Rip Van Winkle and the Other Works in the Folk Tale Tradition - Assignment Example

Rip Van Winkle and the Other Works in the Folk Tale Tradition How the Folktale and Fairy Tale Can Do Cultural Work Introduction: Folktales/Fairy Tales are the cultural ambassadors of a country who do not age, tire or retire! They travel all over the world without visa. They have followers in almost all the countries. “There is no such thing as plagiarism in oral tradition,” (Jones, p.4) from where such tales originate and are transmitted to generation after generation. They grew, expanded, and were modified effortlessly and unintentionally with the addition of the emotions of the storyteller, but their essence remained the same. “One of the most well-known, most loved, and most influential genres of literature is the fairy tale. Since it was originally a product of oral tradition, this genre dates back, not just to the Middle Ages of biblical times, but to well before recorded history itself.”(Jones, p.1)Folklore is defined thus: “Folklore (or traditional and popular culture) is the totality of tradition-based creations of a cultural community, expressed by a group or individuals and recognized as reflecting the expectations of a community in so far as they reflect its cultural and social identity; its standards and values are transmitted orally, by imitation or by other means. Its forms are, among others, language, literature, music, dance, games, mythology, rituals, customs, handicrafts, architecture and other arts.”(Recommendations…) Folktales are the cultural ambassadors that possess tremendous intrinsic worth to spread love, understanding and good will, especially amongst the children and youth population of the world. As Steven Swann Jones puts it, a fairy tale is the magic mirror of the imagination. It is a powerful tool of cultural identification of the country to which it is transmitted and it becomes a unique document to understand the cultural traditions of a particular country. “What we have are many versions of the same story coming not only from different narrators, but from different societies and cultures. There are collections of fairy tales from almost every culture. In short, fairy tales are a variegated and ever-varying phenomenon.” (Jones, p.3) Rip Van Winkle is a folk/fairy tale and through the character of Rip Van, it depicts the qualities of a genuine, life-loving, economically not so successful human being. It is the creation of Washington Irving (1783-1859) It takes place at the foot of the Catskill Mountains of New York. Obviously New York was different from what it is today and a reference is made to a picturesque village (and not to Manhattan skyscrapers) founded by Dutch colonists. The mention of smoke curling up from the chimneys, gabled homes, and refection of sunlight on the single roofs makes a perfect rural setup and ideal background for the origin of an inspiring folktale. Clashes between the various settlers were common in that era, and New York was an English colony at the time of this story. Rip Van Winkle inhabited in this village. His ancestors, the Van Winkles served under Peter Stuyvesant in his forays against Swedish settlers at Fort Christina (now Delaware) This soft-spoken, kind-hearted individual was popular with everybody, except his wife. He was loved much by children as he had things of their liking, play, toys and stories! His wife constantly nagged him taunting his meek, submissive characteristics. Other wives of the village sympathized as for his one-sided encounters with his wife. She did most of the talking and Rip Van Winkle most of the listening. …….the story goes thus, until Rip Van Winkle falls to a long sleep, may be for about two decades. How he survived those twenty years without food and water and yet his body grew and aged, befits the wonders that makes a folk tale. This story which fascinates the Americans and the American children even today is based on German folk tales. It is part of in a collection of Irving’s works called The Sketch Book (1819-1820) The important theme of Change With Continuity and Preservation of Tradition is ingrained in the story. The long sleep of Rip Van Winkle is symbolic of the post-Revolution America that awakened from status quo. Swift changes have taken place when Rip Van Winkle returns to his village. Twenty years is a big gap, and the strange face he sees in the village is obvious. The important aspect is the sociological changes and ‘the cultural revolution’ that have engulfed the village. The dress codes are changed. The sleepy village has a modern look, with rows of houses, thanks to the advent of architectural skills in the village. Usually, the houses in the village are self-planned as per the need and subject to the budget of the house-owner. The population explosion has also contributed to the growth of the village. Rip Van’s house is in shambles, with none to care. The inn that functioned under the shade of a tree which he frequented daily is now a hotel indicating transformation that has taken place and the advent of entrepreneurship in the hotel industry. But the collective joy of villagers gathering in an inn and the intimate chats on topic less topics is no more. The old-world charm of the inn is perhaps gone for ever. It is part of the village history. His wife is dead! Does