In Rip Van Winkle the author uses a lot of symbolism. Firstly, he uses the names as symbols. For example the main character name`s Rip and this word means requiescat in peace. It refers to the twenty years which Rip was sleeping and can`t know nothing about the revolution and what happens in his environment.
Secondly, the author uses symbolic location in the story like the mountains which are symbols of change, they are like barometers predicting weather and changes , and the Hudson river symbolizes the passage of time. Here everything had changed in Rip`s town. It is different from twenty years ago when he went to the Katskill mountains. Some of the changes are the following: It had a rural based economy, and now it is urbanized, it had a normal tranquility and now it is a busy,bustling place with numerour buldings and is very populous. It had the inn, the place where Rip met with his friends and now it is the Union Hotel. That place had the portrait of King George III and now it is replaced by George Whashington. Further, Rip`s friends are dead or changed by the war. Only Rip`s son continue as nothing had changed because Rip pass down his habits to him ,so he was identical to him.
Rip Van Winkle represents to America before and after the Revolution.Rip goes through the same struggles that America is going through . He is having difficulties to find himself.
Rip Van Winkle`s family is deterioring while people of the town were profiting.Rip Van Winkle`s wife represent to England, she is very domineering like the Crown. England demands to America to pays tax. America tries to avoid the tiranny of the Crown as Rip who does everything to escapes his wife.
Dogs in the story symbolizes slaves. Wolf is Rip`s fellow, he is honorable and respectful of his master. Dogs never bark him as slaves.
In the hollow which seems as ampitheater he sees people playing ninepins thes things represents cannon balls and the thunder is the explosion of cannon of the Independence War.
At the end of the story, Rip like America could now enjoy his freedom because he finally finds his identity.