The Representation of Christmas in Washington Irving's Writings
Nostalgia and Critique of Modernity
Keywords:
Nostalgia, Critique of Modernity, Washington IrvingAbstract
This article analyzes the representation of Christmas in Washington Irving’s holiday writings, exploring how the author mobilizes nostalgia for English rural traditions to construct a literary narrative that intertwines morality and criticism of industrial modernity. Based on the premise that Irving viewed Christmas as an antidote to the social fragmentation of the 19th century, we examine two main axes: nostalgia as a literary device that idealizes the past through a morality embodied in gestures of hospitality, generosity, and communion; and an implicit critique of modern acceleration, which alienates humans from their traditional values. Irving’s text, by addressing popular celebrations (such as communal dinners and local legends) common to Christmas festivities, does not merely romanticize the past but rather proposes an ethical model of society.
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