The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

at the very end of the "pstscript" the narrator of the story reveals something very important. what does he reveal and how is it reflective of irving's narrators?

Asked by
Last updated by Aslan
Answers 1
Add Yours

Mr. Knickerbocher concludes the story with a postscript stating that he has printed this tale almost exactly as he originally heard it from a shabby old gentleman at a corporation meeting. When this man told the story, one gentleman did not seem to enjoy it as much as the others, and he said that he found some parts of it hard to believe. The narrator says that he does not believe half of it himself. The postscript, perhaps, emphasizes reflects Washington's opinion that the veracity of a story is insignificant for literary purposes, if it provides enjoyment and a positive moral result for the reader. Irving likely shared this opinion. It is hard to write fiction without an appreciation for the ways that fiction provides truth in a way different from fact-heavy histories.

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow/study-guide/summary-paragraph-57-to-postscript