The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is Washington Irving's classic tale of life in New.
York after the American Revolution" (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 1). This town of.
Sleepy Hollow and its characters have become a permanent part of this country's folklore. .
The story originated in German folklore, "capturing feelings of a country being.
transformed from classical lifestyles to romantic dreams" (History of American.
Literature1). Ichabod Crane is the story's main character. What intention did Irving have.
for this character, Ichabod?.
Some scholars suggest that Ichabod is the model for comic portrayals of the.
country school teacher in the nineteenth century fiction (The Legend 1). Ichabod's name.
comes from a Hebrew word that means inglorious (Reuben 1). He is a foolish, cowardly.
teacher (History of American Literature 1). Although the story is primarily about.
Ichabod's " attempts to romance the daughter of a wealthy landowner" instead of his.
"trials" in the classroom (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 1), Irving vividly portrays.
Ichabod as a schoolteacher and illustrates with precision his sketches of the classroom.
Sleepy Hollow's Ichabod Crane is described as, "tall, but lank, with narrow.
shoulders, long arms and legs, arms that dangled a mile out of his sleeves, feet that might.
have served for shovels, and his whole frame most loosely hung together" (Perkins 585). .
Although others state that Irving's description of Ichabod is untrue and rather crude to the.
character of the real person, the real Crane is a soldier stationed in Sackett's Harbor.
during the War of 1812 (Teachers Resources 1). Apparently, Crane and Irving had a brief.
encounter while Irving was serving as a United States colonel in the same war (Anderson.
2). The name, Ichabod, obviously caught Irving's attention when they met and stuck in.
his memory. Therefore, Irving used Crane's name without permission; naturally Crane.
was horrified when he found out (Teachers Resources 1).
