1. Washington Irving (1783-1859) Born into a middle-class American family
Sent overseas to England in 1815 to look after the failing family business; however, he found the business beyond repair, so he fell in love with the British literary scene instead. He stayed abroad for 17 years.
Did not sign his real name to his work until he was fifty.
Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. – pen name he used for publishing
Plots are based on old German folk tales—he was particularly fond of the works by Sir Walter Scott who gave Irving advice that directed him to read German folk tales which dominated much of his writing.
The Sketch Book (1819) contains 34 essays and stories including two of his best stories: “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Few of the stories are really original, but he provides a voice in his pieces unlike anything America had seen.
He gave America an international literary celebrity
Sent overseas to England in 1815 to look after the failing family business; however, he found the business beyond repair, so he fell in love with the British literary scene instead.
Stayed abroad for 17 years.
Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. – pen name he used for publishing
Plots are based on old German folk tales—he was particularly fond of the works by Sir Walter Scott who gave Irving advice that directed him to read German folk tales which dominated much of his writing.
Wrote the Sketch Book which brought him international literary success.
The tone he uses can be as serious as a preacher one moment to self-mocking and satirical the next.

2. The Devil and Tom walker
Romantic story written in with many supernatural elements
Published in The Tales of a Traveler (1824)
Poor reviews—stopped writing fiction
Set outside of Boston (1727), thirty-five years after the Salem Witch Trials and almost fifty years before the American Revolution
Story’s plot is based on a famous archetypal German legend about a man called Faust
Faust was a sixteenth-century German philosopher who sold his soul to the devil for knowledge and power.
Irving wanted his audience to see that greed and moral corruptions may lead us down the wrong or immoral path.

3. Archetype
An original or fundamental imaginative pattern that is repeated throughout the ages.
Can be a plot, an event, a character, a setting, or an object.
The story of a person who sells his soul to the devil for worldly gain is an archetypal plot
Other examples…
The Devil Figure (this character represents evil incarnate)
The Temptress (her physical attraction may bring the hero’s downfall)
Battle between good vs. evil

4. What is the difference between an allegory and a symbol?
Symbolism and mood
A symbol is a word or object that stands for another word or object in a story
Many times you have to INFER what an object or word may symbolize
Ex: The color red tends to be symbolic of love/courage/passion.
What is the difference between an allegory and a symbol?
Mood is the overall feeling or atmosphere—generally there is one dominant mood for a story, play, or poem.
Able to be seen through the setting, author’s word choice, and the overall plot.
Some mood words…
Gloomy
Threatening
Romantic
Many times you have to INFER what an object or word may symbolize
Ex: The color red tends to be symbolic of love/courage/passion.
Ex: John and Elizabeth Proctor—in winter (dormant, stagnant, desolate), but desires to be in spring (new beginnings, blossoming life).
MOOD –
Able to be seen through the setting, author’s word choice, and the overall plot.
Some mood words…
Gloomy
Threatening
Romantic