The Devil and Tom Walker : The Devil and Tom Walker By Washington Irving
Washington Irving : Washington Irving The youngest and not too well educated son of a pious hardware importer and his amiable wife from New York City.
In 1815, he was sent off by his father to Liverpool, England, to look after a failing overseas branch of the family business.
Washington Irving : Washington Irving He found the business beyond repair, but loved the British literary scene and stayed abroad for seventeen years.
He was particularly attracted to the works of Romantic novelist, Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), who gave Irving advice that was to make his reputation.
Scott told the younger writer to read the German Romantics and find inspiration in folklore and legends.
Washington Irving : Washington Irving In 1817, Irving began to write the first drafts of stories based on German folk tales.
Irving gave his country its first international literary celebrity.
Today we remember Irving for GREAT STORIES which include the Headless Horseman, who plagued the lovelorn Yankee schoolteacher.
The Devil and Tom Walker : The Devil and Tom Walker Setting: New England in the early 1700s
A narrator relates a story he has heard about a local man’s dealings with the devil.
The narrator never claims that the stories are true, only that they are widely believed.
According to local legend, a treasure is buried in dark grove on an inlet outside of Boston.
The Devil and Tom Walker : The Devil and Tom Walker It is said that Kidd the Pirate left the treasure there under a gigantic tree and the devil himself “presided at the hiding of the money, and took it under his guardianship.”
Since the pirate Kidd was hanged, no one has disturbed the treasure or challenged the devil’s right to it.
Historical context : Historical context At the time Washington Irving wrote “The Devil and Tom Walker,” in 1824, the US was a new and growing country.
As the land was populated by various groups of European immigrants, a uniquely American culture slowly formed as the traditions of many different groups merged and new traditions, brought on by circumstances emerged.
Historical Context : Historical Context In literature, writers such as Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, James Fennimore Cooper, and Ralph Waldo Emerson published works that embodied concepts of freedom, religious piety, and independence that characterized the country.
Historical Context : Historical Context By 1800, NYC was the largest city in the US, but most of the west remained wild and unexplored.
In 1828, Andrew Jackson, a man known for his efforts to displace many native American tribes, causing their widespread starvation and death, was elected president.
Historical Context : Historical Context New arrivals to the country, however, were uplifted by America’s perceived spirit of Romanticism and humanitarianism.
Irving embraced this feeling of Romanticism in fiction, writing long, descriptive passages about landscapes and relating the stories of hardworking immigrants who carved out a good living for their families.
Historical Context : Historical Context Much of the literature of this period, like the novels of James Fennimore Cooper, were romantic tales of adventures of common men, often concluding with strong morals outlining Puritan ideals of good and evil.
“The Devil and Tom Walker,” in which Tom Walker, a corrupt individual who gets his punishment at the hands of the devil, typifies the literature of this era.
The Devil and Tom Walker - Style : The Devil and Tom Walker - Style Point of View
Narrated by Geoffrey Crayon, a fictional character created by Irving.
The first person narration adds to the feeling the reader has of being told a story in the oral tradition.
Allegory
Many folktales are allegories
In allegories, characters and actions are symbolic of larger conditions of human nature.
The character of Old Scratch personifies evil or temptation.
Tom Walker, an unscrupulous money-lender, makes a pact with the devil and only later professes religious beliefs.
Through these actions, Tom represents hypocrisy, which Irving shows will be punished.
Setting
Set in New England area near Boston in the early eighteenth century
The Devil and Tom Walker : The Devil and Tom Walker Washington Irving published "The Devil and Tom Walker" in 1824 as part of his short story collection, "Tales of a Traveler." The story has been compared to the classic story of Faust, a scholar who makes a deal with the devil.
Descriptive parts ( imagery.. atmosphere) : Descriptive parts ( imagery.. atmosphere) Irving describes Tom as a “meager, miserly fellow”
His wife is as miserly.
