Notes- “The Devil and Tom Walker”
Mr. Huitt
American Literature and Composition
Retelling of a folk tale o Elements of the narrative are constructed to make the story more believable
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The short explanation of Captain Kidd and his gold because it is actual historical fact
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Description of the area of Massachusetts
 Narrator says things like “I heard” or “Everyone knows”
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P. 324- “The truth of this is not to be doubted” (347) o Supernatural elements- the devil, selling of a soul o Teaching a lesson/moral- selling your soul to the devil is forever; there is no way to void the contract o Provides entertainment- author uses humor to create the story and its situations
 Happy about his wife’s death
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Believes that burying a horse upside down will allow him to ride it once he has gone to hell
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Tom Walker invites the Devil to take him to hell and the devil does
Characterization o Actions of the character
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Tom has to think over the deal presented by the devil- he doesn’t want to share the deal with his wife and only makes it after she has disappeared.
Shows his miserly nature and his shrewdness (cautious)
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Tim was vain and overly confident in his own intelligence- believed he could beat the devil by becoming a “good” Christian at the end of his life
(church, The Bible, the horse) o Things the character says
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P. 315- speaks up to the devil and holds his ground
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Gives the impression he is not scared by this man o Direct information from the narrator
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Miserly- details the relationship with his wife
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Consoled himself over the loss of the property with the loss of his wife- men of fortitude (implies he cared little for her and was happy she was gone)
 Very good as a usurer (lender of money)
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As he became older, he became anxious of his fate and wished to back out of the deal
Tom is a flat character.
Satire- focuses on people who present a pious public image as they “sell their soul” for money.
p. 314, lines 31-37- Irving focuses his satire on scolding women and the institution of marriage o “tall termagant, fierce of temper, loud of tongue and strong of arm”

o “rejoicing, if a bachelor, in his celibacy”
p. 317, lines 115-118- by suggesting that the devil is behind the action of the early settlers, the story suggests that Irving condemns the actions as evil.
p. 320, lines 199-207- the details of the fight (“handfuls of hair”, “fierce clapper clawing) and the explanation that “a female scold is generally considered no match for the devil”
p. 321, lines 232-243- Tom is even greedier and more merciless than the devil. Irving is making clear that he considers usurers cold-blooded, ruthless creatures.
p. 322- lines 276-289- Tom represents the most hypocritical of churchgoers: a person who regularly attends church and strenuously criticizes others for their sins, yet who is himself a vile, unrepentant sinner.
Overall- Irving focuses on members of society who act as if they are more religious or better than others (specifically usurers and politicians). The satire lies in the fact that these individuals are actually worse than the people they combine.