What are some of the overall themes displayed in “Rip Van Winkle”?

There are a few themes portrayed in Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”. Not all stories have one central theme, so I think based on one’s views of the reading, different themes can be interpreted. Below is a picture of Washington Irving's character "Rip Van Winkle" located in the woods in which he ran off to.

One theme I noticed was that you can’t fully escape your troubles by “eliminating” them. You can’t just erase every unwanted thing or trouble from your life and live in pure happiness where everyone is satisfied and everything’s perfect. If it were that easy, everyone would do it. I think Irving’s goal is to inform the reader that one shouldn’t run away from their problems, because you will ultimately miss out on the good things in life as well. When Rip runs off into the woods to escape the troubles of his relationship and upkeep of his farm, he misses out on his children growing up. Time can really pass you by, and it’s up to you to do the best you can to prevent that from happening. The first half of this video actually portray an animated overview of just what happens in "Rip Van Winkle" and how he reacts when he returns to the village.

In “Rip Van Winkle”, he actually sleeps through the Revolutionary War, a fight for independence. It can  also be referred to as the American War for Independence. Both of Irving’s stories were focused around the American Revolution and the war that took place. This could also be considered a main theme, because this work wouldn’t have been successful without background information on the Revolutionary War. This was obviously an important time in Irving’s life, and also something he felt was important enough to pass on to future generations. Below is an image of fighters in the Revolutionary War, the one in which Rip sleeps through.

Another theme I noticed, which kind of relates to the first, is “you can’t go home again”. When Rip runs off to the woods to solve his temporary problems, he ends up facing an even bigger one. He ends up sleeping for twenty years and comes back to find his wife dead, his friends missing, and his children grown. The home he had once known wasn’t home anymore. By resolving a temporary problem, he missed out on a time in his life which he can never return to.

A theme of continuity is also recognized in Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”. There are going to be changes that are necessary to improve society over periods of time. Not everything will be eliminated at once, but improvement can not occur without change. New foundations will build on top of old ones. Continuity is necessary, and change is good. It’s a fact of life that new generations will come along and bring change, but values, traditions, and family will always remain alive.

There is no direct answer for which theme is central and outweighs the others, but I feel like they all take on a major part in the story. I can’t relate to the war aspects in the story, but through reading I can take note of valuable life lessons. The most important ones to me would be to never take life for granted, to live in the moment, to not run from your problems, but to face them and overcome them.

Work Cited:
http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000188713
http://www.britishbattles.com/american-revolution.htm
http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Winkle.html
http://www.americanrevolutionarywar.net/

What is Transcendentalism and how does “Walden” demonstrate it?

Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that occurred over the Nineteenth Century that originated in New England. These transcendentalists strived for society to become different from the current situation they were in. They had hopes of starting a new and successful movement. It developed into more of a literature and artistic movement rather than a spiritual one, like previous and latter movements.

They believed in the goodness of both man and nature with little reference to spiritual beliefs and ideas. Transcendentalists opposed organized religion and government, because they believed that man was at his best when he was self-reliant. Because they were so against groups and organizations, only a few people could successfully form a community in their eyes. They weren’t the kind to consider themselves a part of any group, but somehow they all became a part of Transcendentalism, although it didn’t last long.

The video below goes into a little detail about the 'Legacy of the Transcendentalists' and what they believed to be true, and where they found their source of God. I take no credit for the information delivered and no responsibility for the unnecessary background music. However, I think it does provide a good sense of information and quotes from popular transcendentalists.

The central belief of these people was that by bathing oneself in nature, man will gain a better understanding of society through concentration. Their motto was “Simplicity is key”. Five direct beliefs I found include:
1. Everything is a reflection of God, including nature and people.
2. Society is what keeps people from a higher spiritual level, while nature enhances it.
3. Knowledge isn't needed; instinct alone will lead a person to God.
4. Self-reliance is better than being dependent, with references to government.
5. True feelings are more valuable than book knowledge.

“Walden”, by Henry David Thoreau was a project that was originally inspired by this transcendental philosophy. In the “Economy” piece, Thoreau illustrates the benefits of a simple lifestyle, having only the few necessities for survival (what people need vs. what they think they need). In “Brute Neighbors”, he takes the time to experience and enjoy nature at its finest and the wildlife surrounding him (things most people fail to notice in their everyday lives). The picture below is an actual replica of what Thoreau’s cabin closely resembled at Walden Pond, along with a sign and statue located now at the State Reservation.

Thoreau’s goal for this Walden experiment was to see if he could survive without unnecessary luxuries, while living in reduced conditions. This experiment is a true example of Transcendentalism because he isolated himself from civilization, took on nature, and overcame obstacles to find self-fulfillment. This works because their beliefs are only realized through individual intuition rather than established religions or doctrines. The belief that one can find God without the help of others, through simplistic beauty of the natural world, is recognized here.

Below is a famous quote from Thoreau that directly relates to the Transcendentalist beliefs and the reason behind his own project. It states that he wanted to see what all he was missing out on by focusing on the inessential things of the world, when he should be focusing on the essentials. By doing this, he may discover that he had, in a sense, not yet fully lived.

