Rip Van Winkle tells the story of a man who, while hiking in the Kaatskill Mountains, mysteriously loses twenty years of his life during the Revolutionary War. When he returns home, he finds that things have changed dramatically; King George no longer has control over the colonies and many of his friends have died or left town. At this point, the story reaches its climax, where Van Winkle realizes that his life could be changed forever. Until now, Rip Van Winkle has only had to deal with the change in his environment. Having no doubts about his personal character, his fears remain singular only briefly, for when the crowd points out a man they call Rip Van Winkle, they also begin to question his very being. "I'm not myself, I'm someone else, it's me over there, no, it's someone else, I put myself in my place..." The Frustration has set in at this point, as our hero Rip cannot explain the events that have occurred. to him. In one night, his world changed drastically and no logical explanation can be found. The larger problem, however, is the identity crisis Van Winkle suffers from. After a detailed analysis of this climatic section, two dominant themes emerge: confusion and the question of personal identity. There are constant references to these ideas throughout the selection. Van Winkle's confusion seems obvious and entirely understandable, but this confusion extends beyond the bizarre sequence of events encountered. When Rip notices the person the municipality calls Rip Van Winkle, it is as if he is looking in a mirror, because this person represents an "accurate counterpoint of himself." Although Rip visually sees this other person, his examination becomes a personal reflection ... middle of paper ... concerns about which groups would provide leadership to the masses and how those masses should be represented. Men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin, who had provided great leadership to this fledgling nation, left America's fate in new hands. Pessimists voiced their opinions, but a great sense of optimism reigned as the Industrial Revolution began to spread across the United States and around the world. The question of identity then seemed relevant. In this story, Rip Van Winkle's quest for identity is perhaps the most challenging aspect of the story. In the chosen passage, we see his character going through enormous emotional changes. In a single paragraph, we watch his life unfold as he searches for the inner truth he was denying. In one paragraph we saw a man find himself.