illustrated outline of a person's head with a red thumbprint on the forehead with an outline of the devil behind

The Devil and Tom Walker

by Washington Irving

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Tom Walker

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Extended Tom Walker Character Analysis

In Washington Irving's short story "The Devil and Tom Walker," Tom Walker is a meager, hard-minded, and miserly man. He lives with his wife and suffers through daily arguments with her. Tom and his wife are similar in their miserly attitudes. Tom shows an unapologetic and cold outlook on life. He is cynical, due to his dire financial circumstances and his bad relationship with his wife. This cynicism allows him to befriend the devil. He does not show fear when meeting the devil in the swamp, because nothing could be worse than his wife.

The devil makes a deal with Tom, offering him directions to the buried treasure of Kidd the Pirate. The details of the deal are kept secret, but, as proof of the deal, the devil burns a black fingerprint onto Tom’s forehead. Tom refrains from disclosing the deal, but it is implied that Tom sells his soul to the devil in exchange for the treasure. Tom’s unwillingness to share the details suggests that he is aware of the corrupted nature of the deal.

When Tom tells his wife of the treasure, she urges him to comply with the devil’s terms and make them both rich. Tom’s dislike for his wife pushes him to be recalcitrant. He refuses to go through with the deal simply out of the “mere spirit of contradiction.” He avoids pleasing or doing anything for his wife. This difficult attitude causes his wife to go and find the devil herself. However, her efforts to appease and solicit money from the devil lead to her death. Tom is almost glad of his wife’s disappearance and death. At first he is worried, but when he finds her apron hanging in a tree, he is only excited at the prospect of finding the silver she had taken. Instead of the silver, he is disappointed to find her heart and liver, but he does not seemed shocked. He instead shows pity for the devil, believing that his wife had troubled the devil before he killed her.

Tom still desires money and financial security, and he makes another a deal with the devil for monetary gain. At first the devil asks him to become a slave trader to make money, but Tom refuses outright. Tom, although painted as cold and morally corrupt, has some principles.

As a story of the early 19th-century United States, Tom’s decision here provides commentary on the author's attitude towards the slave trade. By having Tom do anything other than trade in slaves, Irving satirically condemns the entire enterprise.

Tom does agree to go into the profession of a usurer—a person who lends money at very high rates of interest. Tom excels and becomes a “rich and mighty man.” However, he is still stingy, and when building a lavish house he can only bother to properly furnish a couple of rooms. This shows Tom’s deeply ingrained sense of parsimony; he cannot stop being miserly and greedy, even when he has large amounts of money. Tom is also successful through duplicity; he becomes rich because he pretends to be a “friend in need” when truly he is taking advantage of his customers’ desperation.

However, the older Tom becomes the more fearful he grows as he considers his sinful actions. He realizes that the devil will come to claim his soul. Tom decides that the only way to combat his pact with the devil is through devotion to God. But his efforts stem from selfish need; he works to gain protection but does not change his ways. Tom is hypocritical and judges the churchgoers around him, pointing out their sins while ignoring his own. Tom’s fear of being taken by the devil, however, is rightly placed. When Tom gets into an argument with a land-speculator over money, Tom exclaims “The devil take me, if I have made a farthing!” After uttering an unwitting invitation, the devil arrives and takes him away.

"The Devil and Tom Walker" serves as a moral story. Tom commits many sins through his lies and work as a usurer, but his final mistake is to continue being a miser. Even when successful and rich, Tom is meager with his home and greedy with his work. In the end, he even claims to have not made any money, which reflects his parsimonious nature. The devil takes him to hell for this, pointing out to all readers—especially “money brokers,”—that a life of greed and duplicity is one that will lead to an unfortunate end.

