Washington Irving

Washington Irving, the creator and father of the American short-story, wrote symbolically about American society through his characters, themes, and stories. His short stories were a key part of the Dark Romantic movement. Irving draws on elements of Dark Romantic writing in his early works to highlight the human flaws in many of them, especially in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and in “The Devil and Tom Walker”. These works expose immoral characteristics to highlight the dark side characters, a trope from Dark Romanticism. These stories are about the dark side of society and the evils that people face every day. Irving was the Dark Romantic author who used stories to highlight societal flaws in order to fix them. The motifs of loveless marriage and greed feature prominently in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and “The Devil and Tom Walker”. The motif of greed appears in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in Ichabod’s yearning to be with Katrina Van Tassel. Crane wants to be with her because he is greedy and she has the fortune. “Ichabod Crane was a gentle and foolish man who loved sex. It is no wonder that he found her so attractive, especially after visiting her paternal home” (7). Crane didn’t fall in love with her romantically until after he saw her physical beauty. Crane believes Katrina is from a wealthy family after seeing her home. Crane imagines such a life for himself. “The enraptured Ichabod fantasized all this. . . His heart long for the damsel who would inherit these domains” (Bily 150). Crane’s greed for wealth is what makes him obsessed with Katrina. Irving sees greed as a morally unsound characteristic. He believes that marrying someone for their wealth is wrong. Crane is used by Irving to represent greedy Americans and he is included in the Dark Romantic movement.

Irving also used greed to depict the failings of the characters from “The Devil, Tom Walker”. Tom Walker (the selfish and gluttonous spouse) will do whatever it takes in order to save himself. Tom is initially turned down by Old Scratch the devil. Tom rejects the devil’s first offer. His wife would share the profits. He is more concerned with his own life and wealth than his spouse. This evil desire leads eventually to her brutal murder. Tom is not angry when his wife is taken by the devil, but rather happy that he has the money. He realizes he is free to enjoy the benefits without his wife. James Lynch, a New York Folklore Quarterly author, describes: “Greed [motifs] are one of the main themes of “The Devil & Tom Walker.” Old Scratch approaches Tom offering him wealth that is beyond his wildest expectations” (Lynch and 58). Irving also uses Irving’s greed and inability to feel sorry for his wife to show their greed-filled marriage. In addition to causing terrible and tragic things to occur, greed can also lead relationships to be destroyed. Irving’s story demonstrates how greed, which is a bad characteristic in life, can lead to Dark Romantic qualities. Irving uses the story to illustrate the negative effects of greed. This is why he has compared it to Dark Romanticism.

Irving uses the motif of loveless marital to connect greed and the Dark Romantic movement. Irving uses this motif in many stories to show the flaws of American marriages. Irving draws attention to the bad side of a marriage that lacks true love in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Their love is not based on affection, but more on material desires and selfish motives. “Ichabod Crane had an inquisitive and soft heart for sex. He was more interested in the morsel than he was in love. Crane did this not because he was in love with Katrina, but because she comes from a wealthy family. Katrina also never speaks of her love for Ichabod. This shows their infidelity as a couple. “Ichabod quickly falls for her charming charms. But it’s only when he visits her father at his farm that he feels he is truly in love with her. Or at least his likely inheritance.” (Nelson 151). Crane is adamant about Katrina and his love. He doesn’t care about Katrina’s needs. This motif is used by Irving to point out the problems in American marriages. This symbol serves to remind us of how morally deplorable a marriage that is not loving can be. This is to highlight the flaws in American marriages.

The same motif is used in “The Devil And Tom Walker” to demonstrate how deceitful a marriage can be. Irving draws on the relationship between Tom Walker’s wife and Tom Walker to illustrate how the lack of genuine love in a marriage will eventually lead to its end. The apparent death of Tom Walker’s wife ends the marriage. “Tom had a tough mind and was not afraid of the devil. He lived with his wife for so long that he no longer feared him.” (1) Tom Walker is not in love with his wife of many decades. Their marriage places love at the bottom of their priorities. They are not in love for the right reasons. Their marriage is full of greed, selfishness, and dishonesty. Irving’s stories also show how characters in marriage have little compassion for one another, which eventually leads to a lack in love. “Irving critiqued marriage by showing Tom Walker as perfectly happy after his wife’s passing; he did not feel any regret or sadness about her death” (Plummer 209). The other person is grieved when a spouse or close friend dies. Tom does nothing to mourn his wife’s death after her passing. Irving shows society how a marriage that is not based on love can lead to a dysfunctional relationship. This shows how American society views marriage as not being based on love. A relationship that is not based on love will result in the breaking of the marriage vow. This will also lower society’s expectations and views about marriage.

