Who Ichabod Crane is
Ichabod Crane comes from Connecticut to teach the village children of Sleepy Hollow. Tall and thin, with long limbs and huge ears, he has the comic appearance of a wandering scarecrow. He also teaches singing and leads the church choir, gaining some standing among the village women.
He eagerly listens to local ghost stories and believes what he reads about witchcraft. The stories delight him by the fireside, but shadows and rustling sounds frighten him on the journey home.
What Ichabod Crane wants
Ichabod wants to marry Katrina Van Tassel, the only daughter of a wealthy Dutch farmer. Her father's barns, orchards and livestock feed his imagination as much as her charms do. He pictures abundant meals and imagines selling the farm to buy land in the west.
Ichabod Crane and the others in the story
Brom Bones, another suitor of Katrina's, turns Ichabod's courtship into a rivalry. Strong and confident, Brom uses practical jokes to make the schoolmaster look foolish. Ichabod keeps visiting Katrina despite these tricks, while she gives no clear sign of her feelings.
Questions
Where does Ichabod Crane come from?
Ichabod comes from Connecticut and works as a schoolmaster in Sleepy Hollow.
Is Ichabod Crane in love with Katrina?
Ichabod courts Katrina, but his attraction is strongly tied to her father's wealth. The farm inspires dreams of food, property and a more prosperous life.
Why is Ichabod Crane afraid of ghosts?
Ichabod believes in witchcraft and fills his imagination with the valley's supernatural tales. That belief makes ordinary sights and sounds seem threatening after dark.
