Sleepy Hollow by Peter Lerangis is a wonderful example of romantic fiction. It contains and exhibits all the vital elements of romanticism. Lerangis presents an exemplary romantic hero and his quest for truth in an abstract problem. An enormous fascination with supernatural events and an unease towards women accompany his romantic hero. And Lerangis juxtaposes the harsh realities of urban life with the romantic beauties of nature, thus defining romanticism in its entirety. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The American hero is the element of romanticism most represented in the novel. Alongside a typical romantic hero, Ichabod is full of youth and innocence. This youthful existence is apparent in Ichabod's arachnophobia, through which he resorts to childish panic rather than facing his mature adult fears. During one such instance of panic, he notices a spider in his room and “he screams, jumping, while a spider slides under his bed” (Lerangis 110). Just as a child screams and runs in the face of fear, Ichabod resorts to his immature and primal instincts in the face of this little spider. Ichabod also depicts youth and innocence with its quest for higher truths. For example, when he starts to stare at the scars on his hands, he quickly stops. He does not allow himself to ponder their origin because “he prefers solvable mysteries, and this one [makes] his brain turn darkly inward like a frightened sowbug” (14). In a matter of seconds, he goes from trying to learn about his past to hiding from the idea as if he were a little child. However, aside from these minor flaws in his character, Ichabod is a hero in every sense of the word. When he is confronted with the injustices of his society, he rebels against established authority. Such a rebellion occurs when the High Constable refuses to hear his voice. The high constable orders Ichabod to “stand down,” and Ichabod quickly responds: “I rise, for sense and justice” (11). This opposition to authority demonstrates Ichabod's heroism and his genuine concern for society. Lerangis' inclusion of the supernatural and unease with women illustrates two additional characteristics that define a Romantic work. The supernatural is particularly predominant throughout the novel. The first account of events that Ichabod receives from the residents of Sleepy Hollow is that the heads of the murder victims were "taken by the Headless Horseman" (23). This “Headless Horseman” is the ghost of a “Hessian mercenary” whom the Americans beheaded during the War of Independence (24). The Rider's ghost even has supernatural powers to control the weather. “The rider's wind” and “the rider's storm” always foreshadow a beheading whenever they appear in the novel (136). The supernatural is also linked to the Romantic's apprehension of women and their symbolic need to domesticate. Ichabod integrates the supernatural and his anxiety about women into a single entity when he tells Katrina, "But maybe there's a bit of witch in you...you've bewitched me" ( 101). This statement is simply a manifestation of Ichabod's inability to perform in Katrina's presence. This failure of functioning is apparent because “all words, all paths of thought [lead] to Katrina”; and whenever Katrina is there, Ichabod is "speechless." She renders him speechless” (33; 31). The supernatural and his discomfort with women serve to oppose Ichabod in his quest to reach a higher truth. Keep" (149).