Washington Irving Notes Flashcards
(33 cards)
What have his fictional creations become?
American icons (as American as McD’s!)
Irving became the first American writer to achieve…
an international literary reputation
Which character of Washington Irving’s became America’s first antihero?
Rip van Winkle (made success from failure)
Define antihero.
The protagonist of a play, short story, or novel who has the converse of most of the traditional attributes of a hero
What are two names Washington Irving is known as?
Father of American Literature and First Man of American Letters
Washington Irving had as many ___________ as famous books.
Pseudonyms
How old was Irving before his real name started appearing on his works?
50
What were some of Irving’s pen names?
Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent; Diedrich Knickerbocker; Geoffrey Crayonm An American Gentlemen
Where was Washington Irving born?
New York City
How many siblings did Irving had?
Last of 11 children
What was Irving trained to be (for a job)?
a lawyer
Who was his fiance?
Matilda Hoffman, she died in 1809 and he never married after this
What does Irving’s fiancé’s death account for?
The melancholic cast over much of Irving’s work after that point
When did Irving begin his literary career?
In 1818 after his family’s mercantile business went bankrupt
Where did Irving find stimulation for his imagination?
On tours abroad (through England, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Spain)
When did Irving return to the US after his tour abroad?
1832; he brought with him a medal from the English Royal Society of Literature, an honorary degree from Oxford, and a reputation well established here and abroad
What did Irving do in the final phase of his life?
1) Continued to travel in the US
2) Encouraged other writers
What elected office was he nominated for?
Mayor of NYC (he declined the honor)
Where/when was his death?
Tarrytown, NY. 1859.
What was his first great literary triumph?
A History of New York, by Diedrich Knickerbocker (old eccentric historian)
What did A History of New York contain?
Wickedly funny spoofs (satires) of various well known figures, including Pres. Thomas Jefferson
What school of fiction can be attributed to Irving?
Local Color school of fiction
What other writers did Irving inspire by his example?
Longfellow, Dickens, Twain, Sir Walter Scott
What was the goal of Irving’s writing?
Entertainment (not religious or moral)
