Throughout time, people would argue that a story could be a picture into the past. During the eighteenth century, the ideas both for and against Enlightenment influence a number of writers and their stories. Displaying his use of imagery, Washington Irving, an American short story writer composes “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to convey his views and ideas regarding Puritanical life. Another profound contributor to American literature is Phillis Wheatley, an African American woman who shares her personal experiences of traveling from Africa to America. She provides the attitudes towards slavery while also including the influences of religion in her writings. Both through descriptions of aesthetic landscapes and personal emotions, “The Legend
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Irving develops the small village of Sleepy Hollow to show the importance of story telling as he writes “the whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions” (Irving 6 ). His intent is for the reader to understand and almost experience the setting showing the importance of the imagination. He develops a quiet dreamy town that is so rooted in the past; it is the perfect setting in which to harbor this scary superstitious story. The frightful imagery makes it so one can almost feel the eerie mist while the story is being read. Washington Irving further develops the landscape of early America as he describes the terrain as, “ fat meadow lands, the rich fields of wheat, of rye, of buckwheat, and Indian corn, and the orchards burthened with ruddy fruit” (Irving 16). One can understand the vast fertile land available to Americans as they travel in search of new opportunities. One can imagine unharmed rolling hills and fields ripe for plowing. By using these descriptive words, the author encourages the reader to visualize and understand why the setting of “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is significant to the story. He urges us to ponder over the various uses of imagery. Additionally, Irving develops the scene of moving west as he describes “a whole family of children, mounted on the top of a wagon loaded with household trumpery, with pots and kettles dangling beneath” (Irving 17). This vivid description shows that families are free and able to pack up their belongings and explore new frontiers. Washington Irving uses these imaginative settings to set the tone for revolutionary
Irving develops the small village of Sleepy Hollow to show the importance of story telling as he writes “the whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions” (Irving 6 ). His intent is for the reader to understand and almost experience the setting showing the importance of the imagination. He develops a quiet dreamy town that is so rooted in the past; it is the perfect setting in which to harbor this scary superstitious story. The frightful imagery makes it so one can almost feel the eerie mist while the story is being read. Washington Irving further develops the landscape of early America as he describes the terrain as, “ fat meadow lands, the rich fields of wheat, of rye, of buckwheat, and Indian corn, and the orchards burthened with ruddy fruit” (Irving 16). One can understand the vast fertile land available to Americans as they travel in search of new opportunities. One can imagine unharmed rolling hills and fields ripe for plowing. By using these descriptive words, the author encourages the reader to visualize and understand why the setting of “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is significant to the story. He urges us to ponder over the various uses of imagery. Additionally, Irving develops the scene of moving west as he describes “a whole family of children, mounted on the top of a wagon loaded with household trumpery, with pots and kettles dangling beneath” (Irving 17). This vivid description shows that families are free and able to pack up their belongings and explore new frontiers. Washington Irving uses these imaginative settings to set the tone for revolutionary