. Unlike the old England, they wanted to prove that New England was a community of love and individual worship to God. Therefore, they created a covenant with God and would live their lives according to the covenant. Because of the covenant, Puritans tried to abide by God’s law and got rid of anything that opposed their way of life. Between 1630 and the 18th century, the Puritans tried to create a new society in New England by creating a covenant with God and living your life according to God’s rule, but in the end failed to reform the Church of England. By the mid 1630’s, threats to the Puritans such as Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and Thomas Hooker were being banned from the Puritan community for their divergent beliefs. 20 years later, another problem arose with the children of church members and if they were to be granted full membership to the church. Because of these children, a Halfway Covenant was developed to make them “halfway” church members. And even more of a threat to the Puritan society was their notion that they were failing God, because of the belief that witches existed in 1692.
Benoit, Raymond. Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Explicator. Washington: Heldref Publications, 1996. "
From 1804 to 1806 Irving traveled throughout Europe and spent most of his time away in England, allowing him to experience European culture as well as how it feels to be a foreigner (May). Irving parallels his alien status in his characterization of Ichabod Crane, a character that one analyzer identified as “an outsider, a Yankee schoolmaster among the canny Dutch farmers” (Yarbrough). It is clear that Irving felt out of place in Europe, but he embraced his differences proudly and enjoyed absorbing the foreign culture just as Ichabod did. This willingness to absorb the surrounding culture is clearly paralleled by Ichabod’s views on witchcraft, in which he “most firmly and potently believed,” just as Irving was eager to adopt and adapt the traditional folktales he learned in Europe (“Legend of Sleepy Hollow”). Irving characterizes Crane as superstitious primarily to develop him as an intelligent and harsh schoolmaster and as a foil to the simpler countryfolk natives while also displaying his own love for exploring literature. Washington Irving’s development of Ichabod Crane as a superstitious outsider reflects his early experiences as a stranger and his embrace of foreign
Washington Irving’s short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” was adapted into a movie titled “Sleepy Hollow” directed by Tim Burton nearly two centuries after the original publication. When the story was adapted as a film, several extensive changes were made. A short story easily read in one sitting was turned into a nearly two-hour thriller, mystery, and horror movie by incorporating new details and modifying the original version of the story. The short story relates the failed courtship of Katrina Van Tassel by Ichabod Crane. His courtship is cut short by the classic romance antagonist-the bigger, stronger, and better looking Broom Bones. Ichabod wishes to marry Katrina because of her beauty but also because of the wealthy inheritance she will receive when her father, Baltus Van Tassel and stepmother, Lady Van Tassel die. However, the film tells the story of Ichabod Crane as an investigator who is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the recent decapitations that are occurring. These modifications alter the original story entirely, thus failing to capture the Irving’s true interpretation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The film and the original story have similarities and differences in the plot, characters, and setting.
The virtues Winthrop speaks of are not present in Bradford’s writing, and in turn, also absent from the community. Building friendships based on manipulative business contracts; Demonizing, alienating, and even torturing members of society for their differences; and finally considering abandonment of their brethren in a time of war and strife does not depict the Godly providence envisioned by Winthrop. As deduced from the aforementioned accounts, the Puritans not only failed to uphold the heavenly image they were to model for the world, but they were not true to their proclaimed kingdom of heaven. In fact, they merely transformed from the oppressed to the oppressors. Hardly a model to be respected or revered.
The narration in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow functions as a way to give authority to the women of Tarry Town. This power of feminine is elicit by Washington Irving who gives respect and superiority to women indirectly, but yet evidently through third person narration. Furthermore through Katrina he parallels the power of Tarry Town’s women by illustrating their agency to beget the downfall of Ichabod.
John Winthrop was the leader of the Puritans who were on their way to settle in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. On the voyage over John Winthrop gave a sermon on the ship to everyone that was on board the boat. This sermon became famous and was later give the name “A Model of Christian Charity”. The travellers on the boat were given a forewarning of what they needed to be successful and the consequences that could possibly occur. In the sermon John Winthrop outlines what is necessary for this colony to be successful and why this specific colony is being put under a microscope to view either their success or demise. The “A Model of Christian Charity” sermon is an insightful monologue that I believe were guidelines for all of the settlers to know that if they followed these guidelines that they will not fail.
When one thinks of the pleasant encounters in life, there is usually a time, place, or object that makes the moment memorable. While examining a few short stories by Flannery O’Conner, one may be able to gain a better understanding of her use of settings and symbols. For example in the short story “Good Country People”, the setting takes place in a rural area. The setting in this story is almost like a character itself, without it, it changes the context of the story. Location, being in the right place at the right time; the setting of a story is a key element. The setting of a story, the place in which events happen, does more than provide site. The setting reveals details about the characters that may not have been known otherwise. The setting helps the reader understand the mind state of a character.