《Rip review.doc》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Rip review.doc（4页珍藏版）》请在三一文库上搜索。
1、Shrewish or Responsible Wife?Rip Van Winkle is a short story written by Washington Irving, which is famous for Rips 20 year sleep. In the story, Irving vividly describes Rip Van Winkle as a good-natured and henpecked man while Dame Van Winkle as a termagant and shrewish wife. However, after reading
2、the book for times and carefully, I am deeply doubt that what kind of person she really is. Is Mrs. Winkle a shrewish or responsible wife?Here Id like to analyze Mrs. Winkles image by comparing her shrewish image described in the story with her responsible character from feminist perspective.1. The
3、shrewish image described in the storyAlthough the description of Dame Van Winkle is not as much as that of Rip Van Winkle, her image is very vivid and impressive-termagant shrew.From the beginning, the 3rd paragraph, the author has already defined Mrs. Winkle as shrew. “for those men are most apt to
4、 be obsequious and conciliating abroad who are under the discipline of shrews at home.” In the story, Dame Van Winkle always gave her husband“curtain lectures”, which is worth“all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtues of patience and long - suffering”. Irving also tells that if a termaga
5、nt wife was considered a tolerable blessing, Rip Van Winkle was“thrice blessed”.In the 8th paragraph, Rip would like to take the world easy, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. But his wife kept continually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin
6、he was bringing on his family. Morning, noon, and night” As a companion of Rip in the family, the dog Wolf is also afraid of Dame Van Winkle. “The moment Wolf entered the house his crest fell, his tail dropped to the ground, he would run to the door with yelping precipitation”. Comparing outside beh
7、avior with inside, the author concludes that even the courageous animal could not “withstand the ever during and all - besetting terrors of a womans tongue”. So at last when Rip comes back to the village, after his daughter tells him “Dame Van Winkle had died”, instead of feeling sorrowful, Rip felt
8、 a little relaxed. 2Responsible character from feminist perspective. However, if view from another perspective, you may find an extreme image towards Dame Van Winkle. Firstly, lets think for a while whats the most critical responsibility for a couple in a family? Ye, take care of all family members.
9、 From the story, we know Rip averse to all kinds of profitable labor, he“would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound”. Therefore, Dame Van Winkle has to carry the heavy burden of supporting the whole family- them two and other two children. Well, how is going on with her housework? In the s
10、tory, when Rip returns to the village, “he found the house gone to decay”, it was empty, forlorn and abandoned. Just then he realized Dame Van Winkle “had always kept in neat order”. So we can justify Mrs. Winkle at least is a responsible housewife. Even when Rip missed and slept in the mountain gle
11、n for 20 years, she still looked after well the two children and never abandoned her responsibility. Her death even occurred when she was “in a fit of passion at a peddler”, which was really a tiny one of chores. Some have something with her bad temper. As we know, the traditional image of a wife sh
12、ould be gentle, soft and considerate, which is on the opposite side from Dame Van Winkler. However, to be a perfect wife should be on the premise of having a perfect husband, who can be hard-working in the farming, do everything outside well, leave nothing worried to family. Unfortunately, from the
13、description of the story, we cant any evidence that Rip is responsible as a husband. On contrary, he is lazy, indolent. It is understandable Dame is totally frustrated by her husband; when the heavy burden of supporting family has laid on her shoulder, it is no doubt Dame has been driven to crazy to
14、 become sharp-tongued, bad-temper. On the other hand, just as our Chinese “不打不成器” “爱之深责之切”, Dams “curtain lectures”, in my opinion, may be her attempt to drive Rip from laziness to do something manly for his own family. In the past two hundred years, it has been a stereotype that Dame Van Winkler is
15、 a sharp-tongued, termagant shrew in Washington Irvings Rip Van Winkle. However, as mentioned above, reread the story from another perspective, we can find some shining points on her character. Although she is not the typical mild and considerate wife, she is qualified and responsible for the whole family. So, at last, I am brave to say Dame is not a absolute shrew, but even maybe a responsible wife.