The Devil and Tom Walker is a short story published in 1824 by Washington Irving. The story takes place during 1724 in the colony of Massachusetts when Tom Walker, who is a greedy miser, happens to meet an old lumberjack in the nearby swamp. This lumberjack is known as Old Scratch and offers Tom immense wealth, specifically the treasure of Kidd the Pirate, in exchange for Tom’s soul. Tom initially needs time to ponder the offer, but eventually accepts it after his wife dies trying to fulfill the deal herself. Tom lives his whole life as an usurer, while still being just as cheap as he was, eventually getting taken by Old Scratch and fulfilling his end of the bargain.
The man proceeds to tell Tom that if he cannot pay him the $400 that he owes him what he will do instead is to cause $400 worth of damages to his slave. At this point Tom seems to have no remorse or care for Chambers and allows him to be subjected to
He had to learn how to play the devil and become smarter than him. The devil took many things away from Tom, but he didn’t let that stop him. This story gave a great lesson, and really brings out the greatness in Irving’s writing. The way Irving writes really portrays the characters with much description really brings them to life.
“It must come out-my enemies will bring it out. Let me know what you have done there. Abigail, do you understand that I have many enemies?” (Miller 10)(direct characterization).
Throughout the story The Devil and Tom Walker, Tom Walker, and his wife show greed. An example is, in The Devil and Tom Walker, “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 selling of one’s soul to the devil is caused by one’s goal to obtain something of great value like, fame, fortune and power. Which leads one to getting hurt or losing everything. The story and the movie had various motivations, by dealing with the consequences. Foremost, In Washington Irving's “The Devil and Tom Walker” demonstrates his motivation of greed by dealing with the devil.
Whether human nature is inherently good or bad has been a subject of debate for centuries. Observations and analysis of said topic is often seen in the arts, especially in literature where characters are defined by their actions and behaviors. The Crucible by Arthur Miller, shows the shortcomings of humanity through the Salem Witch Hunt, of which include the monopolization and greed for power, paranoia and its effects, as well as dishonesty and is repercussions. Through the American gothic set in Puritan England, the prosecution and conviction of innocent women as witches is seen as the result of the aforementioned failures of their society, eventually bringing upon them great pain and unnecessary suffering.
Characters in stories sometimes follow a theme when it comes to their traits. These traits are called archetypes. Archetypes can be as simple as a villain or hero. They can also be used to portray unfathomable human characteristics that exists in everyone. Characteristics such as greed, lust, envy, pride, sloth, and gluttony are examples.
He was tormented by society because of his actions from his past, towards a child. This, as well as the death of his friend, made Tom suffer severely. Tom, had lots of faith in God, which he though should have helped save his friend. Once Tom lost faith, he agonised and was doubtful of almost everything. This torment can be seen through the simile, “Tom is like the dark interior of a house”, as Tom is looked upon by society as bad and as a madman, going crazy from his past.
In the short story titled The Devil And Tom Walker,Washington Irving explains that no matter how hard life is going to never sell our soul. For instance, Tom wanted to save his wife but in ordinary to save her Tom had to sell his soul. Irving’s asserts that walker had to sell his store to save his wife from dying. The author’s purpose is to convince that the audience should should never sell their soul no matter the situation. The author writes in an serious tone for the audience to realize that selling out isn’t the right thing to do.
Hence, Tom Walker’s greediness in the story serves as an outlet for the author to indicate faults in humanity and make readers aware of their
In both “The Devil and Daniel Webster and “The Devil and Tom Walker, they both came face to face with the devil. They had different strategies on how to confront the devil. In the two short stories, the resolution, the depictions of the devil, and the role of religion or the saving grace are the similar and different things. The main idea of both stories is the resolution of what had happened to Daniel and Tom.
Satire is used by many famous writers to create humor and to criticize people’s unwise, and senseless actions. As George Orwell once said, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." (Orwell, 1945). People will always be greedy and think they are smarter than others but this is untrue. The one who thinks he is smarter or better than the other will always end up losing in life.
“Abandon every hope, all you who enter” (3.9). In Dante’s Inferno, by Dante Alighieri, this quote is inscribed above the gate to Hell. In the abode of the damned, Dante meets various hopeless souls who tell Dante their sad stories. As Dante observes the punishments of these sinners, he cries and pities them. From listening to the sinner's past, it appears that the souls are being unjustly punished.
William Godwin: From Sinless to Sinner Though many believe people are condemned to hell if they have committed treacherous sins, according to Dante Alighieri this is not always so. In his book Inferno, Dante writes of the different circles of hell, determined by the gravity of sins, ranging from limbo to treachery. The first circle of Hell, known as Limbo, is a place where unbaptized souls and those who lived virtuously but were not Christians are doomed to spend eternity. Lost between heaven and hell, Limbo is where souls wait in endless anticipation, yearning for a chance at salvation or damnation.
