This paper examines Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow as an allegory. The relationships pivot around whatever happens to Ichabod Crane. The theme of the paper is the transformation that comes from death or some major change. Each of the lives of the people in Tarry Town will change dramatically if Crane leaves town. Brom will finally marry Katrina and move onto the farm of his rich landowner.
Washington Irving's The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
A classic love triangle, Washington Irving's story, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, pits newcomer Ichabod Crane against the local suitor, Dutch Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt. Both men vie for the affections of Katrina van Tassel, whose charms and appeal are enhanced by her father's wealth. Brom is characteristically nonchalant about winning Katrina's hand as he hold the advantage. He is place bound in the village that is Katrina's home. Brom knows Katrina well, and is apparently not interested in her father's money so much as he is interested in Katrina as a potential life partner. Crane disrupts this comfortable relationship when he decides to court Katrina. Crane's suitability as a Katrina's fiance is questionable -- which he doubtless recognizes -- so he must device ways to develop a relationship with her and become a familiar fixture on her wealthy father's farm. This scenario could easily be a stalemate, particularly if Katrina -- or her father -- are not definitive decision makers. Something has to change, and from the way the story begins, it is unlikely to be Katrina's mind -- at least anytime soon. But Brom understands what no one yet does -- progress comes on the heel of both fortune and tragedy.
There are only so many choices available to Brom. It seems that -- since Brom has been able to win Katrina's hand -- plodding along in the same manner is an excise that will simply continue the status quo. Brom can hardly challenge Crane to a duel, since the former has physical advantages that would make such an encounter appear quite unfair. From Brom's perspective, the simplest solution is to take Crane out of the picture. Were it not for Crane -- or any other suitor who might later come along -- Brom would have a clear path to courting Katrina, and could take his time, a factor that seems to be the norm for Tarry Town residents in Sleepy Hollow. Crane's own character flaws set the stage for him to be the casualty of a mysterious accident -- an accident that proves inconvenient only for Crane.
Crane presents as self-referential, presuming that his advantage over Brom lies in a superior intellect. But Crane deludes himself, as Brom is easily several steps ahead of Crane and has already plotted his figurative demise. Anything could have happened during the night of the encounter with the headless horseman -- it was a dangerous chase on horseback. Clearly, if Brom was to retain good standing in his village, he would need to maintain sufficient separation from the planned event -- and no dead bodies could be found. Someone had to die, either figuratively or actually, and the preferred outcome was clear: Brom must not be implicated if something serious happened. but, if Crane fled Tarry Town, as Brom hoped, then Brom would not be in jeopardy if the villagers suspected he had set Crane up for a fall -- no matter if it was from his horse or from his elevated position.
Crane, lacking sufficient reserves of courage, seemed likely to take flight. All Brom had to do was create a sufficiently frightening encounter and press on until Crane fled -- on foot. Crane's horse, minus rider and saddle, is the last convincing preponderance of evidence needed to send the imaginations of the residents of Tarry Town neatly over the edge.
As the two protagonists battle wits, a subplot becomes evident: choices must be made between the old order and the new order. The sturdy Brom Bones, with his practical, quaint Dutch upbringing, is a cog in a hole (or the whole, that is the village). Brom fits Tarry Town, and his rowdy mischievous nature functions as a pleasant diversion in the quiet little village. Brom represents the virtues of the old, tried-and-true order of the original settlers of the Sleepy Hollow area. Should Katrina choose Brom, she knows exactly what she will be getting. Not much will change in Katrina's life, one assumes, should she decide to marry the local fellow. Brom would be likely to assume some lesser role in the operations of his father-in-law's farm, which means that the happy couple will remain under the watchful eye of Katrina's doting father. Perhaps, over time, Brom will win over his father-in-law, if only because Brom brings a strong and willing back -- coupled with an irresistible good nature -- to the stoic existence of those who make their living from the soil.
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