Expanding on Connections

While we can understand that the town and streets are named after the characters, estates and such from the story, it's important to note that there is more to the story that helps connect the town to the literary piece.

To understand this connection, we must first understand what Ivanhoe is exactly within the novel. The title of the book, Ivanhoe, refers to the Saxon knight, Wilfred of Ivanhoe. Wilfred was Cedric's disinherited son and because of this fact he had been unable to claim his estate. This estate, Ivanhoe, was never visited throughout the novel, leaving it up to the readers to fill in the blanks about where the estate lied.

The residents of Ivanhoe, MN used this information to their advantage, and named their town after the mysterious, yet important estate. By taking this name, the town takes the identity of the estate from the novel which creates a literary connection that suggests that Ivanhoe, MN could be the very same Ivanhoe estate. Which in turn, makes it seem like Ivanhoe, MN could be the home of the courageous knight, Wilfred of Ivanhoe.