... of his parody History of New York) and the Civil War, generally considered the "Father of American short story-, Washington Irving tried to build the new American nation's soul by recreating history and giving it living, imaginative life. He chose the most dramatic aspects of American history: the discovery of the New World, the westward exploration and the first president and national hero. His short story, Rip Van Winkle ... seek to allure her new friend, who is symbolically a hunter. If she chooses to help this young hunter find the white heron, she will lose her own identity. In ord...

• Word Count: 2241
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... illness is characterized by "...a settled apathy." Poe brings his characters to life by giving them intense feelings and thoughts and inputs extensive detail As a result of this, the narrator spends the opening paragraphs reflecting upon the past as well as trying to prepare himself for the imminent reunion; however, nothing prepares him for the "altered" state of his childhood companion: "...a caderousness of complexion; an eye ... and features to bring a more realistic feel to the piece" reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled lustre by ...

• Word Count: 1111
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate