The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Story Elements

Katrina Van Tassel

18 year old daughter of a wealthy farmer; love interest of Ichabod and Brom Bones; Ichabod's interest in her increases after he learned she was from a wealthy family; ends up marrying Brom Bones

Genre

A type or category of literature

Rising Action

An element of plot; all the events and actions that lead up to the main event of a story; the part where the story's drama builds

Falling Action

An element of plot; all the events that take place after the climax and lead to the end of the story

Climax

An element of plot; also known as the turning point; the most exciting part of the story where the main character has to face the conflict

Exposition

An element of plot; the beginning, or introduction, where the characters and setting are introduced; the conflict, or problem, may be introduced (or soon thereafter)

Resolution

An element of plot; wraps up the loose ends of the story and brings readers to a satisfying conclusion

Brom Van Brunt aka Brom Bones

Antagonist, or someone who works against the protagonist; handsome; expert horseback rider; popular with the villagers; was also courting Katrina Van Tassel; played a series of tricks on Ichabod; married Katrina after Ichabod's disappearance; readers are left to wonder if Brom was responsible for Ichabod's disappearance

Genre of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Fiction; historical fiction; horror; gothic horror (combines fiction, horror, death, and sometimes romance)

Example of First Person Point of View

I was sitting in class minding my own business when Dana reached out and pulled my hair - for no reason!

Exposition of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane is a schoolteacher in the town of Sleepy Hollow in New York; He, along with the other people in town, are obsessed with ghosts; A local favorite is the tale of the Headless Horseman, a Revolutionary War Soldier who lost his head to a cannonball.

Rising Action of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod and Brom Bones are both invited to a party at Katrina's home; The evening goes well, but at the end of the party, Ichabod is upset and agitated after a private meeting with Katrina; Ichabod leaves in a hurry and becomes quite frightened on his way home.

Falling Action of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod doesn't appear the next day, so the townspeople search for him; They find his hat, the saddle, and a shattered pumpkin, but Ichabod is never found.

Conflict of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod falls for a young lady named Katrina Van Tassel; His interest in her grows when he learns she is from a wealthy family; There is a problem because another man, Brom Van Brunt or Brom Bones, is also courting her.

Resolution of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod's belongings are thrown away, and the school is moved; The townspeople continue to talk about Ichabod's fate; Did he leave town, did Brom have something to do with Ichabod's disappearance, or did the Headless Horseman carry Ichabod away?

Characters

Individuals the story is about

Climax of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

On his way home, Ichabod has an encounter with the Headless Horseman; the Headless Horseman matches Ichabod's pace and finally chases him; Ichabod tries to spur on Gunpowder, a borrowed horse, to reach the bridge quickly; Ichabod makes it to the bridge and turns around hoping to see that the Headless Horseman has disappeared; Instead the Headless Horseman throws a pumpkin at Ichabod; Ichabod was hit on the back of the head and crashed to the ground.

Setting of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Post-Revolutionary War; the Headless Horseman was the ghost of a Revolutionary War soldier whose head was blown off by a cannonball during a battle; at the Van Tassel's party, men told stories of fighting in the Revolutionary War; Tarry Town sat on the shores of the Hudson River in New York; Sleepy Hollow was near Tarry Town and was a particularly haunted place; residents seemed to be under a spell and spent a lot of time thinking and talking about ghosts

Ichabod Crane

Protagonist, or main character; from Connecticut; an outsider but liked by the people of Tarry Town; odd looking; teacher who was liked by his students, strict but fair; singing teacher, loved to sing; loved to eat; lived at his students' homes because he was poorly paid; was very helpful around the farms; very superstitious, was a firm believer in witches and ghosts; loved hearing and telling ghost stories; got very startled on his walks home, sang church songs to drive away the ghosts; hoped to win the hand of 18 year old Katrina Van Tassel

Second Person Point of View

Puts the reader directly in the story; uses pronouns like you and your

Headless Horseman

Soldier who lost his head to a cannonball during a battle

Example of Third Person Point of View

The man sat on the porch watching the boy struggle with the heavy stones.

First Person Point of View

The narrator is a character, usually the main character, in the story; uses pronouns like I, me, my, and mine; readers only find out what this one character knows, thinks, feels, and sees

Third Person Point of View

The narrator is not a character in the story; the narrator observes and tells the reader what is happening in the story; uses pronouns like he, she, they, him, her, and them; some third person narrators reveal the thoughts and feelings of one or more character(s)

Point of View

The position from which a narrator tells a story

Plot

The series of events that make up a story

Setting

When and where a story takes place

Example of Second Person Point of View

Your alarm clock shatters the morning silence. You hit the snooze button and pull the covers up over your head, hoping for just a few more minutes of sleep. Suddenly it hits you: Your science project is due today!