Noah Leahy
Mr. Thompson
English 10
11 March 2011
Lessons Learned While Sleeping
The lessons learned while napping are just as meaningful as lessons learned while
awake. Rip Van Winkle is a story that illustrates human conflict, growth, and
understanding. An analysis of the main character allows the reader to gain insight into
their role in society, nature and himself.
In Rip Van Winkle there are three themes, one of which is man vs. nature. Man
vs. Nature is shown in Rip Van Winkle by him going out into nature and hunting animals.
Another way it is shown is when he went to the Catskill Mountains to be in his favorite
place but he ended up at the top of the mountain with strange people and fell asleep for
20 years. Another way it is shown is the town destroyed nature to build more buildings
and expand the town.
Another theme is man vs. self. Rip Van Winkle illustrates man vs. self by being
lazy and not taking care of his family or farm. It is man vs. self because he is choosing
not to take care of them and it’s his own choice to be lazy. Rip Van Winkle was well
liked by the community but he was still lazy about his own farm and responsibility but
when anybody in the town needed help he would help them for no pay. He was also man
vs. self because after he woke up from his 20 year nap he didn’t know what happened or
where all his friends went and it confused him.
The final theme in Rip Van Winkle is man vs. society. Rip Van Winkle illustrates
man vs. society by having Rip fall asleep for twenty years and when he wakes up society
has changed so much and everybody he knew has moved on in society and the town has
developed and expanded. Another way it is shown is by Rip being behind in technology
and information and after he woke up he found difficulty fitting back into society because
everything has changed and he stayed the same.
In conclusion, Rip Van Winkle was meant to show aspects of man and his
surroundings and how much they can change in twenty years and how you have to deal
with new things in the future. The three themes man vs. self, man vs. nature, and man vs.
society show Rip Van Winkle’s conflicts throughout his life and after he wakes up in the
future and how he deals with the change.