Irving uses humor to show the flaws in American life. He mocks Americans by using humor and ridicule. Irving uses humor in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to highlight the bad effects of relationships and the horrible consequences they can have. His views on American life are expressed through satire. In the story, Ichabod Crane becomes so attached to Katrina he’ll do anything for her: “…soft anticipatory stole his mind. “(3) Irving’s use joke and satire highlight the thin lines between fiction and reality in modern society. Crane gets so obsessed with Katrina Van Tassel’s actions that he cannot watch or pay attention to anything else. Irving does these things to prove to people not all is truthful and good. Irving transmits this message to the readers through his story. Irving cleverly constructs his satire in order to stress the dangers inherent in believing too strongly in stories, as well the distinction between fiction and nonfiction. This is done through Ichabod Crane who is shown as someone who doesn’t understand the limits and possibilities of imagination. He is obsessed about his dream of marrying Katrina Van Tassel.” Crane doesn’t have any limits on his imagination. He dreamed of marrying Katrina. Katrina is not mentioned in the story. This is Irving’s direct satire on a common American life event. People have fantasies of marrying other people and what it would take to achieve that dream, but often, these dreams don’t turn out as they plan. Irving uses his story to convey this message. Irving’s purpose in using satire to confuse reality and fiction can lead to us being exposed, as Crane was in this story. Irving employs satire to show the consequences of believing false things. They are often hurt by this behavior, which ultimately shows how dark romantic writing can include satire.

Satire, a Dark Romantic element also found in “The Devil And Tom Walker,” is the most popular topic. Irving illustrates the terrible effects of relationships and their impact on others by using the example of Tom’s marriage to his wife. People look at their relationship and are grateful that they don’t have to be married. Irving uses this comedy to mock American marriage and the way people see it. People are often shocked to see the pain in a relationship and are grateful that it is not so bad. The story also satirises Tom’s decision to turn to religion for a fresh start. He then becomes an arrogant and critical man. Irving does this in irony to highlight the paradox of people who turn to faith to do the right things and then go wrong. “Irving also satirizes Tom’s faith and how he becomes critical of his neighbor, despite knowing that his soul was damned.” (Piedmont Marton 212). Irving employs satire to highlight flaws in American society.

Irving is a Dark Romantic author who focuses on the dark side of humanity. He incorporates flawed characters into “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and in “The Devil and Tom Walker.” Irving uses the theme of greed to demonstrate the impact it has on daily life and the damage it can cause on people and relationships. Because it exposes the dark side of life and humanity, Irving is a Dark Romantic author. His characters are in unhealthy relationships due to the loveless marriage motif. Irving uses faulty, unhealthy marriages to rectify the American society. He also uses humor to illustrate how people can be hurt by believing in things not real.

Works cited

Abel, Darrel. “The Rise of a National Literature”, American Literature: Colonial Writing and Early National Writing. Barron’s Educational Studies published a book in New York in 1963.

Bily Cynthia, short stories for students, Gale Research 1997

William L. Hedges examines the life of Washington Irving in his 1965 book, Washington Irving: An American Study, 1802-1832, published by Johns Hopkins Press.

Irving, Washington. The Devil, Tom Walker. Putnam, Davis & Co. published a book in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1896. Print.

Irving, Washington. The tale of Sleepy Hollow recounts the story of a peaceful village that is haunted by a mysterious figure. It follows the adventures of a schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane and his encounters with the specter of the Headless Horseman. New York: of Wonders, 1990. Print.

Lynch, James. “The Devil In the Writings Of Irving, Hawthorne And Poe,” in New York Folklore Quarterly VIII, 1952.

Nelson, Michael. Gale Research, 1997.

Elisabeth Piedmont Marton, for short stories for students, Gale Research, 1997.

Plummer Laura, short stories for students, Gale Research 1997.