“The Devil and Tom Walker”Washington Irving

2. Describe the settings of the story.

Tom’s Home: “…a forlorn looking house that stood

alone and had an air of starvation.” (230) Lifeless; lacking qualities of warmth

“…a miserable horse whose limbs were as articulate as the bars of a gridiron…” (230) Tom and his wife are neglectful, only

concerned with selves

2. Describe the settings of the story.

Indian Fort: “It was a dreary memento of the fierce

struggle that had taken place in this last foothold of the Indian warriors” (231) Invokes the memory of death and disaster;

represents Hell “Anyone but [Tom] would have felt

unwilling to linger in this lonely, melancholy place…” (231) Most people, with the exception of Tom,

fear the fort

2. Describe the settings of the story.

Boston Boston = Corruption The city is riddled with mishaps involving

materialism/capitalism ($$$) “In a word, the great speculating fever…

had raged to an alarming degree, and everybody was dreaming of making sudden fortunes for nothing.” (236)

3. Describe the devil. How does he differ from our traditional perception?

Devil’s characteristics: “Neither Negro nor Indian” “…dressed in a rude half-Indian garb” “his face… begrimed with soot, as if he

had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges.”

“…had a shock of coarse black hair… and bore an ax on his shoulder”

“Old Scratch” appears more human-like than supernatural.

4. Describe the trees that surround the Indian fort. What do they symbolize?

The trees are marked with the name of a wealthy proprietor, each of which has made a deal with the devil The Devil has hewn through the trees

marked with a dead man’s name

The trees symbolize moral decay “…fair and flourishing” on the outside

and yet “rotten at the core.” (231)

5. What is the devil’s signature?

The Devil’s signature is a thumbprint to Tom’s forehead “When Tom reached home, he found the

black print of a finger, burnt, as it were, into his forehead, which nothing could obliterate.” (233)

6. Why doesn’t Tom accept the devil’s offer immediately?

Tom is not prone to letting his wife in on secrets involving money “…he was determined not to do so to

oblige his wife; so he flatly refused out of the mere spirit of contradiction.” (233)

“…but the more she talked, the more resolute was Tom not to be damned to please her.”

7. What does Tom’s wife do after he talks to her about the devil’s offer?

Tom’s wife meets in secret with the Devil but refuses to let Tom in on the deal she has made with him “At length she was determined to drive

the bargain on her own account.” (233)

She carries off in her apron every “portable article of value” but is never seen again

8. Ultimately, what happens to Tom’s wife?

Although the details of her demise are unclear, we are led to believe that she is killed by the Devil in order to entice Tom to make the deal

Tom finds only her liver and heart wrapped up in her apron; he does not seem saddened by her death “He even felt something like gratitude towards

the black woodsman, who, he considered, had done him a kindness.” (235)

9. What does the Devil want Tom to do for the money? Why won’t he do it? What does he finally agree to do?

The Devil wants Tom to deal in “black traffic” and become a slave trader

Tom refuses out of good conscience; there are few things Tom won’t do for money and this is one of those things

This is telling of Washington Irving’s feelings about slavery.

Tom agrees, instead, to become “usurer” (loan shark) Loan out Kidd’s money at a high rate in

order to make more $$$

11. What the following symbolize?

Old Scratch = TemptationTom Walker = Greed &

Hypocrisy Boston = CorruptionThe Bible = ProtectionThe Indian fort = Hell

13. What are possible themes for this story? (theme = universal idea)

Temptation Greed Dishonesty Salvation Domestic dispute Wickedness Hypocrisy

14. One of the characteristics of Romantic literature is the past. Irving uses legend and folklore as

American past/history. Complete the following chart with examples from the story.

Characteristics of Folk Tales 

Example from “The Devil and Tom Walker”

Long, local history  

 The legend of Kidd the Pirate’s treasure

Relate unusual or unlikely events  

Meeting the Devil in the forest ; making a compact with a supernatural being

Involve stereotypical or stock characters  

Devil = tricksterTom = MiserWife = termagant

Teach a lesson or express a general truth about life  

Taking short cuts in life will lead you down the wrong path

May have an allegorical meaning  

American capitalist greed 

15. An allegory is defined as a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms or a symbolic narrative. Look at “The Devil and Tom Walker” as an allegory – (for the American economic system?)

What might each of these represent? (Look back at the symbolism question…it will help)Old Scratch Federal Capitalist enterpriseMurky woods uncertain/unknown curiosities

--the stock market??Trees pillars of economic miscues (decay on

the inside/”beauty” on the outside)Tom Walker the lendersTom’s short cut through the woods

“ill-chosen” short cuts to wealth; wrong path

16. Satire is defined as the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. Is Irving satirizing an individual, a society, or all of humankind? Explain, using examples from the text. At

what foibles does he level his attack?

Irving attacks man’s insatiable hunger for wealth and he exploits the readiness of mankind to compromise his moral integrity.

Weaknesses Curiosity Greed Lack of work ethic Imperialist nature

“The Devil take me…” (230)

17. Dramatic irony is a literary device whereby a character inadvertently speaks the truth, foreshadowing tragic events of which he is unaware. Find the sentence in the

conclusion of the tale where Tom makes this kind of ironic statement.

“The Devil and Tom Walker”