In The Charmer, Budge Wilson illustrates the theme of how manipulative and deceptive the privileges of attractiveness can be. Consequently, my approach to the novel revolved around heavy skepticism, as the contents contradicted what was portrayed by the novel for its face value. Through this, I hypothesized that the antagonist, Zachary, in The Charmer fell parallel to the traits of Lucifer, the devil, for his manipulative ways of words and appearance, how he was described in the various events along the plot, and most notably the theme of the novel, a tragic story contrary to my initial warm assumptions. The predominant theme of The Charmer was likely the conflicts of family, and owning up to responsibilities, as the consequences of neglecting …show more content…
In addition to the prominent theme, the initial plot of a charmer also juxtaposed the devilish characteristics of Zachary that would later develop. Concurrently, this provided further justification to conclude the reference between Lucifer, the devil, and Zachary. The story begins with a loving family set in the perspective of Winnifred, the protagonist, and the story begins with the present, which transitions into a flashback of Winnifred’s childhood. Zachary’s exhibition of avoiding retributions is evident in the passage: Once he dumped Dad's red tool box, tools and all, in the river, during one of his rages. The tool box seemed to bother Dad even more than the car. But afterwards, Zack delivered apologies that would have brought tears to the preacher's eyes. That kind of dramatic repentance has a lot more clout than simple, everyday good behavior, and he really knows how to bring it off. Where Zachary seems to manage to slip away from his damage by apologizing with his occasional charm, leading up to this point, he was able to get away with his lack of awareness, but it would certainly be short-lived, as not too long after, Zachary’s hidden dark side would be
Mistakes can seriously impact the people who make them; however, the effects are not always negative. In the book, Whirligig, by Paul Fleischman, a teenage boy named Brent is the new kid in town and he faces some major problems with his peers. After being pushed around, treated like a pawn, and utterly rejected, Brent tries to commit suicide by taking his hands off the wheel of his moving car. Although Brent’s attempt is not successful, his actions still have a tragic ending- Lea, a young, kind, beautiful girl, is unlucky enough to be in the car that Brent crashes into. The car accident results in Lea’s death, but also the start of Brent’s magical journey of redemption. Brent’s task is to travel to the four corners of the country, build and display whirligigs, and keep Lea’s spirit alive. Though Brent may not realize it, the trip does influence him in many different ways, one major change being Brent’s newfound ability to create strong relationships with a variety of people that he meets during the course of his adventure. Throughout Brent’s journey, Paul Fleischman uses the people that Brent interacts with to portray the idea that friendships can be formed regardless of personality type, race, and age.
While Robbins’s work was at first ill received, by the mid-1970s the public had started to warm up to this quirky and thought provoking writer. Even today, his work invites inquiry about what prompted him to write this controversial novel. That is, who and what influenced this line of thought? What was happening in America and with Christianity during the period, in which he wrote and researched this piece of fiction? And, finally, why did he write in this sporadic, nonlinear fashion, inserting seemingly non-related details and encrypting an official report within the structure of a novel? And how does this relate to the influences mentioned above? All of these questions and more offer themselves up from the pages of this funny and whimsical, yet philosophical and wise novel, Another Roadside Attraction.
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.
Washington Irving the author of the tale “The Devil and Tom Walker” uses stories from literatures past, to make a compelling tale, The Devil and Tom walker represents the importance of processing morals and the problems associated when virtue fails to exist. He also creates the right tone for the story and gives details throughout the story, so the readers figure out the topic of the story and how it will change their perspective on the temptation of greed. “Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.”-Erich Fromm. He describes each character in a way that you can assume who they are, their character, and the decisions that they might make throughout the story. However, he provides a background for each character to understand their choses and their ultimate demise.