Rip Van Winkle heave a sigh of relief? It is too cruel to say so. This is the time to do recollection of the past about his married life. A Good Samaritan by nature, philanthrophy latent in his heart, he helps everybody except himself and his family. His patience is enormous, he would sit on a wet rock and fish all the day, without getting a nibble. He helps the neighbors, does odd jobs for housewives to the great irritation of his wife. He never takes proper care of his own farm and is not able to derive profit from the farming activity. His wife controls him---absolutely! With her presence, his belief that ‘silence is the sweetest sound on earth’ is further strengthened. Dame Van Winkle constantly targets him for his failure to do anything worthwhile for the family and accuses him of bringing the family to ruin. The defenseless Rip would quietly move away out of her scolding range. He unburdens the psychological pressure of scolding while sitting in the inn in that old bench along with fellow-villagers, by telling stories, and reading the newspaper. Old Nicholas Vedder, the owner of the inn, was the philosopher and guide of the group that assembles. But the surprise arrival of Dame Van Winkle upsets the applecart of the jovial groups of conversationalists. Her verbal slang were too harsh, she hauls him out of that place rebukes all, including Vedder. …..His wife and old Vedder are dead. He will not have the pleasure of the company such a noble and notable wife! Many are not seen in the village, must have migrated to the cities, again a post-revolution development. Things have changed entirely and everything looks different. This folk tale highlights the unchangeable amidst the changes. The revolutionary war made America a new country after its secession from England. But the agents of the Nature, the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains are the same. The change in the sovereignty of the people and the Nation does not affect them. After describing the changes in the secular living conditions and lifestyles of the people in the village, Irving comes to the main theme of the folktale. While justifying the radical changes that happen in the society, the point is, they must not destroy the cultural traditions of the land. Economic progress need not be at the cost of the living culture of the people. When it is necessary to change, the change is necessary; when it is not necessary to change, the change is not necessary. Amalgamation of the old and the new creates a great society and people should really be proud of old ways and traditions. This is the essence of continuity. This in short, is the heritage of a country, which is priceless. This is symbolic of “the thunder of ninepins bowlers, who are the crewmen of The Half-Moon, the ship Henry Hudson captained in his exploration of the Hudson River. It seems that their spirits return to the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains every twenty years to keep a “guardian eye” on the river and its environs. Hudson was an Englishman, yes, but his association with his overthrown country does not mean the values he represents must die with the revolution.” (Rip Van….) This story commences about six years before the American Revolution and comes to an end twenty years later. Within this period, decisive and historic changes took place in America. Hudson River is named after Englishman Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609.The advenruorous Englishmen and the tough local Indians who resisted their territorial aggrandizement and atrocities, are part of the cultural and sociological history of America now. The Dutch word for a local stream is Kaaterskill. The name of Catskill Mountains has to be understood in his context. Rip Van Winkle holds a mirror before our eyes as for many cultural aspects and social traits of the era by describing the small issues of village life like gender roles, tyranny related to man-woman relationships, societal economic conditions, belief in supernatural forces, and above all camaraderie amongst the village folk. They provide a fertile ground for research by the historians, sociologists and psychologists. The Devil and Tom Walker: First published in 1824 as part of Washington Irving’s collection of short stories, Tales of a Traveler, it was part of a book titled, “Money Diggers.” Despite the initial weak reception to the story it is now part of the British folklore and also popular in many countries. Different versions of this tale are in circulation and they are very popular in countries like Germany, Holland and New England. "Rip Van Winkle" and” The Devil and Tom Walker" are two good examples of folk-tales that became very popular. In both the stories the readers feel at the early part of the story that something supernatural is going to take place. Belief in supernatural beings and their powers is part of the life of the village folk. Both the stories give prominence to husband and wife relationship. Rip surrenders before her wife from the word go in the story, rather mortally afraid of her presence. She doesn’t talk to him, only yells. Rip has no other alternative but to remain silent, because, business-wise he is a failure. His wife condemns him and accuses that he is responsible for the ruination of the family. To avoid the presence of his wife, Rip