Reflections of History on Literature: The impact of American Revolution and Benjamin Franklin on Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle"

Year 2009, Volume: 12 Issue: 2, 179 - 192, 01.04.2009

A. Didem Uslu

Abstract

The age of Enlightenment is the time of revolutions and the rise of the bourgeois. The two important
revolutions of the 18th century are the American Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789) which
had a great influence on world history with the new ideas of equality, brotherhood and emancipation. These
democratic ideals became a triggering force in the forging of nation-states of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The American revolution was an idea and a political action against British colonialism. This important
historical event became a topic for Washington Irving, who is regarded as the first American writer to achieve
international fame. Although Irving’s mother was English-born and his father a Scottish descendant, it is
clear that he was infuenced by the American Revolution as he blended German folktales with the spirit of
the revolution. His famous story “Rip Van Winkle” (1819) sketches the funny adventure of Rip who had
lived during the revolution. One day Rip falls a sleep and wakes up to a very different America after the
revolution. As Benjamin Franklin becomes the hero of the Revolution, the slow and easy going Rip celebrates
the counter-hero of America. In this paper, the focus of interest will be on how the American revolution
started and the impact it had on Washington Irving’s work. 

Keywords

American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin as the hero of the revolution, Rip Van Winkle as a counter-hero

Reflections of History on Literature: The impact of American Revolution and Benjamin Franklin on Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”

Abstract

Aydınlanma Çağı dünya tarihi açısından, devrimlerin patlak verdiği ve burjuva sınıfının yükseldiği önemli zamanlardandır.18. yüzyılın iki önemli devrimi, dünyada eşitlik, kardeşlik ve özgürlük gibi yeni düşüncelerin öne çıktığı için tarihte önemli bir yeri olan Amerikan Devrimi (1776) ile Fransız Devrimidir (1789). Devrimlerin ortaya attığı demokratik idealler, 19. ve 20. yüzyıllarda kurulmakta olan başka ulus-devletler için tetikleyici bir güç olmuştur. Amerikan devrimi, İngiliz kolonyalizmine karşı bir siyasal eylem ve özgürlükler konusunda önlenemez bir dürtü olarak ortaya çıkar. Bu önemli tarihsel olay, ün kazanan ilk Amerikalı olarak kabul edilen Washinton Irving’in eserlerine konu olmuştur. Irving’in annesinin İngiliz doğumlu, babasının da İskoç kökenli olmasına rağmen, yazarın Alman halk hikayeleriyle harmanladığı öyküsündeki dönem ruhundan anlaşılacağı üzere, Amerikan devriminden çok etkilendiğini açıktır. Yazarın önemli hikayesi “Rip Van Winkle” (1819), Devrim öncesinde yaşadığı yıllarda, günlerden bir gün ormanda uyuyakalıp uyandığında Devrim sonrasında yaşamakta olduğunu ve aradan yirmi yılın geçtiğini keşfeden Rip’in komik hikayesini anlatır. Uyuşuk ve kılıbık Rip, Devrim kahramanı Benjamin Franklin’in alternatifidir. Bu makalede, Amerikan devriminin nasıl ve hangi koşullarda başladığı ile devrimin Washington Irving’in eserleri üzerindeki etkisi üzerinde odaklanılacaktır

Keywords

Amerikan Devrimi, Devrim kahramanı olarak Benjamin Franklin, bir karşı-kahraman olarak Rip Van Winkle.

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