The drink is a symbolic representation of the passive escapism that Rip Van Winkle (and other henpecked husbands) so desperately long for. It’s delicious irresistibility gestures to the seductive power of escape—and the drink does in fact provide escape from responsibilities, duties, toils, and from history itself.
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The Flagon of Drink Symbol Timeline in Rip Van Winkle
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Flagon of Drink appears in Rip Van Winkle. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
“Rip Van Winkle”
...of their game. When they see Rip they stop playing, andsilently direct Rip to pour the drink from the keg into flagons to serve the men. Rip is scared at first, but...
(full context)
