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A Realistic Theme is Best How could someone possibly sleep for twenty years? Rip Van Winkle managed to, thanks to a barrel of gin! This is more interesting than wearing a black veil and making people scared. Recently in literature class we read two stories, Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Ministers Black Veil”. It is this writer’s opinion that the second story was the best story-but why? The answer to this question begins by examining each author’s purpose for writing his story. When Washington Irving wrote Rip Van Winkle he wanted to create a satire that makes you think about how progress is for the best or not. It also makes fun of British diction and British literary snobbery. This is more satisfying to read than a Minister scaring people with a Black Veil on his face. The two stories present different styles of writing and their characters are vastly different. Once again, Irving’s story has a more elevated diction and complex syntax to make a point. Finally, a good story must be relevant. It’s theme must be timeless, and once more relevant to today than ever. For this four reasons is that I vote “rip Van Winkle” the best story. It has a more realistic themes, the know conflict, interesting setting, and its unreliable narrators that enrich the stories ideas.
Irving’s theme is about a man struggling against the way society thinks he should live his life like. The society disapproves how Rip Van Winkle wants to live a “carefree” life. The ”The Minister Black Veil” is about not to judge people and now a days that’s probably one of the last thing on people’s minds. The Ministers Black Veil is a critique of puritanism, especially puritan guilt and puritan hypocrisy; while in the other side Rip Van Winkle is a satire that critiques the value of progress and change. Now a days that’s way more relevant because people just want to move forward and” progress is not
Cited: Irving, Washington. “Rip Van Winkle” Elements of Literature. Fifth Course. Kathleen Daniel, Ed. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 154-165. Print Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Ministers Black Veil” Elements of Literature. Fifth Course. Kathleen Daniel, Ed. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 299-307. Print