“The Devil And Tom Walker”
and
Satire
Applying the skills
Bell work:
Are you willing to pay any price?

Read the question to the side of page
319 and answer in 3-5 sentences.
Applying the skill of distinguishing satire to a short
story.
 Read
“The Devil and Tom Walker” by
Washington Irving. (page 318-332)
 Create the following chart on your paper and fill
it out with quotes and page numbers as you
read:
Applying the skill of distinguishing satire to a short
story.
Personali Transcen Mention
ty traits
dental
of money
of Tom
elements or
Walker
avarice
and his
(greed)
wife
What
happens
to all
three
main
character
s by the
end of
the story.
After Reading Questions:
1.
2.
3.
As Tom grows old, what does he begin to
worry about? Use a quote with line
numbers to support your answer.
Describe the things that Tom does in hopes
of “cheating” the devil. Use a quote with line
numbers to support your answer.
What does Washington Irving mean when
he writes, “Let all griping money brokers lay
this story to heart” in lines 346-347?
Analyze Satire

Through statements he makes about Tom
Walker, his wife, and his community, what
messages is Irving communicating about
• Women (lines 31-37)?
• The Puritan attitude (lines 115-188)?
• The slave trade (lines 224-227)?
• Moneylenders (lines 228-230)?
• In other words, as Irving is satirizing these things,
what message is he trying to get across?
Analyze Satire
 Remember,
satire is subtle. You have to
watch out for its key indicators (humor,
exaggeration, absurd situations, and
irony) in order to find it. Which indicator
helped you realize that the following were
being satirized?
• Women (lines 31-37)?
• The Puritan attitude (lines 115-188)?
• The slave trade (lines 224-227)?
• Moneylenders (lines 228-230)?
Create your own
Choose one of the following topics and write a short satirical
news story covering it. Remember to use the elements of satire
that you have in your notes.
Your article should look and feel like the articles from The
Onion that we read before.
The dress code
Cell phone policy
Homework
School in general
Twitter/Instagram/Facebook
A topic of your choosing, just OK it with me before you start
writing.
Quiz!!!

Be prepared for a quiz over “The Devil
and Tom Walker” and satire on Tuesday /
Wednesday – January 14 / 15.