Diedrich Knickerbocker Essay - 1585 Words

Diedrich Knickerbocker Washington Irving created a pseudo historian for the purpose of bettering his own work and to entertain his readers. In 1809 Irving wrote A History of New York through a persona known as Diedrich Knickerbocker. This was Knickerbockers first appearance in Irvings work, but it sure wouldnt be his last. Although he was not real, Knickerbocker was a historian that seemed to be in love with the people and landscape of the northeast, particularly New York. Even though Irving never revealed it, some of his characteristics may be found within Knickerbockers writing. Washington Irving was born in New York City in 1783, he always had an appreciation of the land and people from there. Irving was quite opposed to†¦show more content†¦Another story that was found among the papers of Diedrich Knickerbocker was The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Both of these stories are tall tales that Irving wrote as entertainment for his readers, but he mentioned in both that these were stories told to Knickerbocker by people of Dutch origin, he made sure that the reader knew that. In both of these stories Irving describes the incredible scenery of New York, and he also describes the kindness and simplicity of the Dutch people. In Rip Van Winkle he says he happened upon a genuine Dutch family, snugly shut up in its low-roofed farmhouse, under a spreading sycamoreÂ… (Irving 573). He also describes a great mountain setting in New York When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; but, sometimes, when the rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory. Diedrich Knickerbockers conception of authorship was heroic. The business of writing was a perilous enterprise, and only those who were dauntless and daring could succeed in their quest f or fame. Writers were intrepid knights who courageously confronted all difficulties and hardships as they journeyed toward publication, a textual pilgrimage that requiredShow MoreRelatedHeritage Alyssa Henry James and Nathaniel Hawthorne Comparison and Contrast English III Honors 51000 Words   |  4 Pagesseeming conceited. In Rip Van Winkle, Irving created the persona he called Diedrich Knickerbocker.   According to sources (Irving himself!), Mr. Knickerbocker was an older gentleman with questionable mental health who had died, leaving behind various writings which were subsequently sold off to pay Knickerbockers outstanding debts.  In his introduction to Rip Van Winkle Irving makes further use of Knickerbocker. C. Literary Criticism: Nathaniel Hawthorne â€Å"The weird and ghostly legendsRead MoreEva Luna and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Essay771 Words   |  4 PagesStorytellers usually put comedy into their stories to keep their audience engaged, and to make the characters feel real and multi-dimensional to their audience. Diedrich Knickerbocker does this in â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hallow† by explaining Ichabod’s travel through the woods after hearing the legend of the headless horseman. Knickerbocker describes some noises that Ichabod hears when traveling in the forest that turn out to be just the wind or leaves. â€Å"As Ichabod approached this fearful tree, heRead MoreWashington Irving Essay665 Words   |  3 PagesWashington Irving Diedrich Knickerbocker; Geoffrey Crayon; Henry A. Buchanan; Jonathan Oldstyle. All were famous writers of the nineteenth century. All had one important thing in common-they are all one man-Washington Irving. Using these pen names, among many, Irving developed a legacy of utilizing European culture to cultivate American aspects of literature. Fred Lewis Pattee asserted, American short story began in 1819 wit Washington Irving. (Gale Group 4) Irving is best known forRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Never Need An American Look Beyond His Own Country Essay1263 Words   |  6 Pagesnothing so baleful to a small man as the shade of a great one.† There is nothing so intimidating to a small man from America than standing in the shadows of a prosperous man from Europe. 4. Which characters are more sympathetic? Diedrich Knickerbocker. Why? Knickerbocker shows sympathy in the end because it’s hard to believe that a person can be in a deep sleep for twenty years and regains consciousness. He’s heard other stories that are odd but true. 5. How does Irving characterize Rip? IrvingRead More american lit1157 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;-Dame Van Winkle: married to Rip, a nagging shrew-like wife nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;-Wolf(dog): Rips dog, whipped by Dame Winkle nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;-Peter Vanderdonk: old sage nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;-Diedrich Knickerbocker: made-up author who traveled to hidden Dutch coves to find old stories. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;-Major Andre: nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;-Ichabod Crane: tall, skinny, gangly schoolteacher nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;-Katrina VanRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Rip Van Winkle 1868 Words   |  8 PagesKaatskill Mountains where it began around a time where Great Britain still had control of the colonies and it lasted until after the eventual American Revolution. Irving wrote the story in a way that it could be narrated by a fictional character Diedrich Knickerbocker that he created, who also acted as the narrator for other tales in Irving’s library, which could entail why there aren’t any direct sources for the anguish Rip Van Winkle was probably having thus giving the reader a wider experience and toRead MoreCommentary On Rip Van Winkle 946 Words   |  4 Pagesmany scenes of â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† that consist of Irving’s intriguing sense of humor. Irving addresses the so-called â€Å"credibility† of the story of â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† in the introduction. The story is based off of the knowledge of a man named Diedrich Knickerbocker, who was known to possess curious research about the history of the region. This research includes the outlandish story of a man named Rip Van Winkle. It is stated, â€Å"His historical researches, however, did not lay so much among books, as amongRead MoreThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Summary and Analysis11462 Words   |  46 PagesThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow Summary and Analysis Major Themes Veracity in Storytelling Veracity in storytelling is a defining theme of â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.† The story is distantly removed from the reader—Crayon has found the story in Diedrich Knickerbocker’s papers, who is dead, and who at the end of the story writes that he heard it from an old gentleman, who claimed to not have even believed half of it himself, ultimately getting much of the story from primary or even other secondaryRead MoreWashington Irving, American Story Teller Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pagesediting. As a true belletrist, Erving found great enjoyment in writing. His first notable book, (which he heralded the release of with a fanciful precursor,) was A History of New York (1809), published under one of his many clever, pseudonyms â€Å"Diedrich Knickerbocker.† When Irving was thirty-six years old, the simultaneous publications of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. (1819), in New York, Philadelphia, and London, enabled him to become an international figure. The book contained a varietyRead MoreEssay on Rip Van Winkle1664 Words   |  7 Pagescontrolled by England and Dame Van Winkle no longer had a tight grip on Rips affairs - now he was truly free. In one final satirical blow to the values of his present society, Irving closes the story with a note from the invented author, Diedrich Knickerbocker. In this note he begins to explain that while the events discussed in the story may seem questionable, he has talked with Rip himself. However, he stops himself, realizing that claiming first-handed experience will not win credibility. Instead