Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
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Rip Van Winkle” has been described as a story that is an expression of the “Myth of the Runaway Male,” as a “tale of a man who deserted his wife for twenty years’ sleep and returned to find her (happily) dead.” What elements in the story justify such a conclusion? Do such elements and the descriptions of Dame Van Winkle support the claim that Irving is fundamentally anti-feminist.
