Paired Texts > The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

by Washington Irving 1820

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

Winged Blackmail
Winged Blackmail
Jack London

"Winged Blackmail" is a short story by the famous American writer Jack London (1876- 1916). The story opens as Peter Winn plots to take control for personal gain. Instead, he is met with the unbridled power of fear, which takes the shape of a pigeon.

Pair “Winged Blackmail” with “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and ask students to consider how both stories use fear not only as a means to manipulate, but also as a way to create suspense in the plot.

11th Grade Short Story 970L
The Masque of the Red Death
The Masque of the Red Death
Edgar Allan Poe

In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death," Prince Prospero throws a party for his esteemed friends within the safety of his home, while the rest of the country is ravaged by disease.

Pair “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” with “The Masque of the Red Death” and ask students to compare how fear manipulates characters and affects the plot in the two texts. Ask students to consider how wealth motivates the characters in each text. Also ask them whether the two texts fit the criteria of “legend,” a traditional story which is viewed as historical but not authenticated and usually teaches a lesson, or “allegory,” a story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden lesson.

11th Grade Allegory 1100L