Similarities Between The Devil And Tom Walker

Before the days of Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street, lovers of the horrifying and the macabre found themselves indulging in the works of gothic authors such as Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Edgar Allen Poe. Emerging in the nineteenth century, gothic stories focused on the dark aspects of human imagination, and were often tales of sinister plots and evil wrongdoings. Within the setting of gothic novels, the natural world was commonly portrayed as overgrown and dilapidated. The atmosphere developed in these stories through the setting helped to create a sense of mystery, suspense, and fear. Gothic stories also dealt with the supernatural and mysterious, including archetypes such as demons, ghosts, and the dead. In 1824, Washington Irving

wrote “The Devil and Tom Walker,” which, through the development of characters, setting, and plot, epitomizes gothic literature in its truest form.
The characters of the story share a number of traits with characters in other gothic works of literature. The Devil, a major character in the story, is portrayed as cunning, sly, and unpredictable. When he first appears in front of Tom on page two, he seems to materialize out of nowhere. This startles Tom, as he did not hear or see anyone else in the swamp. The Devil is described as “neither Negro or Indian” and that “his face was neither black nor copper-color, but swathy and dingy, and begrimed with soot,” (Irving 2). This description further portrays the Devil as a peculiar character, as he does not seem to be of any Earthly race. These types of strange, mysterious, and even diabolical creatures are archetypical in gothic literature. In addition, they often take a large role in the conflicts of the stories due to their mischievous nature, which can be observed in the actions of the Devil. As he is not governed by human emotions, vulnerabilities, or needs, the Devil is able to exploit the weaknesses of others to work in his favor. This can be noted when he manipulates Tom’s miserly wife to bring all of their fortunes to him without any intention of sharing Kidd’s treasure with her. The Devil then further reveals his evil nature when he murders Tom’s wife and leaves only her heart and liver as remains. He also proves to be a deceptive figure when he forges a seemingly equal partnership with Tom; he offers the innumerable riches of Kidd the pirate for what is assumed to be Tom’s soul. In this way, the Devil also reveals his scheming side: he convinces Tom to take the money despite the fact that Tom will have to sign his life into the service of the Devil. Peculiar, cunning, and evil characters such as the Devil typify those found in gothic literature, as noted as in “The Devil and Tom Walker.”
In gothic literature, the setting, alongside the characters, helps to create a mood of mystery, suspense, and heightened drama, which is prevalent in “The Devil and Tom Walker.” In order to create a haunting and foreboding atmosphere, gothic stories often incorporated decrepit settings such as graveyards, dungeons, and decaying forests.

The setting of “The Devil and Tom Walker” illustrates these qualities .The description of Tom’s house as a sullen, forlorn structure on page one establishes the melancholy mood from the initial onset of the story. From there, the setting transitions into the dismal mire in which Tom finds himself on his way home. The swamp is described as “partly covered with weeds and mosses, where the green surface often betrayed the traveler into a gulf of black … where the trunks of pines and hemlocks lay half drowned, half rotting, looking like alligators sleeping in the mire” (Irving 1). The diction used to describe this bog creates the dark mood prevalent in gothic literature. Words such as “black,” “betrayed,” and “rotting” contribute to this feeling of dread and doom. In addition, the skull in front of the demolished fortress described on page two is characteristic of settings found in gothic literature. Not only does it create an eerie mood, but it also illustrates that evil and pain exist in the world, another recurring theme found in gothicism. Furthermore, the skull references the gruesome and untimely death of its owner. This both indicates a

dark mood and exposes the sins of the world. The setting of “Tom Walker” helps to create a sense of despair, a common theme found within gothic literature.
The plot of “The Devil and Tom Walker” also contains several common occurrences in gothic literature.

Themes such as sin, pain, and death are often included in gothic stories. In “Tom Walker,” these themes are clearly evident. Once again, the gothic nature of the story and death as a theme is introduced from the initial onset of the story with the description of Kidd’s execution. The story also references multiple impending deaths, which also helps to create a sense of tension and suspense for the reader. This is noted when Tom is in the swamp with the Devil, who sits atop a tree that represents the fate of the prominent citizen inscribed upon it. It is stated on page

three:
The one on which he [the Devil] had been seated, and which had evidently just been
hewn down, bore the name of Crowninshield; and he recollected a mighty rich man of
that name, who made a vulgar display of wealth, which it was whispered he had acquired
by buccaneering. ‘He’s just ready for burning!’ said the black man” (Irving).
Crowninshield’s tree foreshadows his death later in the story, and the remark about him being “ready for burning” suggests that he is going to Hell. This not only references death, but also sin. The death of Tom’s wife further expands on that theme. Her death is unusually brutal, which is something that would be more expected in a gothic work than a romantic piece. Finally, the last paragraph of the story leaves a haunting message about sin: it is a warning to all people to not be greedy, or else they too will suffer the fate of Tom Walker. The elements of the plot and the themes evident in “The Devil and Tom Walker” are indicative of those commonly found in works of gothic literature.
An argument can be made that “The Devil and Tom Walker” is indeed a work of romanticism rather than gothicism. One who holds that opinion may cite the prevalence of nature in the story to support their statement. While it is true that the story contains elements of nature, such as the swamp and its fauna, it is important to know the context in which nature is used. In works of romanticism, such as The Scarlet Letter, nature is portrayed as something of beauty. This story, however, describes it as anything but beautiful. The animals mentioned are tadpoles, bullfrogs, and snakes, which are not commonly associated with the beauty of nature. In addition, the swamp is used to further establish the gloomy mood of the piece. This cannot be a work of romanticism, as the theme of nature as it appears in romantic works is absent. Another argument one could present is the notion that individualism is extremely prevalent in the story, as noted in the marriage between Tom and his wife. Tom’s wife experiences a great deal of individual freedom; her actions and deeds are not governed by Tom, but solely by herself. Ironically, though, that independence is taken away by her greed; she is willing to sacrifice her own well being and her soul for the Devil’s promises of riches. Ultimately, that freedom is seized anyway when she is murdered by the Devil. After this, in his wife’s absence, one might think that Tom is now independent. However, immediately after discovering his wife’s remains, Tom makes his pact with the Devil. Tom is never truly independent: at the beginning of the story, his actions are governed by his wife, and after her demise, he is employed in the service of the Devil. Even in death, he is not free, as at the conclusion of the story, the Devil whisks him away on his horse to wander for all eternity. Throughout the story, there is an illusion that the characters are independent; however, this is not true, as they are all bound to another character at one point. This story is without a doubt a gothic work, as any characteristics it may share with romanticism are absent.
“The Devil and Tom Walker” is a work of gothicism mainly due to its characters, setting, and plot. The characters, such as The Devil, are mysterious, unusual, and at times, diabolical. The swamp, a major setting of the piece, is gloomy and contains relics of a past war, referencing death. In addition, the plot also contains sin, mainly in the form of greed, and the death or foreshadowed deaths of many characters. While this may seem like it is a work of romanticism due to its prevalence of nature and theme of individuality, it is in fact a gothic work, as the natural elements are used solely to enhance the dark mood and the characters are never truly independent. Alongside the works of Poe, Stoker, and Shelley, Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” can without a doubt be included amongst the great works of gothic literature.