REVIEW–TheLegendofSleepyHollowAtmyfirstsight,TheLegendofSleepyHollowseemedlikeaninnocenttaleaboutasuperstitiousNewEnglandtownthreatenedbyastrangenewcomer,IchabodCrane.However,WashingtonIrvingisneverthemanwritingaccordingtothecommonsense.“Onceuponatime”isthepredictablebeginningofafairytaleand“happilyeverafter”istheending.TheLegendofSleepyHollowbyWashingtonIrvingisaclassicalmyththatdefiestheconventionalstandardsofafairytale.Thisdescriptivenarrativeismorethanjustasimpletale,becauseitaddressesseveralgenderissuesdeservingattention.SettinginavalleyinNewEngland,it’sagothictaleofmysteryandsuspense.Inthisshortstory,therearetwomaincharacters,IchabodCraneandBramBones.Thesetwoheroiccharactersbothdesirethesamewoman,KatrinaVanTassel,thedaughterofasubstantialDutchfarmer.Apartfromthefactthattheybothyearnforthesamewoman,thesetwomenarecompletelydifferentcreatures.TheyaretherepresentativesofdifferentsidesinthenewAmericaperiod.TheconflictbetweenEnlightenmentandRomanticidealsisnarrated.Irving’sstoryisanexplorationoftheconflictbetweenthesetwoschoolsofthought.Irvinguseshissetting,hischaracters,andhismoraltocriticizetheEnlightenment.Atfirstreading,TheLegendofSleepyHollowmayseemnomorethanadreamyfolktale.ButwhenreadinthecontextoftheemergingresistancetoEnlightenmentthinking,itrevealsitselftobethepioneerofAmericanRomanticliterature.Irving’sstyleiseasytofindinTheLegendofSleepyHollow.Differingfromprecedingwriters,heisasettingmaster,creatinganewwayforAmericanliteratureaftertheWarofIndependence.Normally,literatureandpoliticsareaffectedbyeachother.Irving’sworkfollowedthetimeandexceededitperfectly