It is not a small fact that after the American Revolution, everything changed in American society. It is one of the most important historical events that shaped our country into what it is today and produced much of the important American literature we have today. Rip Van Winkle, I would argue, is one such work of literature and is not only a fun short story to read to children, but an accurate depiction of how America was able to move away from British rule and becoming the incredible country we have today. Washington Irving understood what the American people were going through at that time and wrote to Rip Van Winkle about a way for American citizens to adapt and form their own identity. Although it was a good thing for America to be completely separated from England, it was also an adjustment and could be considered a divorce or separation of a family. Irving lets his main character take on this role in his story so that it will be easier for the American people to understand. “The opening paragraph of RVW establishes the theme of the breakup of the “British” national family “while the country was still a province of Great Britain”: the Kaatskill Mountains “are a dismembered branch of the great family of Appalachia.” The images suggest a divided and broken family, and Irving uses the "branch" metaphor for families in other Sketch Book essays. In a story dealing with the transition from British to American rule, Irving allusively alludes to the common family metaphor used before, during, and after the Revolution: England was the "mother" or "parent" country, and the American settlers were his children. But there is another relevant cultural metaphor: Rip is a beleaguered husband, harassed by his demanding wife, and soon finds himself separated from his family. When families break up, it can be quite traumatic for everyone involved, and I think Irving was trying to help the cause. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Irving does a great job using metaphors in “Rip Van Winkle” to talk about America before it was influenced by England, during the era of English influence and post-American Revolution. Rip Van Winkle tells the story of a man who lives in a close-knit community along the Hudson Valley. Van Winkle is a man greatly admired by his entire community because everyone feels like they can count on him to help them when needed. It is ironic, however, that Van Winkle's wife, Dame Van Winkle, can barely stand her husband. “Morning, noon, and evening his tongue spoke incessantly, and whatever he said or did surely produced a torrent of domestic eloquence.” His wife might be right to always get angry at her husband for his lack of help in their own home. Her constant harassment could be the reason why he decides to avoid her as much as possible, so that she can be her own enemy because of the incentives she has against her husband. Irving uses Dame Van Winkle as a metaphor for England and her constant need to tell America what to do and how to do it. America, of course, is represented by Rip Van Winkle, so we can see that a wife (England) constantly nagging and telling her husband (America) what to do is what really made Rip Van Winkle want to s 'escape. As the story continues, this is actually what Rip Van Winkle wants to do. He,.