Expert Q&A

Could Tom have escaped his bargain's consequences in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Tom Walker likely could not have escaped the consequences of his bargain with the Devil due to his inherent greed and moral shortcomings. His behavior before and after meeting "Old Scratch" showed a consistent focus on wealth over morality, suggesting he was doomed from the start. Even attempts at religious behavior were superficial, as he never truly repented or changed. Thus, Tom's character and choices sealed his fate, making escape from the bargain's consequences unlikely.

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," what occupation does Tom accept eagerly?

Tom Walker eagerly accepts the occupation of a usurer, lending money at high interest rates, as part of his pact with the Devil to gain a fortune. Despite refusing to become a slave trader, which he finds too low, he embraces usury, reflecting his wicked nature and furthering the Devil's purposes. This choice underscores Tom's immorality, as usury is condemned in the Bible, highlighting his willingness to harm others for personal gain.

Does Tom's behavior change from before and after his deal with Old Scratch in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Tom's behavior superficially changes after his deal with Old Scratch; he becomes a churchgoer and outwardly charitable. However, the narrator reveals that his character remains fundamentally unchanged. He is still miserly, self-centered, and his religious acts are self-serving, aimed at gaining social standing rather than genuine repentance. Despite his fear of death, Tom's attempts at penance are insincere, as he continues his sinful business practices, showing he is incapable of true change.

In "The Devil And Tom Walker," what bargain does Tom make with the stranger in the forest?

Tom Walker makes a deal with the Devil in "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving. The deal includes that Tom will lend money at interest, foreclose mortgages, and extort bonds.

What do lines 270-272 in "The Devil and Tom Walker" reveal about Tom's character?

"Tom built a 'vast house, out of ostentation; but left the greater part of it unfinished and unfurnished, out of parsimony'" (lines 270-272).

Lines 270-272 reveal Tom Walker's materialism and parsimony. He builds a "vast" house to show off his wealth, indicating his concern with appearances and desire for social approval. However, leaving the house "unfinished" and "unfurnished" illustrates his extreme miserliness, as he is unwilling to spend money even when wealthy. This juxtaposition highlights the irony of Tom's character: he values outward status but remains fundamentally stingy and obsessed with money.

Did Tom Walker deserve his fate?

Tom Walker does deserve his fate in "The Devil and Tom Walker." He knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he made the deal with the devil that would make him rich. In addition, he is an unkind, miserly man who preys on the weakness and misfortune of others.

What is Tom Walker's first encounter with the stranger in the forest like?

Tom Walker's first encounter with the stranger, Old Scratch (the Devil), is surprisingly cordial despite the tension. While taking a shortcut through a swamp, Tom kicks a skull, prompting Old Scratch to appear and confront him about trespassing. They argue over land ownership, with Tom unfazed by the Devil's presence. The Devil offers Tom a deal involving Kidd's treasure in exchange for his soul, but Tom, remarkably unshaken, says he'll consider it.

Was Tom Walker emotional in the story?

Tom Walker is emotional, but his emotions are atypical. He shows surprise rather than fear upon meeting the Devil and responds with snide defensiveness. His emotions towards his wife are marked by anger and loathing, rather than love. When he learns of her demise, his reaction is more about the loss of valuables than grief. His strongest emotion appears at the story's end when, in anger, he inadvertently summons the Devil to take him.

What two reasons explain why Tom wasn't afraid to meet the devil in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Tom Walker wasn't afraid to meet the devil because he was stubborn and not easily intimidated, traits that made him resilient and unafraid. Additionally, living with a domineering and overbearing wife, whom he found more terrifying than the devil, further contributed to his fearlessness. His hard-minded nature and experience dealing with his wife made him uniquely unshaken by the encounter with the devil in the dark woods.

What wouldn't Tom Walker do for money and what sign showed his stinginess?

Tom Walker refused to become a slave trader, as even his low moral standards did not extend to devaluing human life in such a manner. His stinginess was most evident in his relationship with his wife. He initially withheld news of his deal with the devil to avoid sharing the gains. After her disappearance, rather than mourning her likely death, he regretted the loss of household valuables she took with her.

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