Skip to main content

What do you think was Irving's purpose in writing "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

I think Washington Irving's main purpose for writing "The Devil and Tom Walker" was to critique and warn of the dangers of greed. In the story, Tom Walker meets a man in the woods who is implied to be the Devil. Tom is in an unhappy marriage and wants nothing more than to be rich. Irving insinuates that Tom eventually agrees to sell his soul to the Devil in exchange for wealth on Earth. For years, Tom makes a lot of money as an usurer, and buys a large house that he barely furnishes "out of parsimony."

As Tom becomes older, he begins to worry about what will happen to him when the Devil comes to make good on their agreement. He turns to religion very loudly but in a very superficial way. He attends church frequently and prays loudly, but continues to charge financially debilitating interest rates when he loans money. Including Tom's turn to religion in the story is Irving's way of critiquing people who are very loud about their religious beliefs but do not actually act in ways that are in keeping with their purported religion.


Ultimately, Tom's day of reckoning does come. When he is accused of making people pay exorbitant interest rates for his own financial gain, Tom says, "The devil take me if I have made a farthing!" At this claim, the Devil appears and does take Tom. After Tom's sudden disappearance, which it can be assumed is his death, people begin to look through his possessions.



On searching his coffers all his bonds and mortgages were found reduced to cinders. In place of gold and silver his iron chest was filled with chips and shavings; two skeletons lay in his stable instead of his half starved horses, and the very next day his great house took fire and was burnt to the ground.



The complete decimation of all of Tom's signs of wealth is Irving's way of critiquing people's obsessions with possessions and spending so much time acquiring material goods when they mean nothing once people die.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discuss movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and list one success for each group.

African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change... African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change for their agendas. Two examples of moveme...
Post a Comment
Read more