One of the main conflicts in the story "Rip Van Winkle" is about Rip falling asleep for 20 years. To escape the verbal abuse of his wife that he had to deal with every day, Rip left to the forest with his dog Wolf. While he was enjoying a calm view at the top of the mountain, a strange man yelled his name over and over. The man reached Rip's location and asked him if he could help him with the bags he carried. Rip helped the man and they headed to the mountain torrent. When they got there, they found a group of strange men playing nine-pins. Rip drank some Dutch gin that the men gave him, got really drunk, and fell asleep. When he woke up his dog was missing and his gun had blemished. He decided to go back to his town, but all the routes to get there had changed.
English: Illustration for Washingtion Irving's sho...
Life size bronze of Rip Van Winkle sculpted by Ric...
Jefferson as the old Rip Van Winkle, 1896He finally got to his town and saw that everything and everyone had changed. Rip even noticed that he had grown a one foot long beard. Nobody recognized him so they thought he was a spy, since he was talking about the king while others were talking about George Washington and the war. A girl approached him and he started asking her who her father and mother were. She said Rip Van Winkle and Dame Van Winkle. Rip figured that was his daughter so he told her that he was her father. She was very happy so see him again and brought him to live with her.
Rip's sleep's real meaning is that he is escaping from his family and his responsibilities. Irving, the author of the story, had Rip draw in to sleep in the first place, so his character could have an...