Story of sleepy hollow summary. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 2022-10-30

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"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving, first published in 1820. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lanky and awkward schoolteacher who moves to the small town of Sleepy Hollow in New York. Ichabod is fascinated by the local folklore, particularly the legend of the Headless Horseman, a ghost who rides through the town at night with his head tucked under his arm.

One night, Ichabod is on his way home from a party when he is confronted by the Headless Horseman. Ichabod tries to outrun the ghost, but he is no match for the supernatural being. The Horseman chases Ichabod through the woods and eventually disappears, leaving the schoolteacher alone and terrified.

The next morning, Ichabod is nowhere to be found. Some say he was carried off by the Headless Horseman, while others believe he simply ran away in fear. Whatever the case may be, Ichabod is never seen in Sleepy Hollow again.

Despite the legend of the Headless Horseman, Ichabod is not the only character in the story who is supernatural. The town of Sleepy Hollow is filled with strange and mysterious characters, including Katrina Van Tassel, a beautiful young woman whom Ichabod is infatuated with, and Brom Bones, a rough-and-tumble man who is also vying for Katrina's affections.

Throughout the story, Irving uses elements of the supernatural and the paranormal to create a sense of mystery and unease. The legend of the Headless Horseman serves as a backdrop for the love triangle between Ichabod, Katrina, and Brom, adding an element of danger and intrigue to the romance.

In the end, the true nature of the Headless Horseman is revealed to be Brom Bones, who was using the ghostly disguise to scare Ichabod away from Katrina. With Ichabod out of the picture, Brom is able to win Katrina's hand in marriage. The story concludes with the suggestion that the legend of the Headless Horseman lives on, with some believing that the ghost still rides through Sleepy Hollow on dark and foggy nights.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a classic tale of love, mystery, and the supernatural. It is a story that has been retold and adapted numerous times over the years, but it remains a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its compelling characters and spooky atmosphere.

Sleepy Hollow movie review & film summary (1999)

story of sleepy hollow summary

Was her encouragement of the poor pedagogue all a mere sham to secure her conquest of his rival? Even Ichabod's habit of carrying Cotton Mather's writing is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the wisdom we can gain from the past. Irving's contributions to this miscellany established his reputation as an essayist and his wit. N2: Brom walks up to Katrina. He sees himself as a detective of the new order, and a New York judge, impatient with his constant interruptions, banishes him to the upstate hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, where there has been an outbreak of decapitations. The Headless Horseman leaps out of the town's legends and chases Ichabod down. N1: He and Ichabod lock eyes.

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Analysis of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

story of sleepy hollow summary

The narrator says that they do not know what happens in this conversation, but that Ichabod leaves the house looking disappointed and that the reader must use their imagination to fill in the gaps. Ichabod: Dear Katrina, may I have this dance? The two sprint along the road, until Gunpowder misses the path to Sleepy Hollow and instead dashes downhill to the left towards the famous bridge and church. Ichabod fails to dodge it and it crashes into his own head. He says that he offered to race the specter for a bowl of punch. Most people are probably familiar with the story through the movie and television renditions of the story, the earliest of which was in 1922, a version called The Headless Horseman starring Will Rogers as the main character, Ichabod Crane.

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A Summary and Analysis of Washington Irving’s ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’

story of sleepy hollow summary

Brom is especially delighted to hear the news of his rivals disappearance and finds the tale very amusing, especially the smashed pumpkin part. Look at how Irving describes the final moments before Crane disappears forever: Just then he saw the goblin rising in his stirrups, and in the very act of hurling his head at him. Instead of gazing upon the abundant fields and orchards, he mounts his steed and heads off. It was the headless horseman, the legendary ghost of a Hessian soldier. It's here we learn that Ichabod is new to the area, a bit superstitious and actively pursuing Katrina. Indeed, during the day Ichabod finds himself confronted with a more terrifying being than ghosts and witches: a woman, or more precisely Katrina Van Tassel, the only daughter of a wealthy Dutch farmer, whom Ichabod meets through his chorus lessons.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Plot Summary

story of sleepy hollow summary

Ichabod loves to hear ghost stories and learns of a local legend, a headless horseman who is supposed to ride through the town at night looking for his disembodied head. As he rides, he begins to remember all of the ghost stories that he heard that night. Rip Van Winkle's Neighbors: The Transformation of Rural Society in the Hudson River Valley. Gunpowder finally breaks into a trot and the horseman trots along behind him. Many prominent farmers from the area are there with their wives.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Study Guide

story of sleepy hollow summary

N1: Ichabod looks at Katrina adoringly as she dashes off. He falls from his horse and the rider gallops by. Washington Irving was a fiction writer, biographer, historian, essayist, and US ambassador who worked during the first half of the 19th century. Irving likely shared this opinion. In addition to teaching, Ichabod is also the town's singing-master. This is made easier for Ichabod because he is able to court Katrina while performing as her singing teacher. Doffue Martling, for instance, claims to have nearly destroyed a British ship singlehandedly, and others similarly claim to be the heroes of their own stories.


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What is a summary of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"?

story of sleepy hollow summary

The Horseman is seen most often riding by the church, where local historians say he was buried. The postscript at the end of the story is also supposedly written by Diedrich Knickerbocker. One day, a messenger comes to invite Ichabod to a dinner at the Von Tassel's farm. But he also seems to love her as well. Ichabod, bothered by this, tries to outpace him, but the horseman quickens his steed as well.

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What Inspired 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'?

story of sleepy hollow summary

Crane was a contemporary of Irving who enlisted in the Marines in 1809, serving 45 years. Ichabod: No, but I did hear the wind in the trees. The headless horseman is thought by locals to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper: German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fills the school house with smoke, trains a dog to follow Ichabod around howling, and sets many other pranks to frustrate and humiliate Ichabod. Martha: In these parts, Mr. He does, but as he does the specter stands on his stirrups and launches his head at Ichabod.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Summary & Theme

story of sleepy hollow summary

It encountered his cranium with a tremendous crash, — he was tumbled headlong into the dust, and Gunpowder, the black steed, and the goblin rider, passed by like a whirlwind. Abraham Van Brunt, known better as Brom Bones, is 'a burly, roaring, roistering blade' with a 'Herculean frame'. By the time the massive figure rises out of the shadows, we are almost unsurprised, so well has Ichabod and Irving built up a foreboding of disaster. He mistakes bushes for ghosts, his own steps for those of a specter behind him, and a gust of wind for the Headless Horseman following him. The Headless Horseman is brought up, among other local legends. The horseman is believed to be a Hessian soldier left over from the Revolutionary War. Ichabod is greatly disturbed and tries to shake off his pursuer, but he fails.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Main Story Summary & Analysis

story of sleepy hollow summary

His writing eventually earned him fame and status, and he was one of the first American authors whose writings received international recognition. One of the men questioned the storyteller about the meaning or moral of the story, and the storyteller responded rather flippantly but also apparently mostly to the man's satisfaction. After a particularly rousing evening at the home of Mynheer Van Tassel, when Ichabod has spent the entire evening dancing with Katrina, he thinks he may have won her affections. These remind him of the abundance awaiting him if he manages to marry Katrina. He now haunts the old, Dutch cemetery by the bridge, and it is this legend that terrifies Ichabod the most. In 1949, Disney created its own version, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. He went to private schools and studied law.

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