Ichabod Crane and the American dream in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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Ichabod Crane and the American dream in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow is set in the 19th century capturing the lives of Dutch settlers living along the eastern side of the Hudson River (Irvin 5). The area is characterized by supernatural beliefs in ghosts. Ichabod Crane the protagonist of the story moves to the small town from Connecticut, and while trying to pursue a rich farmer’s daughter he is chased by a mysterious headless horseman. The main conflict in the story occurs between Crane and Brom Bones who also pursues Katrina, with Crane mysteriously disappearing after being chased by the horsemen. The story is inspired by European legends about ghosts, but it also touches on the belief in the American Dream which defines the American way of life away distinct from European influences. This essay discuses Crane's vision of his American Dream and the methods he employed to pursue them.
The American dream shows motivation to succeed where anyone has the opportunity to make the dream a reality through working hard. It is as though everyone is in a state of struggle to achieve their dreams, and with the American trust in the ethos becomes a reality. However, Irving offers his version of the American dream through Crane, where Crane and Brom dream but do not prosper through initiative and hard work. Crane daydreamed about enjoying Katrina’s wealth as her husband, as she was an only child left to inherit her father’s properties. Crane looks at the lands owned by Katrina's father and desired tobe the owner of the properies, with the land covered in wheat, Indian corn and rye (Irvin 16).Crane is dreaming and neglecting the need for initiative, Crane then backs off from pursuing Katrina as he is afraid that Brom already won her heart.
The American dream is best exemplified by those who take initiatives and actions, rather than simply dream that their desires will come true. Irving seems to suggest that masculinity helps Americans to achieve the American dream. Crane is a man on the run after supposedly encountering the headless horseman, and he hurries into the forest and escaped from Sleepy Hollow. There is a sudden realization that pursuit of Katrina derails Crane’s achievement of the American dream, and though Crane becomes afraid and runs away rather than confront problems this creates opportunities. There are suggestions that Crane is a better person in New York later on after leaving Sleepy Hollow, and this was possible after realization that the vision based solely on dreams was unattainable.
Crane exemplifies the American Dream, as a young teacher who goes in search of a better life in a Dutch settlement area in New York. This shows that the young man hopes to achieve better things in life through hard work. However, the protagonist is also willing to use any means possible to achieve his goals. The tall, slender and awkward Crane is determined to achieve better things despite living humbly in the area. Crane is a bachelor school master with no permanent home, and his vision of the American dream is on using other people to get his way up. Essential, Crane is less of a fighter in his pursuit of his dreams, living from one family to another, with the dream merely an imagination which Crane seeks to fulfill.
On the surface, Crane appears to be lazy and unfocussed as marrying a wealthier woman became his dream upon learning about Katrina’s family. Even th...