Romanticism in literature explores the inner nature of man. Another key element is that of the supernatural. Both are found in “The Devil and Tom Walker”. The Devil and Tom Walker” shows that greed can have unforeseen consequences. Tom struggles with his greed and ambition. He has a weakness for easy wealth. He struggles with his life with his wife, who is just as greedy as Tom. They lived in a forlorn- looking house that stood alone and had an air of starvation. A few straggling saving trees, “emblems of sterility” grew near it; no smoke ever circled from its chimney, no traveler stopped at its door. The “emblem of sterility” stands for the lack of love between Tom and his wife. Tom and his wife are living in a “forlorn” …show more content…
One day, Tom takes a short cut home through the swamps. The Old Fort is located here, where buried treasure is supposed to be. Tom finds a skull with a tomahawk buried in it. The skull shows greed and destruction of the colonists that conquered the land. “Let that skull alone” a voice said. The voice is that of the devil better known as Old Scratch. Tom lifts is eyes and beholds a great black man. He face is grimed with soot. Stocks of course black hair stood out from his head in all directions. He bore an ax on his shoulder. He had great red eyes. The dark imagery of the devil points to the darkness of evil, hell, and sin. He rides a black horse. The devil is manipulative and cunning. He promises Tom great wealth. All he has to do is sell his soul to the devil. Tom’s desire for wealth leads him to sell his soul to the devil. This introduces the supernatural element into the story. Tom tells his wife of is experience with Old Scratch. Later, he sees her walking with her apron tied up. In it were the silver teapots and spoons along with other valuables from the house. She tries to make her own deal with the devil. She is gone for several days before …show more content…
He does not care that his wife is gone. He only cares about the household valuables. The devil tells Tom to become a money- lender to gain wealth and riches for the two of them. Tom acts like a “friend in need” to his clients. However he forecloses on the mortgage of a land speculator, who Tom says he is great friends with. “My family will be ruined and brought upon the parish”. Tom replies, “Charity begins at home. I must take care of myself in these hard times.” “The devil take me if I have made a farthing.” Again Tom showing he cares for no one but himself. He is only concerned about his wealth and riches. Tom loses his life because he tries to outwit the devil. He begins going to church and carries a Bible everywhere. He reads the Bible with green glasses. Green is the symbol for greed. He reads the Bible, but all he sees in the green of money. The only reason Tom is reading the Bible is to help him avoid the devil, not for religious purposes. He is never out of the darkness, which symbolizes the devil’s influence on Tom.
Tom Walker’s devil is a dark-skinned man with red eyes, red sash, and an axe. Tom was a malicious, greedy person who dealt with the devil in order to gain some wealth. He and his wife would fight constantly day after day. Tom was not a wealthy person
In “The Devil and Tom Walker,” written by Washington Irving’s, Tom Walker gives his soul to the devil for greediest. For example, in the story, it was said, “He accumulated bonds and mortgages, gradually squeezed his customers closer and closer and sent them at length, dry as a sponge, from his door.” This shows how greedy and selfish he was for not caring about what anyone else feels,
Tom Walker is an outrageously self-confident, greedy person. Tom Walker is a common man with miserly tendencies, living an unhappy life with his wife, who is just as miserly as he is. As he is known for his greed, he is strongly tempted by the devil's amazing deal, which ultimately results in his downfall. The first example of an archetype is the swamp, where Tom Walker meets the devil for the first
Both “The Devil and Tom Walker” and “The Devil and Daniel Webster” are exemplary specimens of Faustian myths, and as such have very many similarities and concurrences. But, they also emphasize different aspects of the characters and their respective personalities. These two commendable stories serve as excellent chronicles of literature and as worthy examples of moral lessons for all ages.
In Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” Tom Walker was convinced by the devil to make a deal to sell his soul to him. “The Black Man told him of great sums of money which had been buried by Kidd the Pirate, under the oak trees on the ridge not far from the morass.” That quote from Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker,” explains why Tom was interested in selling his soul to
Bernier, Lee. "Killing time without injuring eternity." : An Analysis of The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving. Blogspot, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. .
In the book of “The Devil and Tom Walker” marriage was where the most struggle lies.
...was the hardness of his terms. He accumulated bonds and mortgages; gradually squeezed his customers closer and closer; and sent them at length, dry as a sponge from his door"( ).The local problem is a stepping stone to present the universal; one, which is the subject of greed, science everyone is tempted by greed. Moreover, the narrator remains in omniscient point of view to make readers know what others think about Tom: "Her voice was often heard in wordy warfare with her husband; and his face sometimes showed signs that their conflicts were not confined to words. No one ventured, however, to interfere between them; the lonely wayfarer shrunk within himself at the horrid clamor and clapper clawing; eyed the den of discord askance, and hurried on his way, rejoicing, if a bachelor, in his celibacy. After reading this passage, readers gain a bad impression of Tom.
In Washington Irving’s story, The Devil and Tom Walker, Irving uses his imagination to convey his thoughts about the truth of life through symbols and characterization. In one specific instance in the story, the main character, Tom Walker, is walking home and “he took what he considered a shortcut homeward, through the swamp. Like most shortcuts, it was an ill-chosen route.” The path being “thickly grown with great gloomy pines” symbolizes the path of wrongdoings, bad decisions, and darkness. By taking this path, one then strays off the path of
Tom cares about power, and what makes him powerful is his money. Like they say with money comes power and Tom sure felt that way. Tom is very wealthy and has power over the people in his life, which makes him in a sick way happy. Because Tom has this, he never goes for the gold or dreams of a better life he and his wife could have. At first glance, the story is about love, but once you get a bit deeper, the truth shines through.
Money is important to Tom and Daisey because it makes them feel superior to those who have less. All of these characters have been corrupted by their greed, but the one person that has not is Nick, Daisey's cousin. He is nice enough to help Gatsby with Daisey out of friendship, not for his money. In the book, money symbolizes a social evil as it destroys the lives of people corrupted by wealth. In the first chapter, Fitzgerald treats money as if it was a cookie cutter for social classes and tells how wealth divides the society into different groups.
Irving, Washington. “The Devil and Tom Walker”. Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 175-185. Print.
Washington Irving displays a sense of humor throughout “The Devil and Tom Walker” about greed, marriage and religion to help the reader, become a better person. Tom Walker makes a Faustian Bargain, also known as a deal with the devil. Tom has a lot of problems with his abusive wife, his desire for riches and getting into the afterlife. Washington Irving tells us the story of Tom Walker in a humorous way. Irving does this to display a message to his readers.
We see that good vs. evil has been a theme that is ubiquitous in many writings. The story "The Devil and Tom Walker" is a story about a man who lives an immoral life of greed. Walker lives in a wooded area, where it is solemn, and quiet area of New England. Walker runs into the devil and sees that the devil is cutting down someone else's timber.
Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” includes great examples of Romanticism, such as symbols in nature having links to the supernatural, the importance of the inner nature, and the emphasis of the individual. In the story, Tom Walker is a selfish man who cares more about money than he does about anyone else, including his wife. One day, while he is walking through the woods, Tom Walker comes across the Devil, who makes a deal with him to exchange his soul for the treasure that is buried in those woods. Tom declines and returns back to his wife and tells her that he has passed on an opportunity that could bring them lots of money. Tom’s wife, outraged by his actions, decides to strike a deal of her own with the Devil and after several attempts, she never returns from the woods. The next time Tom goes to the woods he finds that his wife had been killed by the Devil. He finally agrees to make the deal with him, now that Tom doesn’t have to share anything with his wife. Tom ignores the Devil’s suggestion of becoming a slave-trader and becomes a moneylender instead. He gets wea...