What does "The Devil and Tom Walker" suggest about Washington Irving's views on greed and wealth accumulation?
One of the primary themes Washington Irving explores throughout his classic short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" concerns the consequences of greed and avarice. Irving's portrayal of the disastrous, tragic outcomes of being greedy reflects his feelings regarding amassing wealth and hoarding money. In the story, Tom and his wife are depicted as miserly individuals, who reap the consequences of their greed. When Tom initially meets the Devil, it is in a secluded part of the swamp, where there are chopped down trees with the names of prominent, wealthy men carved into the trunks. Irving describes one of the trees by writing:
The one on which he had been seated, and which had evidently just been hewn down, bore the name of Crowninshield; and he recollected a mighty rich man of that name, who made a vulgar display of wealth, which it was whispered he had acquired by buccaneering. (2)
Through the plight of characters like Crowninshield, Irving reveals his negative view of amassing wealth. After Tom meets Old Scratch and tells his wife about the proposition, she reveals her greedy personality by attempting to make a deal with the Devil herself. Tom's wife ends up traveling into the forest and is never heard from again. Similar to Crowninshield, Tom's wife's greed leads to her demise.
Through Tom's occupation as an unscrupulous usurer, Irving once again displays his attitude towards amassing wealth. Tom is depicted as a greedy, insensitive man who drives hard bargains and takes pleasure in bankrupting individuals. Irving depicts Tom's financial success by writing:
In this way he made money hand over hand, became a rich and mighty man, and exalted his cocked hat upon "Change." He built himself, as usual, a vast house, out of ostentation, but left the greater part of it unfinished and unfurnished, out of parsimony. (4)
Despite amassing wealth and attaining a vast array of material items, Tom cannot save his soul when the Devil comes to take him to hell. Tom and other greedy characters in the story all experience the same demise, which reflects Washington Irving's feelings regarding amassing wealth and greed. One could argue that Irving's short story is a cautionary tale about the corrupting influence of money and the disastrous outcomes attached to exclusively focusing on wealth.
What does "The Devil and Tom Walker" suggest about the period's attitude toward wealth?
The events of this story suggest a negative view toward wealth in this period. In particular, there is a negative view of the accumulation of wealth and of greed, more generally.
We see this clearly through the fate of both Tom and his wife. Once Tom makes a deal and receives the money from the Devil, note how different he becomes. He has a successful moneylending business but he becomes a vain and ostentatious man who nearly "starves" his horses. His character, therefore, suffers as a result of his great wealth. In addition, Tom also becomes "crack-brained," meaning that he is no longer rational and sensible.
The fact that Tom is taken away by the Devil at the end of the story is how Washington demonstrates his disdain for greed. This idea is reinforced by the fate of Tom's wife, who is never seen again after trying to strike a bargain with the Devil. That neither Tom nor his wife enjoy a long life shows that a desire for wealth was not favored in this period.
It is also worth noting that Washington creates a link between the Devil and vast sums of money. It is from him, for example, that Tom receives the pirate's fortune. By creating this link, Washington suggests that wealth is associated with evil.
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