Living in a “forlon looking house that stood alone and had an air of strvation”
“ struggling trees …….. Emblem of sterility”
“ miserable horse”
Imagery : Imagery Irving creates images of:
Decay
Darkness
The atmosphere is Gloomy
The Swamp : The Swamp Sights :
Gloomy pines
Dark at noonday
Full of pits
Black mud
Black & stagnant pools
The Swamp : The Swamp Sounds:
Screaming of the bittern
Quacking of the wild duck
Boding cry of the toad
Slide 18 : What impression of the swamp is suggested by these details?
Dreary
Dangerous
Frightening
haunted
The Skull : The Skull What does the skull suggest about the place?
It is a place of death ; it is a frightening place
The “ Black Man” : The “ Black Man” Physical Description:
Face begrimed with soot
Coarse black hair
Red eyes
Hoarse, growling voice
The description gives the impression that he is fierce and scary
Symbolism : Symbolism What does the tree scored with the name Deacon Peabody symbolize?
“ fair and flourishing without, but rotten at the core”
It represents Deacon’s hypocrisy. Though externally he appears respectable and successful, he is actually wicked underneath.
Tom’s Character : Tom’s Character According to the narrator, why doesn’t Tom fear the devil?
1- He’s a hard minded fellow
2- Not easily daunted
3- Lived so long with his quarrelsome wife
Tom’s character ( p. 355) : Tom’s character ( p. 355) What does Tom’s refusal to agree to the devil’s bargain reveal about his character?
He is not only greedy but also spiteful. He would rather deny himself riches than please his wife and comply to her wishes.
Descriptive parts ( p. 355) : Descriptive parts ( p. 355) Irving creates certain imagery as Tom was on his way to search for his wife.
Sounds:
Screaming of the bittern
Hooting of the owls
Clamor of carrion crows
Creates a mood of loneliness anticipation
The Narrator’s omniscience ( Knowing everything) P. 356 : The Narrator’s omniscience ( Knowing everything) P. 356 The Narrator has access to Tom’s thoughts
“ Tom consoled himself………………”
This help to shed more light on Tom’s wicked character and provides reasons for his punishment at the end.
The situation in the colony ( p.357) : The situation in the colony ( p.357) Times were hard; it was a time of wild speculation. People lost money in get-rich-quick land schemes.
Many lost their money and desperately need to borow more money to pay off their debts
Imagery (p. 358) : Imagery (p. 358) “ He even set up a carriage……. He starved the horses……the wheels groaned and screeched……. The soul of the poor debtors he was squeezing”
What is the effect of this image?
The effect of this image in which the horses are starving and the wheels groan and screech is that it emphasizes Tom’s cruelty and miserliness.
The Devil and Tom Walker: Themes : The Devil and Tom Walker: Themes Greed
Greed is one of the most important themes of “The Devil and Tom Walker.”
Hypocrisy is evident throughout.
Moral Corruption: Though Tom Walker is presented as an individual who has always been morally corrupt, the action of “The Devil and Tom Walker” presents how moral corruption breeds more moral corruption, escalating to the greatest corruption of all, a pact with the devil.
Vocabulary : Vocabulary prevalent: adj.; widely existing; frequent
stagnant: adj.; not flowing or moving
precarious: adj.; uncertain; insecure; risky
impregnable: adj.; impossible to capture or enter by force.
melancholy: adj.; sad; gloomy
obliterate: v.; erase or destroy
avarice: n.; greed
resolute: adj.; determined; resolved; unwavering
parsimony: n.; stinginess
superfluous: adj.; more than is needed or wanted; useless
Symbolism : Symbolism The Devil:
· The shortcut through the swamp: temptation "shortcuts" to wealth
Symbolism : Symbolism Tom Walker’s shortcut through the swamp ultimately leads to his meeting with the devil, which in turn leads to his ill-gotten riches. Shortcuts to wealth include lying, cheating, stealing, and many other illegal and unethical practices.