"They lived in a forlorn-looking house that stood alone and had an air of starvation. One evening, he meets the devil Old Scratch in a Massachusetts swamp, who offers Tom the long-dead Captain Kidd ’s long-buried treasure in exchange for Tom’s immortal soul. All his assets become worthless—his coach horses become skeletons, the gold and silver Tom hoarded turns into wood chips and shavings, his mortgages and deeds become cinders, and his great house burns to the ground. Do you think Tom could have escaped the consequences of his bargain with Old Scratch in "The Devil and Tom Walker"? He and Tom come to an agreement of sorts in their initial meeting, although the details are not made specific. He cuts them down for firewood, which symbolizes the death and subsequent burning in hell of those who have sinned. This mark may also be parallel to the Mark of Cain. English Final (1st Semester) OTHER SETS BY THIS CREATOR. 2. Tom is later said to be seen riding the stallion through the swamps as a restless soul. What are the 5 essential plot elements to "The Devil and Tom Walker"? In this respect, he uses Tom Walker's ambition for his own purposes. When Tom asks for proof of the devil’s truth about the Kidd the Pirate’s treasure, the devil places his thumb on Tom’s forehead and burns a mark. Tom Walker. The Bible buried under mortgage papers: greed and moral decay. He also has black hair that sticks out in many directions and large red eyes. In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain was punished with a mark for having killed his brother. The devil is described as a “great black man,” because his face is covered in soot and dirt. Yet this mark does not cause Tom to be shunned from society. He says that he has many names, including the black woodsman and “Old Scratch.”. Tom is hesitant to sell his soul at first and In Washington Irving's short story "The Devil and Tom Walker," Tom Walker is a meager, hard-minded, and miserly man. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In “Tom Walker,” Old Scratch personifies temptation, which has existed ostensibly since the Garden of Eden, providing a colorful and dramatic way to present a character’s conflict between choosing good and evil. The narrator implies that Tom sells his soul to the devil for success and wealth as a usurer. The devil is a fallen angel who rules over the realm of sinners after death. He lives with his wife and suffers through daily arguments with her. Old Scratch is extremely manipulative and cunning. Tom sees this as a favor that the devil has done for him. Absalom Crowninshield. Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. Source(s) The Devil and Tom Walker Not affiliated with Harvard College. Tom and his wife are both miserly, grasping, mean-spirited, and without conscience. In Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker," describe Tom Walker's first encounter with the devil. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Irving here is allegorizing the corrupt nature of American society, in which the rich and powerful are those who have sinned the most. The devil offers Tom the choice to become a slave trader, which Tom refuses, and then to become a usurer. dramatic irony: when a character says something and does not understand the consequence " If i have gotten one penny of this the Devil can come get me" (the devil gets him ) One would think that to meet with such a singular personage [as Old Scratch], in this wild, lonely place, would have shaken any man’s nerves; but Tom was a hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife, that he did not even fear the devil. The devil resides deep in a swamp near an ancient Native-American stronghold. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Source(s) The Devil and Tom Walker Captain Kidd. He wears a red belt, or sash, and carries a large axe upon his back. In fact, he becomes successful, although notorious. 24 terms. Tom is skeptical and demands some kind of proof or promise that the offer is valid; in answer, Old Scratch presses his finger into Tom's forehead and disappears, leaving a burned black mark where it was. He encourages humans to be sinful, and does so with Tom Walker by encouraging his greed. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. He is unwilling to share with others anything that he can claim as his. He is also a brave man, unafraid to enter into places haunted by supernatural tales and to deal directly with the devil when he meets him. Walker agrees readily, without really considering what he is expected to pay in return—his soul. An established time of the story ... Reform his own character. Characters. Given the lore around the devil, it's likely that he desires Tom's soul in exchange for Kidd the Pirate's treasure. Obviously, students' comprehension of the story will be more in-depth gaining some background information on the underlying archetype in this work. Tom is never seen again. This can be considered a “mark of the devil,” which shows Tom’s allegiance to the devil over God. They are spiritually and morally blind to the consequences of dealing with the devil because they are so focused on … What bargain does Tom make with the stranger in the forest? What character traits do Tom Walker and his wife share? … It is said he guards Captain Kidd ’s treasure, for he guards all treasure, especially that which is acquired immorally. Tom Walker is considered one of Washington Irving’s least likeable characters. Sign in! "The Devil and Tom Walker" is a quintessential early American piece of literature that demonstrates good versus evil. Old Scratch is really the Devil, and he offers Tom large sums of money in exchange for 'certain conditions.' He is also a brave man, unafraid to enter into places haunted by supernatural tales and to deal directly with the devil when he meets him. Tom's wife is a greedy woman who … Set in New England in the 1700s, Walker selling his soul to the devil for treasure is one horrific component to this story that may seem everything but romantic. The shortcut through the swamp: “shortcuts” to wealth. The Devil and Tom Walker Information. The setting of the story B. A “meagre miserly fellow,” Tom Walker is first and foremost outrageously, self-destructively greedy. Tom Walker. Even with Tom’s devoutly Christian acts and precautions, the devil gets his way. Word Count: 661. The fact that Tom's shrewish wife was so vicious with the devil, and the fact that Tom somewhat pities "Old Scratch," shows how Irving not only uses the story to provide moral instruction, but he also believes that by adding humor, literature can be morally instructive and entertaining at the same time. Old Scratch. malicious, greedy character who makes a deal with the Devil in order to increase his own wealth Old Scratch the Devil who tempts Tom Walker, he is a dark-skinned man with red eyes, a … Tom Walker’s Wife. In Washington Irving's short story "The Devil and Tom Walker," Tom Walker is a meager, hard-minded, and miserly man. ... define dramatic irony and given an example from the Devil and Tom Walker. Already a member? The Devil and Tom Walker Quotes and Analysis. Tom Walker: greed and hypocrisy. He has a pair of great red eyes. The Devil ( Old Scratch): temptation. Tom proposes instead that he become a usurer and extort bonds and foreclose properties by lending money with far too high an interest rate. Subscribe Now In Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker," the titular devil fuels Tom Walker's greed and serves as the catalyst for the story's events. During his first meeting with Tom, the devil relishes in his own accomplishments in New England, such as "presiding at the persecutions of Quakers and Anabaptists," patronizing slave dealers, and masterminding the Salem Witch trials. meets Tom in the woods and tries to make a deal with him, meets Tom's wife and kills her leaving her liver and heart tied up in her apron in a tree, eventually makes an agreement with Tom, which later leads to him coming to claim Tom's soul The first three paragraph of the "The Devil and Tom Walker" provided all of the following except A. While walking through the swamp, Walker comes upon the devil, a great "black" man carrying an ax, whom Irving calls Old Scratch. Old Scratch 4. “The Devil and Tom Walker” largely takes place between 1727 and the 1740s, and refers to several central historical events from slightly before and within this period: the arrest, trial, and execution of Captain William Kidd (1645-1701) in Boston and England; the American Indian Wars (approx. The rotted trees in the forest: the moral decay of society. In Washington Irving's short story "The Devil and Tom Walker," the protagonist, Tom Walker, is described as a "meagre, miserly" fellow who conspires to cheat his wife—who is equally as meagre and miserly as he is! We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for our Start-of-Year sale—Join Now! Old Scratch offers Tom the hidden treasure and wants his soul in return. He is unwilling to share with others anything that he can claim as his. Black Miner. 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