The legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving Research Paper

The legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving - Research Paper Example It is also worth noting that the comedic and foolish nature of Ichabod is detectable from the strength of his imaginations. The writer uses this story for the main purpose of accentuating the fact that imaginations form a significant part of human life. Just like any other aspect of life, imaginations can lead to failure or success of the subject individual as depicted by Ichabod. The story shows that imaginations can have influence on lifestyle of an individual and may end up alienating him or her. Further the writer also shows the impotence nature of Ichabod as an element of his much involvement in imaginations. This research paper cites some of the instances used by Irvins to illustrate the power imagination in â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow†. Imaginations reinforce a lifestyle Irving also uses the allegory to show that imagination may also reinforce a way of life into an individual. As depicted in the story, Ichabod’s imagination about ghosts, demons and witches, acts as the main reason for his preference in reading the ghost stories. His imaginations make him feel that the ghosts are real thereby increasing interest for knowing about them. Most of his life he sits down to read and hear about the ghostly stories. Intuitively, these stories make him believe that anything around him is supernatural. His affection for the stories is also evident when he goes to apply everything he reads about in the real world. He walks out during the night believing that there are ghosts roaming in the midst. Just as stated by the stories he always read. The writer also depict his love for the ghostly stories, when instead of contributing to the harvest party, he divert his attention to listening to ghostly legends told by Brom (Damon-Bach & Lucinda, 38). Even though owning the farm and proposing to Katrina was the major aim for attending the harvest party, Ichabod wholly diverts to his darling stories about the ghosts. Just like the environment and family ba ckground can shape individual’s lifestyle, Ichabod’s imaginations models his love for the ghostly stories. He believes that reading the ghostly stories is the only fulfilling way he can live his daily life. The incidences show that there is no day Ichabod would have changed his lifestyle because of the belief that the ghost exist in the real world. As shown through Ichabod’s experience, in the whole story, it is true that the imaginations held by individuals can serve in alienating their life from the usual. Ichabod, whose imaginations concentrates around the existence of ghosts, lives a tough life albeit living among other human beings. He easily gets frightened at littlest things which a normal human being will always assume. When walking home during the darkest hours, he gets frightened most of the time, by the invisible thing because his imaginations had made him believe that there is a headless horseman who usually rides back in quest for his head. This sho ws a clear alienation of Ichabod from the reality just because of the imagination he holds. His alienation is also detectable in the relic that people of the society associate to him. His brand in the society was a wandering horse, trampled saddle, discarded hat, and a mysterious shattered pumpkin (Irving & Jane 56). Naturally, an individual can only associate these paraphernalia to an insane person who has lost in his societal ways. However, it is worth noting