"Rip Van Winkle" is undoubtedly Washington Irving's chef d'œuvre, and this story of a man who falls asleep for twenty years seems to escape the law of time, how it still haunts us with its mystery. Once the reader realizes that Rip is sleeping right through the American Revolution, the story begins to be fraught with cultural overlap and cultural conflicts occur between what was and what is. Through the vivid image of Rip Van Winkle, one can see a picture of the American colonies under the rule of royal England. By successfully using the method of character description and psychological analysis, the image of England symbolized by the character of Rip stands out among many other symbols. Romantic writers have a tendency to incorporate nature as a key factor in their writings. For Irving, the Kaatskill Mountains have always meant the pride of the American people from past to present. Early in his story, Washington Irving uses personification to invest the Kaatskill Mountains with human qualities. The Kaatskill proves to be a firm territorial protector of the village with his “noble height”. Deliberately bringing mountains to life allows them to become mysterious and unpredictable. In fact, they might even play tricks on those who venture within its borders. Not surprisingly, these visual features help symbolize the safe, undisturbed, and eternal life of Americans before they came under the rule of Great Britain. Irving expressed Rip Van Winkle's kindness since he was so popular throughout the world and was the great favorite of the village. Every single man and woman in town loved him because he would help anyone who sought his help. His... middle of paper... then he could have known immediately that they were gone? By showing the reader the very sight of what Rip Van Winkle may have seen, the reader learns about his surroundings, which gives him an understanding of how everything changed after he woke up. People wear clothes "of a different fashion from what they were used to". The "village had also changed; it was larger and more populous. There were rows of houses he had never seen before." This is a symbol of the growth and prosperity of America after the Revolution. Through the vivid image of Rip Van Winkle, one can see a picture of the American colonies under the rule of royal England. Successfully using the method of character description and psychological analysis, the image of England symbolized by the character of Rip stands out among many other symbols..