2) Compare the village before Rip fell asleep for twenty years and after his long slumber.

Before his slumber, Rip was living in a territory under the rule of Great Britain. When he wakes up, America has gained its independence, and an entire war has come and gone without his ever knowing.

Before Rip falls asleep, the community is perceived as lacking in motivation and spending its time in idle pursuits (the man at the tavern). Its members are portrayed as complacent.

When Rip awakens he first notices the change in nature, that paths and landscapes he has seen a thousand times have completely changed. Upon entering the town, he finds no one he knows...... and he once knew everyone. Afterwards, he takes note of new styles in clothing, the fact that the town not only has a larger population, but that the town has grown with the population. There are new homes, and the Inn he frequented is gone; idle gossip has been replaced by political speech and discussion.