The Devil and Tom Walker
by Washington Irving
p. 318
Literature Quiz #4
At the end of the story, Tom changes something
in his life so that he may escape the devil. What
does he change?
Washington Irving
• Irving studied law, but never had a passion for it.
Instead, he adored writing fiction.
• When he was young, Irving traveled most of Europe for
17 years.
• He blended European mythology with stories he had
heard in New York to create his stories, most notably
The Headless Horseman.
• In 1824, Irving published a short story collection titled
Tales of a Traveller.
• The book was not well received by critics, despite its
international success. In fact, the criticism was so bad
that he stopped writing altogether.
Text Analysis: Satire
• Irving was a master of satire.
• A literary device in which people, customs, or
governments are ridiculed for the purpose of
improvement.
• Think Bassam Youssef or John Stewart.
Reading Skill: Analyze
Imagery
• Imagery is words and phrases that appeal to
the five senses.
• Irving uses imagery excessively in his writing
to ‘show’ his characters or objects.
• Irving also uses imagery to establish mood.
Vocabulary
1.
Melancholy
2.
Persecution
3.
Avarice
1.
2.
3.
4.
4.
Usurer
5.
5.
Speculating
6.
Propitious
7.
Ostentation
6.
7.
8.
8.
Censurer
Gloomy or sad
The act of oppressing
Greed
One who lends money at great
interest
Engaging in risky deals for quick
money
Showing favorable chances
A display meant to impress
others
One who expresses strong
disapproval or criticism
Reading Skills and Text
Analysis
• IMAGERY: lines 1-15: What
details in the description
suggest that this is an illfated place?
• IMAGERY: lines 16-30:
What character traits do
these revel about Tom and
his wife?
• IMAGERY: lines 40-47:
What mood is established in
the swamp?
• MAKE INFERENCES: lines 6877: What can you infer about
Tom from his reaction to the
swamp and to his grisly
discovery of the skull?
• MAKE INFERENCES: lines 96105: Why do you think the
trees are marked with the
men’s names?
• SATIRE: lines 115-118: what do
these lines tell you about the
author's attitude toward the
activity of the early settlers?
What led you to make that
inference?
Analyze and Evaluate
Symbolism
• Lines 137-143
• What is the symbolic significance of the two
images described: the devil gradually
disappearing into the ground and the black,
burned imprint of a fingerprint on Tom’s
forehead?
Reading Skills and Text
Analysis
• GRAMMAR AND STYLE: lines
173-177: The use of
parallelism to show the three
possible fates of Tom’s wife.
• IMAGERY: lines 189-192:
which images suggest that
Tom’s discovery won’t be a
pleasant one?
• SATIRE: lines 199-207: How
does Irving use satire to
portray his view on women?
• MAKE INFERENCES: lines 219227: What can you infer about
Irving’s view on slavery?
• CHARACTER ANALYSIS: lines 198210: Why does Tom keep
comparing his wife’s loss to that
of his property's?
• SATIRE: lines 115-118: what do
these lines tell you about the
author's attitude toward the
activity of the early settlers?
What led you to make that
inference?
• CHARACTER ANALYSIS: lines 231245: What do these lines tell you
about the character of Tom
Walker?
Reading Skills and Text
Analysis
• SATIRE: lines 232-243: How
does Tom Walker compare
to the devil in terms of his
merciless and greed?
• SATIRE: lines 276-289: What
kind of churchgoer is
represented by Tom? What
is Irving suggesting about
this kind of individual?
• IMAGERY: lines 341-345: What
message do these images suggest
about material possessions and
those who seek them?
Central Theme: Greed
• Discuss theme of greed.
• One of the seven deadly sins.
• Do you know any modern movies or novels that circle the
theme of greed?
• The story of the Greek gods and King Midas.
• Shortcut to Happiness also delves into the theme of greed
and the idea of personal sacrifice.
• Do you think that greed will ultimately lead to a form of self
sacrifice?
• Tom has to sacrifice his soul when he made the deal. Do
you think he was thinking of the consequences when he
made the deal?
Central Theme: Greed
• This theme of greed is known as Faustian literature.
• This theme also appears in the movie The Devil Wears
Prada.
• Is the theme of greed in this story overpowering? Did
this story lose its potency because the author put too
much of his own beliefs into his writings? Would you
trust this author?
• Does satire help deliver the message or moral in the
story? If not, is it a detriment or a distraction?
• Do you have any stories that you know that include
greed and sacrifice?
Discussion
• By the end of the story, Tom had become very
religious in the hope of an escape from his
bargain, yet he remained a usurer that charged
too much interest. What does that say about his
character? What does that say about his desires?
• On page 330, Tom buries his horse upside-down
so that, when the world turns upside down, he
may still use his horse to run from the devil. What
does that tell you? What kind of literary element
is used here? Does it help the message that the
author is trying to convey?
Closing Question
If Tom Walker could go back in time to the
moment he met the devil, do you think that he
would make the same choice? Why or Why not?
Homework
1-page essay. Did Tom redeem himself into a God-fearing
man or did he become a violent churchgoer simply to
avoid a hellish judgment? Were his actions selfless or
selfish?
Thesis must be evident, clear, and concise. Must include
quotations – with correct citation – from the text that
support your thesis.
A reminder: a thesis cannot be an answer to a question.
You cannot use “I believe/think . . . “ as a beginning to
your thesis; you must pose your thesis as a fact.