The Devil and Daniel Webster
by Stephen Vincent Benét
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See Also
- Stephen Vincent Benét (Critical Survey of Poetry: American Poets)
- Stephen Vincent Benét (Cyclopedia of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition)
- Stephen Vincent Benét (Dictionary of World Biography: The 20th Century)
- Stephen Vincent Benét (Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition)
- Theory of Short Fiction (Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Stephen Vincent Benét
- First Published: 1937
- Type of Plot: Folktale
- Time of Work: The early nineteenth century
- Setting: Cross Corners, New Hampshire, and Marshfield, Massachusetts
- Characters: Daniel Webster, Jabez Stone, Mr. Scratch
- Genres: Fable, Short fiction, Historical fiction
- Subjects: Farms, farmers, or farming, Legends, Folklore, Faustian bargains, Patriotism, Devils or demons
- Locales: United States, North America, Cross Corners, New Hampshire, Marshfield, Massachusetts
The Story
“The Devil and Daniel Webster” is narrated as a folktale told in the border country of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, regarding the famous American orator Daniel Webster. Like so many folk legends, this one contains some exaggeration and several important lessons.
Jabez Stone is an unlucky New Hampshire farmer who, in a moment of frustration, sells his soul to the devil. His farm prospers, but when the devil returns near the end of the seven-year contract, Stone sees the soul of his neighbor Miser Stevens in the devil’s pocket, and his dread...
(The entire page is 1629 words.)
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Popular Questions
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