49 pages • 1 hour read
Washington IrvingThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1820A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Why do you think Irving chose to describe Ichabod Crane in such a caricatured, exaggerated way? Would the story be different if Ichabod Crane were average looking or not otherwise notable in any way?
Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in 1820, and the story takes place in 1790. In your opinion, could this story—or a similar one—take place today? Why or why not?
Irving leaves Ichabod’s fate open to interpretation. What do you think really happened to Ichabod Crane? Cite evidence from the text.
Irving’s prose is replete with sensory details. Find three examples of sensory descriptions that involve the five senses: taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” follows the traditional plot structure of Freytag’s pyramid, which requires an inciting incident, rising action, climax, resolution, and denouement. Identify these points in the story.
The narrator speculates that Katrina was never romantically interested in Ichabod Crane. Do you believe this is true? Cite evidence from the text.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a classic example of American gothic fiction. Identify two other literary works that fall into this category and discuss their thematic and stylistic similarities to Irving’s tale.
Enslaved Black characters appear at key points in the story. How important is slavery to Sleepy Hollow’s cultural and historical context?
If you were Ichabod Crane, would you stay in Sleepy Hollow even after hearing the tales about the Headless Horseman? Why or why not?
Read the poem “Castle of Indolence” and discuss how its themes and structure relate to the story.
Related Titles
By Washington Irving
