Character Analysis

Ichabod Crane

Ichabod Crane was born and raised in Connecticut. He was the schoolteacher of Sleepy Hollow, New York. He was a tall skinny man who had huge green eyes and a large hooked nose.

Ichabod's schoolhouse was a small one-room log building. It was brilliantly secured at night, so that a thief could get in but not out.

Ichabod was not a cruel man, but he certainly did not spoil his students. He never gave a chastisement without assuring the pupil that “he would remember it, and thank him for the longest day he had to live.”

He kept on good terms with his students, and after school he would play with the bigger boys. It was to his own benefit that he kept a good relationship with his students; since his salary was so small, he boarded with the farmers whose kids were his students. He would live at one place for exactly a week, moving around the neighborhood.

Ichabod was an extremely liked man, for he sometimes helped the farmers with the lighter chores, and looked after the children for hours for their mothers. The female circle of the neighborhood loved him too. He was thought to have a great superior taste and to have accomplished a lot. He would gather grapes for them, or walk along the millpond with a whole group of ladies following him. Ichabod would bring the gossip from one house to another. He loved to sit by the fire with the old Dutch wives as they told him fearful stories of haunted places. Ichabod would then delight them as he told about witchcraft, shooting stars, and the fact that the world did turn around and most of the time they were upside down. Ichabod Crane was terribly superstitious, and he fully believed in witchcraft of all sorts.

Ichabod also instructed psalmody. Katrina Van Tassel was one of his psalmody students. She was beautiful, and Ichabod fell in love with her. Ichabod had a huge appetite. It seemed he never gained a pound, but grew an inch instead. He dreamed of living a more comfortable and abundant lifesylye in Katrina Van Tassel's household. Or, he might sell her father's fortune and move to Kentucky.

Katrina Van Tassel

Katrina is a beautiful girl, 18 years old. She is the only child of a rich Dutch farmer. She wears colors of yellow and gold to set off her charms, and a short petticoat to show off the prettiest ankles in the hollow. She is known for her beauty and her high expectations. Katrina loves to dance and sing. She is the love interest of Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones.

Brom Bones

Brom Bones is a handsome man with curly black hair and broad shoulders. He is the hero of the town, having an arrogant and fun loving appearance. He is strong and knows a great deal about horsemanship.

Brom was always seen at races and cockfights. He was very mischievous, and whenever any prank or fight took place, the neighbors would all say that Brom was the cause of it. He was always ready for a fight, and was the one to settle any argument. Brom had a crew of four or five men who could sometimes be heard racing along the farmhouses whooping with joy. In the winter, Brom always wears a raccoon cap.

Brom was in love with Katrina and had made several advances.

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