Sleepy Hollow Essay

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Pablo Chacon-Alvarez English 395 Dr. Funchion Final Writing Assignment Ichabod Crane v. Jacksonian Manhood In Troubling Our Heads about Ichabod, David Greven highlights certain of Ichabod’s characteristics and compares and contrasts them to characteristics of Brom and his gang. Greven points out that Ichabod “competes against not one man but the entire homosocial sphere,” and he defines the homosocial sphere “as a system that encircles Woman while promoting mutual, rivalrous enmity yet can rally men united to the cause of the annihilation of the threat of the single individual.” Greven goes on to claim that Ichabod is stealthy and cunning in avoiding open rivalry with Brom. Greven states that the conflict between Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones is a conflict of isolate manhood (Ichabod) versus the homosocial sphere (Brom and his gang), with the homosocial sphere coming out victorious. Ultimately Greven concludes that “Brom and his gangs persecution of Ichabod makes him a queer figure even if he himself is not allied to any clearly defined sexuality.” Greven supports his claim by stating, “physically vulnerable, stalked, embattled, and endangered, Ichabod occupies the subject position of woman in this tale.” However, in strictly attaching sexual characteristics to the protagonists of the short story, Greven ignores a much larger issue. The characteristics which he details are not ones powered by gender but rather by setting. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving represents both an acceptance and a rejection of traditional Jacksonian manhood. The setting of Sleepy Hollow is crucial to our understanding of the text. Sleepy Hollow is said to be in the country side, outside of New York City in a secluded area. Actually, Sleepy Hollow is said to be on the outskirts of a ‘market-town or rural port,’ outside of New York City. We are told that Sleepy

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