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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Student Question

Where does Tom rest in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Quick answer:

Tom rests at an old fort in the forest, a place feared by the local people who believe it is haunted by evil spirits and was used by Native Americans for incantations and sacrifices. Despite its ominous reputation, Tom is unafraid and chooses to linger there. It is during this rest that he encounters the devil, leading to a pivotal conversation and the revelation of Captain Kidd's treasure, illustrating the dangers of dealing with the devil.

Expert Answers

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Tom stops at an old forest, where the common folk are afraid to go.

As Tom takes his journey through the forest, he stops at the old fort.  He knows that the common people feel that the place is haunted by evil spirits.

Any one but he would have felt unwilling to linger in this lonely, melancholy place, for the common people had a bad opinion of it, [and] it was asserted that the savages held incantations here and made sacrifices to the Evil Spirit.

Supposedly the Indians had engaged in ceremonies there, which caused the people to feel that it was evil since the Indian wars. Tom is not troubled by this kind of thing, so he rests there.  Of course, the people turn out to be right.  The devil (“black man”) comes up to Tom and they have a conversation.  Tom is not afraid of him either. He argues with him!  The devil is impressed, and tells Tom about Captain Kidd’s treasure.

As Tom learns, when you make a deal with the devil you are bound to get burned.

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