Works Cited:

www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Transcendentalism

http://www.ushistory.org/us/26f.asp

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/transcendentalism.aspx

http://www.online-literature.com/periods/transcendentalism.php

What is Deism?

Deism is a religious belief that has been around since the ancient times. It became very popular during the Age of Enlightenment. It is based on reason and naturalistic observation. Their concerns include the relationship between the “creator” and the natural world. Deists believe that there is no need for organized religion and that it just confuses people. They recognize that the Earth came from an all-powerful creator; however, they do not believe this creator interferes with human affairs today.

The image above illustrates the fact that deists don't accept these practices. A deist does not agree with the Christianity beliefs or any other similar practices. The word of God isn’t read or followed. They seem to think that people claim to have witnessed miracles, which they do not believe in, along with prophecies. People can only know God through reasoning, never miracles. Deists reject everything that relates to the supernatural world.

This is an image related to the basic beliefs of the deists. They solely believe in none other than the Nature’s God, which is stated here.

Even though they do not believe in divine intervention, some use prayer as a form of meditation. Neither Satan nor hell exists to the deists, because they believe the only sense of evil they will encounter can be overcome by man’s reasoning. These people are not atheists, but have been accused, by theists, of having similarities.

Above is a video about iDeism, which is a spin off of Deism, with the same beliefs. It acknowledges the belief of naturalistic observation in science to determine one's reasoning about God. It also talks about how organized faith and works have no impact on this religion. The "i" in iDeism stands for the intercepting of God and his creations.

The “Age of Reason”, written by Thomas Paine, was a famous work that brought attention to the Deist religion, which he himself believed in, and is a very famous work even today.

“I trouble not myself about the manner of future existence. I content myself with believing, even to positive conviction, that the power that gave me existence is able to continue it, in any form and manner he pleases, either with or without this body; and it appears more probable to me that I shall continue to exist hereafter than that I should have had existence, as I now have, before that existence began.” 

This is a direct quote from Thomas Paine explaining his agnostic views about the immortality of the human soul.

God does exist, but he doesn’t alter any of the natural world by interfering. He simply created the universe and gave humans the ability to reason, then left it at that. Deists believe in the clockwork universe theory. This is a theory that states that a god designed and built the universe, but is now letting it run its own course.


Works Cited:
www.churchofdeism.org/main/
www.allaboutphilosophy.org/deism.htm
www.deism.com/deism_defined.htm
www.sullivan-county.com/deism.htm

What impact did "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" have on the people?

During the eighteenth century, a series of revival moments swept across the colonial Americas, known as the First Great Awakening. Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was a big guide into this movement. It was characterized as the First Great Awakening due to its impact and the emotional reactions portrayed by the participants. People wept and even fainted in response to these powerful messages and/or sermons. Many people were hesitant to consider foreign religions, but these were hard to ignore. 

The Half-Way Covenant brought upon Edwards' beliefs and reason to preach this sermon. He thought people were becoming too lenient in their actions and too focused on material things rather than religion, which made him furious. People were becoming accustomed to attending church at their own convenience instead of what was wanted by God himself. This is why he wrote "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", to open the eyes of the people and snap them back into reality. In this sermon, he emphasized that Hell was a real place and that if they continued in their ways, God would send them straight there. Even though he didn't spend much time describing Hell to the people, he made sure they were aware it existed and it would be an unbearable misery for eternity.

He only hoped that the imagery depicted in this sermon would make them realize where they were headed if they continued without Christ. He explains that it is nothing but the mere hand of God keeping them from Hell, and it is up to us to rectify our sins before it is too late. Edwards' sermon was so powerful that people were proclaiming the name of Jesus, moaning and crying for help before it was finished. His tongue was compared to a sharp two-edged sword to his viewers. His words must have caused unbearable pain giving these reactions. People all over repented and were saved during and after this sermon's deliverance. 

As you can tell from the excerpt above, his tone is what most likely shocked people. He says that people in this very congregation will suffer from misery and asks how it's possible for them to rest knowing this. These are pretty strong statements, and he delivers them in such a monotone, calm, structured manner. He hardly gestured at all in this sermon, and he didn't force his beliefs on anyone with scorn or anger. He simply remained calm and used his intellect to enlighten people of the truth, and people noticed that. He didn't create horrific visions of torture in order to bring despair, their conscience did that for them. The intense feelings brought upon them through this sermon is what struck them. 

Above is a picture of Jonathan Edwards, the man who delivered this sermon and a man remembered for making such a powerful impact on numerous people during this time and even today. Some people did criticize his sermon, probably because they were scared of the truth, and some believed he was very forward and condemning. Aside from the few that opposed it, most were awakened. It was so powerful that Christians still teach and practice from it today. 

Works Cited:

brattleborohistory.com/slavery/execution-sermon-sinners-in-the-hands-of-an-angry-god.html

www.ravenhill.org/edwards.htm

www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/theologians/edwards.html

edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/first-great-awakening#sect-background

http://www.great-awakening.com/?page_id=12