The Devil and Tom Walker Group at eNotes

Although Irving writes that no one really knows what happened to Tom's...

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 16:41:01 PST

Although Irving writes that no one really knows what happened to Tom's wife, when Tom finds the missing checked cloth with a heart and liver inside and observes the scene near it, he concludes that his wife must have battled the devil and eventually lost--not easily, though, because Tom notices that there were "many prints of cloven feet deeply stamped about the tree, and several handsful of hair, that looked as if they had been plucked from...

Explain the irony relating to the Devil's battle with Tom's wife in "The...

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 14:41:24 PST

Explain the irony relating to the Devil's battle with Tom's wife in "The Devil and Tom Walker."

Irving offers several clues in his description of the man in the forest...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 17:43:37 PST

Irving offers several clues in his description of the man in the forest so that Tom and readers know that he is the devil. 1. The man seemingly lives in the forest when Tom meets him. Puritans from the story's setting believed that the devil roamed the woods around their communities, waiting to tempt humans into signing his black book. The devil even ask Tom what he is doing on "his grounds," revealing that the dark forest is his domain. 2....

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," how does Tom know the man he meets in the...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 16:09:43 PST

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," how does Tom know the man he meets in the forest is the devil?

The mood--that attitude that an author evokes from his readers--in "The...

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 17:16:30 PST

The mood--that attitude that an author evokes from his readers--in "The Devil and Tom Walker" is humorous and didactic. Irving uses the story to satirize cold marital relationships and superstitious, greedy humans. His satirical tone add humor to the story, especially his description of Tom and his wife's attitudes toward one another. The author also intends for readers to learn a lesson from his story; so the mood is rather didactic.

1. Tom Walker is stingy. He does not want to share anything with his...

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 17:12:41 PST

1. Tom Walker is stingy. He does not want to share anything with his wife or witness her taking pleasure in anything that he does not get to enjoy. His house even represents this character trait, for Irving writes that when a passerby sees the barrenness of the Walker house, he keeps on walking, choosing to hazard starvation or lack of shelter over staying in such an unwelcoming place. Similarly, when he discovers that his wife as...

What character traits does Tom Walker exemplify in "The Devil and Tom...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:48:01 PST

What character traits does Tom Walker exemplify in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

TOM WALKER

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:17:37 PST

WHAT ARE THE MOOD IN TOM WALKER AND THE DEVIL?

Describe the conflict in The Devil and Tom Walker. What was the central...

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:34:04 PST

Describe the conflict in The Devil and Tom Walker. What was the central struggle?

1. Tom Walker and his wife hate each other and share the vice of greed....

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:09:22 PST

1. Tom Walker and his wife hate each other and share the vice of greed. 2. Tom meets Old Scratch (the devil) in the forest, and the devil offers to make Tom rich if he will barter away his soul for the devil's service. 3. When Tom refuses the devil's offer, his wife becomes angry with him, arranges her own meeting with the devil, and is subsequently "taken" by the devil, never to be seen again. 4. After Tom discovers his wife's fate, he goes...

What are the 5 essential plot elements to "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:43:49 PST

What are the 5 essential plot elements to "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Much like romantic paintings of this same era, the setting and plot of...

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:54:37 PST

Much like romantic paintings of this same era, the setting and plot of "The Devil and Tom Walker" are rich with color and beset with the supernatural. Romantic painters often included mystical beings such as cherubs and angels in their work, particularly since the era was still largely influenced by Christianity in its various denominations. Along with this belief in heavenly hosts came a belief in Satan (the devil), who is referred to in this...

Explain the dark romanticism in "The Devil and Tom Walker."

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:35:41 PST

Explain the dark romanticism in "The Devil and Tom Walker."

When Tom first meets Old Scratch in the forest, he is skeptical about...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:43:16 PST

When Tom first meets Old Scratch in the forest, he is skeptical about the creature's identity and authenticity. However, when he reaches home, he sees the permanent black mark left on his forehead by the devil. He tells his contrary wife about the devil's offer, and she--true to her selfish nature--urges her husband to barter away his soul for material goods. Her advice and nonchalance about his soul anger Tom, and so he is determined...

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," why does Tom decide not to make a pact...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:17:22 PST

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," why does Tom decide not to make a pact with the devil after his first offer?

1. The Walkers' house: Their house represents the barrenness in their...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:37:08 PST

1. The Walkers' house: Their house represents the barrenness in their marriage. Tom and his wife barely tolerate each other; so their desolate house and land illustrate the lack of life in their relationship. In fact, their grounds are so unwelcoming that travelers passing by needing a place to stay would rather walk on and risk a night without shelter than approach the Walker home. 2. The swamp: Irving begins his story with a description...

The story seems to me in many ways to be anti-Romantic: the...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:24:50 PST

The story seems to me in many ways to be anti-Romantic: the solitary man does not find solace or comfort when alone in nature, for example, and there is little interest in the character of the wife. Still, the story does have at least one aspect that is very much in keeping with Romanticism; the story (much like Irving's other stories, including "Rip Van Winkle") is essentially a transplantation of the European (or German) fairy tale onto...

What are some quotes in 'The Devil and Tom Walker' that deal with...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:51:42 PST

What are some quotes in 'The Devil and Tom Walker' that deal with romanticism?

What is the symbolism of the Walkers' house, the swamp, darkness, and...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:10:52 PST

What is the symbolism of the Walkers' house, the swamp, darkness, and the Bible in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

The moral of the story, "The Devil and Tom Walker" is that greed will...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:18:22 PST

The moral of the story, "The Devil and Tom Walker" is that greed will land a person in hell, which is what happens to the very greedy Tom Walker. The deal Tom made with the devil was for money and the means to that money was a business that Tom ran and the devil created in which Tom lent money to people who were land speculators, among others. This was when there was lots of wilderness country and people bought large amounts of land hoping...