Rip Van Winkle: Quotes by Character

I have observed that he was a simple, good-natured man; he was moreover, a kind neighbor, and an obedient, hen-pecked husband.

Early in the story, the narrator describes Rip in such a way that he seems to be a very nice man; he simply doesn't want to do any work or fulfill any of the responsibilities that come with being a husband, father, or farmer. He is not, as is demonstrated in the narrative, obedient. His wife, it is implied, is wholly unreasonable for expecting anything of him.

In a word, Rip was ready to attend to anybody's business but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his farm in order, he found it impossible.

At the beginning of the story, it is clear the narrator is determined to describe Rip in the best possible light. Over and over, Rip is portrayed as well-meaning and decent, his shortcomings dismissed as irrelevant. The narrator presents Rip as simply not cut out to be an adult, and repeatedly expresses frustration that Rip's wife is annoyed with him.

Dame Van Winkle

Times grew worse and worse with Rip Van Winkle as years of matrimony rolled on; a tart temper never mellows with age, and a tart tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.

Dame Van Winkle, who isn’t given a first name in the story, is Rip’s antagonist. According to the narrator, she does not give Rip a single moment of rest from her constant barrage of insults, demands, and expectations. However, it appears that she is taking care of her household entirely on her own, with absolutely no input from Rip. She is the one making sure the family is fed, housed, and clothed as Rip wanders and avoids taking on his role as a father and husband.

'Oh she too, had died but a short time since; she broke a blood-vessel in a fit of passion at a New-England [man].'

From the narrator’s perspective, there seems to be nothing more aggravating and off-putting than a woman who expects her husband to take responsibility. This dismissiveness extends even to her death, about which Rip is told by his adult daughter, resulting in his feeling relieved. Adding insult to injury, his daughter indicates that Dame Van Winkle died because she was so upset at someone her brain exploded. In a story as gentle and strange as this one, Dame Van Winkle is, whether justly or not, the closest thing the narrative has to a villain.

Next section Quotes by Theme