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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The Devil and Tom Walker Questions on Tom's Deal With the Devil

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The Devil and Tom Walker

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," the forest's "black man" is the devil, also known as Old Scratch. He wants Tom Walker to make a deal exchanging his soul for the treasure buried by Kidd the pirate. Old...

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The Devil and Tom Walker

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," one might predict that Tom Walker would make a deal with the devil for wealth, given his and his wife's miserly nature. However, it's surprising when Tom initially...

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The Devil and Tom Walker

The devil knocks on Tom Walker's door not because Tom has broken their agreement, but to highlight his powerlessness and hypocrisy. Despite attempting to avoid his fate by becoming...

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The Devil and Tom Walker

Instead of becoming a slave trader, Tom Walker becomes a usurer after making a deal with Old Scratch for wealth. He opens a broker's shop in Boston, lending money at exorbitant interest rates to...

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