What elements of "Rip Van Winkle" are satirical?

1. Rip's relationship with his wife--Irving uses their relationship to satirize loveless marriages. Rip's wife hates his laziness, and he hates her nagging.

2. The American Revolution--Irving portrays the Revolution as bringing about little change other than a switch in the tavern's portrait from King George to George Washington; this satire implies that the Colonists simply switched from following one leader to another.

3. Male relationships--Rip and his friends sit around and talk about nothing at the local tavern. Irving stereotypes male friendships such as Rip's as being unproductive.

The story does, of course, contain more satirical examples. Think about what is exaggerated in the story, how roles are reversed, and how some elements appear to be absurd, because hyperbole, reversal, incongruity, and parody are all common satirical techniques.