remains out of the house most of the times, and visits forests in search of seclusion. As for Tom and his wife, it is the battle between the equals. For every argument of Tom, his wife has the counter argument and vice-versa. They would not trust each other and hide their money. In both the stories, the husband-wife relationships are the turning points in the story. As the tae progresses, both the husbands get what they wanted in the hearts of their hearts. Rip was not interested in his secular responsibilities and he retires to the forest and finds liberation from the abuses of his wife. The two decades of his sleep is a blessing in disguise for him. In Tom’s case he likes money more than his wife. He strikes a bargain with the devil and makes a deal for his own selfish aggrandizement. Both the stories were written in mid 1800s. The narrations are comical and fictional, ingrained with profound human values. Washington Irving provides American twist to these age-old German folk tales. Rip Van Winkle opens on a familial note, a typical village of the 18th century pre-revolution America. The Devil and Tom Walker opens on an adventurous note. The tale reminds the reader of the Merchant of Venice’s greedy Shylock. By chance encounter Tom comes to know about the secret treasure buried in a dark grove under the guardianship of devil, by Kidd the Pirate. Kidd was subsequently hanged and the devil remained the unchallenged authority of the treasure. In the year 1727, Tom Walker the miser, finds himself amidst the grove, much feared by other villagers. Irving Washington gives a picturesque description of the hidden treasure. “On one side of this inlet is a beautiful dark grove; on the opposite side the land raises abruptly from the water's edge into a high ridge, on which grow a few scattered oaks of great age and immense size. Under one of these gigantic trees, according to old stories, there was a great amount of treasure buried by Kidd the pirate. The inlet allowed a facility to bring the money in a boat secretly, and at night, to the very foot of the hill.”(Irving, p.1) The relationship of Tom Walker with his quarrelsome wife is unending. A competitive miser, both the husband and the wife conspire to cheat and outsmart each other. The house has the appearance of accommodating the people on starvation. In Rip Van Winkle, Rip had the support of the dog. In Tom Walker, the sick horse gives company. This is one of the highlight of the fairy tale of the era. By introducing the helpless animals in the story, the interest of the readers is kindled, stays focused, though these animals have no active role in the story. Their presence constantly haunts the sensibilities of the reader due to their poor conditions. The dog that is mortally afraid of Madam Rip Van Winkle and Tom’s horse on the verge of starvation are both interesting parts of the tales. Whereas Rip Van Winkle is a tale that makes purposeful reading, in Tom Walker’s brave encounter with his wife, Washington Irving is at his humorous best. He writes, “The house and its inmates had altogether a bad name. Tom's wife was a tall termagant, fierce of temper, loud of tongue, and strong of arm. Her voice was often heard in wordy warfare with her husband; and his face sometimes showed signs that their conflicts were not confined to words. No one ventured, however, to interfere between them. The lonely wayfarer shrank within himself at the horrid clamor and clapper-clawing; eyed the den of discord askance; and hurried on his way, rejoicing, if a bachelor, in his celibacy.”(Irving, p.1) The encounters of the protagonists in the forest in both the stories are comparable developments. Rip Van meets the divine spirits and Tom Walker the evil spirits. He reveals the details of his meeting with the Evil Spirit to his wife and the enticing great treasure, which the Spirit will part with under certain conditions. The bitter rivalry between the husband and wife, finally results in his wife losing her life attempting the impossible adventure of retrieving the treasure from the control of evil spirit. Tom realizes what a wife means to a man, especially when she has left the house with appreciable household treasure! Washington Irving makes a tragic situation comical! The tale concludes on a moralistic note, how the ill-gotten wealth will not lead anyone to prosperity. Tom Walker perishes under unfortunate circumstances. Culture and folklore: The impact of folktales on the lives human beings is great and this blazing torch of knowledge is passed on from one generation to another. Jones writes, “The stability reveals, moreover, the underlying appeal and significance of that narrative for its audience. The fact that it is remembered and repeated demonstrates that it has touched people’s lives. It has been deemed worthy of repetition because it is loved, and it is loved because it tells us something about ourselves that we want and need to know.”