Explanation:
, a fictional character created by Washington Irving in his short story, “Rip Van Winkle,” slept for twenty years. He fell asleep in the Catskill Mountains and awoke two decades later, unaware of the passage of time. This extended slumber was attributed to his encounter with the mystical figures, the ghosts of Henry Hudson’s crew, who offered him a drink that induced a deep sleep. The magical nature of his sleep serves as a plot device to emphasize the theme of change and the transformation of his surroundings, reflecting the societal and political shifts that occurred during his absence, such as the American Revolutionary War.