Tom Walker The protagonist of this story, Tom Walker is a common man with miserly tendencies, … Romanticism within literature stretched the inner feelings of characters and challenged them to change their pasts. In it, the Devil entices Tom Walker with the promise of Pirate-Captain Kidd’s treasure, buried somewhere in the marshes near Boston. The short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving takes place near Boston in 1727. 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. It is not clear why Tom exclaims these words when he knows them to be false and condemning. MAIN CHARACTERS; Tom Walker; Tom Walker. Tom Walker: Tom Walker is the protagonist of the story. 3. The Devil and Tom Walker study guide contains a biography of Washington Irving, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Tom Walker is known throughout the Charles Bay for his greed, and it is this greed that leads him to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for money. Even though Tom was carried off by the devil in a spectacular way, the Bostonians don't seem to react very strongly to this event. Tom Walker is a poor man as well as a greedy one. “The Devil and Tom Walker” Quotes The devil presided at the hiding of [Captain Kidd’s] money, and took it under his guardianship; but this, it is well known, he always does with buried treasure, particularly when it has been ill-gotten. http://www.runningwildfilms.com - Washington Irving's The Devil and Tom Walker, part of our 52 films in 52 weeks project, completed in 2013. What bad traits do they have? The The Devil and Tom Walker quotes below are all either spoken by Captain Kidd or refer to Captain Kidd. However, Tom Walker does not show the normal trepidation of others and decides to remain in the swamp until he comes upon the devil. There lived near this place a meager, miserly fellow, of the name of Tom Walker. Kidd died never able to reclaim his money, but the devil has protected it ever since. They would hide food and money from one another. Describe the Walker’s house. . Romanticism was an artistic movement in the 19th century that promoted individuality, emotion, love and nature. He came upon a skull, which he kicked to get the dirt off it. Read the full text here. This quote not only characterizes the setting around Tom Walker and his wife's house; it also characterizes Tom Walker and his wife themselves. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. What happened to the person who hid it there? Finally, Tom Walker is incredibly greedy. For this reason, some critics consider “The Devil and Tom Walker” to be the “New England Faust.” However, the primary difference between the two is that while Faust craved many things, including love, Tom Walker's sole desire is wealth. . Here are links to our lists for other works by Washington Irving: Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Who supposedly “presided” the treasure. A “meagre miserly fellow,” Tom Walker is first and foremost outrageously, self-destructively greedy. “The Devil and Tom Walker” is a short story in which Washington Irving relates a fictional legend reminiscent of Goethe’s Faust. It features a miserly man named Tom Walker and his wife who was equally selfish. Tom's plight is meant to warn readers not to let greed blind them, for, as is the case in "The Devil and Tom Walker," it can have disastrous consequences. Tom declines, to spite his greedy wife. Perhaps Tom is lying to the man in order to preserve the impression that he is a kind moneylender, but he chooses a dangerous lie. This is an adaptation of Washington Irving's short story, The Devil and Tom Walker. Tom is never seen again. He had a wife as miserly as himself. The The Devil and Tom Walker quotes below are all either spoken by Tom Walker’s Wife or refer to Tom Walker’s Wife. Adjectives like "forlorn" and "straggling," as well as phrases like "emblems of sterility," paint a picture for readers of the kind of life these two characters are living and the relationship they have with each other. Irving is likely suggesting, through a bit of dark humor and satire, that even in this town of Puritan Christians, dealing with the devil is not altogether an uncommon occurrence and there are many sinful and hypocritical people in this society. The story continues around 1727. . Tom Walker meets the devil, who offers him a bargain: he'll give Tom a buried treasure on one condition—presumably, that Tom give the devil his soul. 4. Walker lends money freely, but he is merciless in his dealings and ruins the lives of many borrowers, often repossessing their property. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). LitCharts Teacher Editions. Read More: The devil: The devil is a fallen angel who rules over the realm of sinners after death. A vocabulary list featuring "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving. He is a poor, avaricious man who exchanges his soul for the use of the devil's pirate treasure to make himself rich. One day Tom took a shortcut home through the woods. . The devil's conditions are unknown. He despises his miserly, abusive wife and has nothing to live for but the satisfaction of his desire for owning things. Describe the marriage of Tom Walker and his wife. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Irving develops his characters and establishes mood through imagery—words and phrases that appeal to the five senses.. . Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. What is supposed to be hidden under one of the big trees beside the inlet? What is the setting for this story? Kidd made a deal with the devil to protect his bounty, but never returned for it; instead, it remained undisturbed until the devil offers it to Tom Walker much later. Tom has clearly made money off of the man's loan because Tom has charged interest and will foreclose on the property, so the devil comes for Tom Walker immediately. Characters Tom Walker Old Scratch ... Test your knowledge of Washington Irving's The Devil and Tom Walker by taking one of our user-contributed quizzes! "The Devil and Tom Walker" is an example of romanticism in American literature. “The Devil and Tom Walker” 1. The Devil and Tom Walker is the story of the two titular characters: the money-grubbing Tom Walker, a cheap and stingy “miser,” who lives with his equally greedy, but more abusive wife, and the Devil, who in this story takes the form of a lumberjack, chopping wood in a deep swamp near an old Indian fortress left over from King Phillip’s war. Kidd made a deal with the devil to protect his money. Tom Walker, a greedy, selfish miser of a man, cherishes money along with his shrewish and equally greedy wife. In this eerie story, Tom Walker trades his soul for wealth. Originally published at - http://learningenglish.voanews.com/media/video/2859797.html Instant downloads of all 1393 LitChart PDFs (including The Devil and Tom Walker). Greed. They lived in a forlorn-looking house that stood alone and had an air of starvation. 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