Irving and Mutability

Mutability, or the state of constant flux, is prevalent in many of Washington Irving's short stories. While change may not be rapid or apparent to a person present in the time of the story, changes continue to happen. Change happens in society, as well as in nature. Irving, like many other romantic authors, was extremely optimistic about changes, though he always seemed reminiscent of the “days of old.” Romantics valued natural mutability but seems to fear man-induced changes to the world. This author is no difference.

Obvious changes are present in Washington’s famous story of “Rip Van Winkle.” But the least obvious are the ones first introduced in the tale, setting the demeanor of the main character and of the story itself. Irving writes:

“Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers.”

Stating that he would do anything to get away from his grating wife, Rip set into motion a chain of events that would make him lose a sizable portion of his years. Van Winkle set out into the Catskill Mountains on a fishing and hunting outing with his dog, Wolf. He decided to take a nap under a tree, after exhausting himself climbing up the hills. He set his gun against a tree and apparently falls asleep.

He wakes up to find his gun an old rusted piece of junk with a rotted stock. And his companion, Wolfe is nowhere to be found. Still, Rip blames the corroded rifle on thieves, who took his good weapon and replaced it with a worthless one. He also believes that Wolfe wandered off into the woods.

Van Winkle is no longer a young-ish spry man, he is hit with a bout of rheumatism, and he struggles to walk as swiftly as he was used to. He blames this on his recent nap in the Catskills; that “these mountain beds do not agree with” him.

It is not until Rip travels down into his village, looking to go back to his nagging wife, does he finally realize what has happened to him. Half expecting to hear his spouse half-way down the mountain, he is stunned when she is nowhere to be found. He enters his home, thinking it would be nearly as he left it, but finds it abandoned and un-kept.

Also, perhaps most distressing to the socialite Rip, his bar has changed names as well as crowds. He recognized no one in the bar, but he still seemed to fit in just fine. Previously adorned with a portrait of the British King, George III, the bar now sported a new George, Revolutionary General Washington. Mr. Van Winkle had completely missed the American Revolution, as well as the Constitutional period. Irving’s way of describing it is this:

“… elections - members of congress – liberty – Bunker’s Hill – heroes of seventy-six – and other words which were a perfect Babylonish jargon to the bewildered Van Winkle.”


Rip finds out that his wife is dead and gone, and his daughter is full grown and married. She tells of the story which most of the villagers accepted of her long-missing father: “His dog came home without him; but whether he shot himself, or was carried away by the Indians, nobody can tell.”

While many things change, some things remain the same. So it was with Rip Van Winkle. Even after sleeping for twenty long and eventful years, this now older man was quickly back into his old mannerisms. He “resumed his old walks and habits; he soon found many of his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of the time; and preferred making friends among the rising generation, with whom he soon grew into great favor.”

[this essay is incomplete, I will try and finish it tomorrow]