4) Discuss the novel’s theme that outward appearances can be deceptive. What does the novel
It is inevitable that people wish for things that they do not have. The Devil sometimes tries to use this propensity to tempt people to sin and follow him instead of God. The classic idea of a “deal with the devil” has been the premise for many stories since the late sixteenth century. Many of these stories are similar but also have their own twist on the concept. Faust, part I by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving, and “The Devil and Homer Simpson” by Greg Daniels and Dan McGrath are all a variation of a Faustian Tale, but they each convey different ideas. These Faustian tales have similarities and differences which convey their own message through portrayal of characters, outcomes and plots, and styles
In Washington Irving’s short story, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” Tom revolves his life around his own selfish wants. Tom and his wife were not a right match for each other. The trouble in their relationship is they would seek out the others stash of treasures to take as their own. In their mind they cannot be happy with what they already have, but imbedded in each other is the need for more. Greed overshadows Tom’s inner conscience, and he goes to great lengths to satisfy his wants. On one ordinary day Tom decides to take a shortcut home, “Like most shortcuts, it was an ill chosen route. The swamp was thickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlocks, some of them ninety feet high, which made it dark at noonday… (Irving 4).” Any typical human being would have enough common sense not to take a route through a dark, frightening swap. While resting in the swap, Tom met a strange “black man.” Tom’s wife fell into the trap many do, the idea of wealth caused her to fall into the hands of the devil. With his wife gone, he made a deal with the devil to open up a broker’s shop in order to ob...
In all aspects, Washington Irving’s, “The Devil and Tom Walker” is a classic example of American Romanticism. It incorporates all of the defining characteristics of Romanticism in literary works, and makes them stand out. Irving uses nature’s influence, Tom Walker’s miserly outlook, and the weight of supernatural strength, to shape his story, resulting in the story’s exemplar position as the best illustration of American
Karlsen, Carol. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman. (New York: Vintage Books, 1989), 2.
According to popular belief, the character in question, Arthur Friend, is essentially the devil, or if not the fiend himself, a reasonable symbolic facsimile that serves to represent a similarly sinister aspect of society. There’s such a plethora of textual evidence to support this analysis that it’s often skipped over in discussions in favor of more “thought provoking” conversation. However, the demonic illustration of A. Friend is so present in the story that to skip it would be to unforgivably neglect an integral part of the story. In nearly every detail of description resides a sometimes insidious demonic allusion. The physical appearance being the most present, it describes Arthur as a man beh...
Works Cited Austin, Addell. A Raisin in the Sun. Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, Revised. Third Edition (1998): 1-2. Literary Reference Center.
Written during the American Romanticism period, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” by William Irving, personifies the belief in the primacy of imagination. The period of Romanticism in America is often seen as the crucial period of American culture, as it was the central movement of the Renaissance period that moved into a more free-feeling and artistic approach to literature. American Gothic literature made its early appearance with William Irving, first with “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in 1820, and carrying over to “The Devil and Tom Walker” in 1824, both of which use a macabre approach to establish a moral ending (Matterson). Told by a narrator known as Geoffrey Crayon, “The Devil and Tom Walker” takes on the tone of a legend or tall tale as the story describes the life of a greedy money lender by the name of Tom Walker, who sells his soul to the devil to gain wealth. Irving ultimately uses literary elements such as symbolism and character development, as well as themes such as greed and hypocrisy to establish a moral to the corrupt man’s tale.
Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” portray a similar view on Satan. In Oates’ story, the focus is on a young girl of fifteen and her flirtations with sin. The Devil’s reaction to her sins is portrayed through Arnold Friend. O’Connor’s story however, points towards the nihilistic “scientific approach to Nothing” to the downfall of good people and the following of God. She represents this downfall through Manley Pointer. (CS 285) These two characters cause harm to the protagonists, and inadvertently bring them to a moment of grace. The idea of a satanic figure roaming in the realm of reality as a common person has been around for centuries. Oates and O’Connor are able to materialize this idea by hiding their characters behind a façade of false normalcy that attracts the protagonists into their schemes.
Irving, Washington. “The Devil and Tom Walker”. Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 175-185. Print.
Overall, the use of irony, point of view, and satire in this novel efficiently emphasizes the central message of the dangers of stereotypes, prejudice, the obsession with social conventions, and hypocrisy. Where Angels Fear to Tread is a novel that goes through several stages of happiness and sadness. It takes the reader through a rollercoaster ride of emotions as they follow the characters and their revelations. The novel teaches the reader to avoid generalizations and judging people before knowing their true personality so that they may avoid unfavorable situations and avoid being the “fool” that “rush in where angels fear to tread.”