Rip Van Winkle
Part 1: We see in “Rip Van Winkle” themes of generational change, continuity, preservation, and tradition. Written nearly half a century after the American Revolution, in “Rip Van Winkle” Irving is making a statement about the Revolution. What is it Washington Irving is trying to convey to the reader through his story? Do any of the surrounding characters have roles or represent themes related to the Revolution? If so, what might those be?
Part 2: James Fenimore Cooper challenges the reader to consider who really owns the land and its natural resources. What evidence is in there of natural law versus human law? What can we say about individual freedoms versus the ideal of equal opportunities protected by the institutions of a justly ordered society? Express these juxtapositions using lines from the reading as support. And then please add your opinion of ownership and conservation, law, and freedoms.
Answer the higher order questions of how and why in discussion responses. All discussions referring, responding, or relating to works of literature must be accompanied by in-text quotes (or paraphrases) and cites. Please ensure you are properly quoting and citing in MLA format. Remember if there is a citation on the Works Cited page that source must have been used in the body of the forum post. If there is an in-text cite in the forum post, that source must be listed on the Works Cited page. They go together and one must accompany the other.
