A Comparison Of Rip Van Winkle And Devil And Tom Walker

Society repeatedly tells the general public time after time how important helping each other is. Everyone has been in a situation where they thought they were doing something for the welfare of others, but somehow they manage to do something wrong? In literature, the theme of youthful innocence and purity is common. In “Rip Van Winkle” and the “Devil and Tom Walker” ,written by Washington Irving, generally the romantic hero's will be seen caught in situations much like those. The romantic heros Rip Van Winkle and Tom Walker both exhibit characteristics of being innocent and pure of purpose driven by their own moral conduct.
In “Rip Van Winkle,” Rip, without hesitation is always known for helping others in his hometown. Rip Van Winkle, is the kind of good natured man that would bend over backwards for anyone in any kind situation. Rip helps people of all ages tremendously, so much that he often doesn’t have anytime to tend his farm or his family. Irving makes note of this by saying, “The women of the village too used to employ him to run their less errands and to do such little odd jobs as their less obliging husbands would not do for them-in a word Rip was ready to attend anybody’s business

but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his farm in order, he found it impossible.” This scene perfectly distinguishes the kind of guy Rip is. Rip’s prime goal in life is to make people jubilant and to be a helpful neighbor. Rip Van Winkle goes so far that he sacrifices his own happiness just to satisfy others. In a different aspect, Irving also shows these characteristics in “The Devil and Tom Walker.”
Tom Walker, shows innocence and purity as well. The difference between Rip Van Winkle and Tom Walker though is that Tom Walker has a twisted interpretation of what it means to be innocent. In “The Devil and Tom Walker,” Tom’s innocence shines through when he is essentially stealing the money from the people, but sees no controversy in what he is doing as a banker. In “The Devil and Tom Walker.” Irving writes,”He accumulated bonds and mortgages; gradually squeezed his customers closer and close, and them them at the length, dry as a sponge, from his door.” The people thought of Tom Walker as sympathetic and supportive, little did they know that he was cheating them from their money. Irving even says, “Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and acted like a “friend in need”; that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.” That precisely describes the people's feeling about Tom Walker. Thus, increased Tom’s ego and made himself actually believe he was doing his customers a favor. This is where Irving puts a twist on Tom Walker’s idea of innocence, he is innocent because he believes morally he is doing nothing wrong.
Back to “Rip Van Winkle,”we see Rip as a well established kind and helpful neighbor.

We observe Rip showing acts of affection, when he goes wandering up the mountains and helps the short, stocky, and bearded man. Irving once stated, “He bore on his shoulder a stout keg that seemed full of liquor, and made signs for Rip to approach and assist him with the load.” Most people when stumbled upon a odd man carrying a keg in the woods would run the other way, but not Rip. Rip Van Winkle, makes the mistake of helping the strange man and then falls asleep for twenty years. Although, we are told time after time it is good to help people, in a situation like this most of us would reconsider our options. This example of Rip Van Winkle undoubtedly shows Rip’s good intentions and

innocence.
Tom Walker is known for making a deal with the devil, but there is a part about it that marks Tom’s innocence. In order for Tom to make a do with the devil he must do the devil’s work. With that being said the devil suggests Tom Walker becoming a slave trader, but Tom without question refutes it. Tom Walker, what to become rich and successful, he does not want to be cruel in the time being. Tom Walker, is innocent in that fact. His moral compass was telling him no to being a slave trader because everyone in the right sense of mind knows slave trade was wrong. Like I said before, Tom’s main focus was money. That is why he agreed to banking instead of slave trader. I believe that is Tom was presented again with another cruel and harmful job he would turn it down because of his own moral intuition and values.
Both romantic characters Tom Walker and Rip Van Winkler are very similar. As noted, they both express their innocence in many different aspects. Although, Irving twisted Tom Walker’s meaning of innocence in “The Devil and Tom Walker” he still managed to keep the similar theme between the two stories. Irving keeps this theme through his stories because innocence and purity is a big point in what makes or breaks your romantic hero.