(p. 4-5) There is a continuum between folklore and mythology. Folklore is a transmissible entity. It concerns with the religious beliefs as well as mundane traditions of the day to day life. The figurative narratives in the folklore do not correspond with the dominant belief structure of any religion and as such the folktales become acceptable and enjoyable to all. A folktale is a common term for different varieties of traditional narrative. The beauty and malleability of folktales are, they are accepted from culture to culture with the relevant adjustments, and yet keep the essential dignity and beauty of the original tale. The oral transmission takes care of the local conditions and necessities to make it acceptable and enjoyable to communities. Folktales also depict the unconscious psychological patterns pertaining to a particular era, instincts and functioning of the mind. They speak about the deep psychological issues. The reaction to a particular event or situation by a particular character is in fact its reaction to the Time. For example, the feelings of a villager on viewing the hill in the village would not be the same which was two centuries ago by the inhabitants of the same village. The scope of the folktale can be moral, secular as well as psychological. Folklore/folktales are daubed in many cultural hues that are difficult to enumerate or segregate. Escape from social consequences is one of the important issues that are ingrained in the folktales under discussion, Rip Van Winkle and The Devil and Tom Walker. Folktales also are the agents to transmit culture’s morals and values. In some folktales, passing references, nevertheless the important ones, are made to supernatural, political belief systems, and religious issues, that are part of the expressive culture of the many character in the tale. They reveal their minds through dialogues and speak what is appropriate to the occasion. The summation of the views of characters in the tale is the sum and substance of the culture of the era. According to Dundes, “There are only two basic steps in the study of folklore in literature and in culture. The first step is objective and empirical; the second is subjective and speculative. The first might be termed identification and the second interpretation. Identification essentially consists of a search for similarities; interpretation depends upon the delineation of differences.”(American, 1965) The highest cultural body of the world, The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO) meeting in Paris from 17 October to 16 November 1989 at its twenty-fifth session, adopted the following recommendations: Part of the recommendations is: “Considering that folklore forms part of the universal heritage of humanity and that it is a powerful means of bringing together different peoples and social groups and of asserting their cultural identity, …..Recognizing the extreme fragility of the traditional forms of folklore, particularly those aspects relating to oral tradition and the risk that they might be lost …Judging that the governments should play a decisive role in the safeguarding of folklore and that they should act as quickly as possible.” (Recommendation….) Conclusion: Folktales appeal to the heart. Universal happiness is an attainable reality through folktales. “Their popularity is a confirmation not only of their aesthetic appeal, but also of their ability to speak to the human heart. Their enduring emotional appeal is confirmed by the fact that these jewels of artistic expression have been retold by generation of taletellers and treasured by generation of readers.”(Jones, p.5) This is a great source of perennial joy, the fountain of literature that will never dry. Whether one is aware of it or not, cultural values impact living of a community significantly. Literature and folklore represents culture. The cultural values of a community provide an identity of its own. Folklore through language, art and religion transmits the cultural values from one generation to another and serves as a bond that ties together the people of a region. The values ingrained in folklore will shape the philosophy of one’s life, thus it impacts the overall social life of the society. Wheher one understands it or not, one functions in the society and develops relationships with a mindset which is the product of cultural traditions. The all-pervading influence of culture is seen in every functional area of the society, which powerfully influences emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Folklore creates blueprint for functioning within our physical and social worlds by shaping mindset evolved and developed during one’s childhood socialization. It contributes to the stability of one’s personality. ************* Works Cited: American Folklore Society: The study of Folklore and culture: Identification and Interpretation, by Alan Dundes© 1965; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 78, p.1 Jones, Swann Steven: The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of the Imagination; Routledge; 1st Routledge Pbk. Ed edition (October 4, 2002) Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and ...Folklore (or traditional and popular culture) is the totality of.. Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore 15 November 1989 Rip Van Winkle: Study GuideA simple, easygoing man named Rip Van Winkle lived in this village... - Cached - Retrieved on November 13, 2009 The Devil And Tom Walker, by Washington Irving; ... Page 1: Read The Devil And Tom Walker, by Author Washington Irving Page by Page, now. Free, Online. www.pagebypagebooks.com/.../The_Devil_And_Tom_Walker/The_Devil_And_Tom_Walker_p1.html - Cached - Retrieved on November 13, 2009 Read More