Factors that Influence Teen Violence
...tions and spooky stories told of the Headless Horseman who would chase villagers down chopping off their heads with a single cling of a sword, and leaving them headless in the deep forest brush; and of ghostly apparitions appearing nightly leaving villagers screaming frantically and running for their lives. Such imagery, which Irving created led readers wondering how peaceful Sleepy Hollow really was as Irving had stated earlier in his work. Secondly differences can also be found through characters. For all those who have read Irving’s tale we are all familiar with the main characters such as Ichabod Crane; the scrawny and clumsy stereotypical nerd of the nineties. He competes with another man built with the frame of a Herculean. This broad shouldered and steel-hearted man of great strength is known as Brom Van Brunt, but universally known as “Brom Bones.” Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones both duo it out for a wealthy landowners daughter, by the name of Katrina Van Tessel. Whoever wins her hand in marriage will gain access to the riches of the land. In contrary, Burton depicts his characters much differently then described in Irving’s tale. “For openers, Ichabod Crane, the hapless hero played by Johnny Depp, has been changed from Irving’s miloquest school-teacher, to a determined, and young, New York City constable who prefers scientific logic to metaphysical beliefs and folklore.” (Garner) With the addition of many new characters such as the Van Garrets and Ichabod’s young sidekick who helps him on his quest for the murderer, the characters add spice to a movie with little plot. As for Brom Bones, there is no need to fight for Katrina’s hand in marriage with Ichabod. He is already presumed to be or be her husband in the movie. The only characters related similar to Irving’s tale are Katrina and the Headless Horseman who are presented to us just as Irving described them. Finally there is no bigger change then the plots between Irving’s tale and Burton’s movie. Let’s start with Irving’s tale; there was no real set plot determined for this story. The only details given to us that actually play out are the ghostly stories told at the gathering at the king’s castle in relation to Ichabod actually encountering these characters on the way home from the castle. Although readers do not know if the Headless Horseman who kills Ichabod is real or just Brom Bones is left up to the readers to decide. Unlike Irving, Burton’s plot is much different in that it is not focused on ghostly stories and whether or not they’re true or untrue. “It revolves around the town being struck with several incidents of deaths to villagers. Their decapitated bodies remained at the crime scene with no head to be found. The villagers firmly believed the murderer to be the Headless Horseman, the dark spirit of a Hessian Soldier. (A ruthless swordsman who fought for the British during the recent Revolutionary War, the Hessian was buried without his head.) His spirit was believed to be seeking revenge, rampaging across the countryside on a giant, black steed. The scientific Crane searched for clues to find the flesh and blood human villain and along the way received guidance and spiritual matters from an attractive young villager.” (Garner) Many people who have seen the movie made interesting comments pertaining to it. One such author by the name of Kathi Maio wrote an article based on Burton’s film titled “Outsiders: Looking In, And Peering Out.” In th...