What did Tom Walker look like?
He was dressed in Indian garb but his face was not black or copper colored. It was covered with soot, had black hair sticking out, and carried an ax. The devil asked Tom what he was doing on his land. The devil pointed to a tree that had Deacon Peabody’s name on it.
What character trait is represented by Tom?
Tom is also described as not being “troubled with any fears”; his cavalier attitude and arrogance result in him coming face to face with the devil himself, Old Scratch, who offers him great wealth in exchange for his soul.
Who is the black man in the Devil and Tom Walker?
The “black man” is the Devil, although in the context of this story he goes by the name of Old Scratch, or the Black Woodsman.
Why are Tom and his wife so unhappy?
Terms in this set (19) Why are Tom and his wife unhappy? They fight about money. “Tom was a hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife that he did not even fear the devil.”
What is the main reason Tom agrees to the devil’s terms?
Tom agrees to sell his soul to the Devil in exchange for the pirate’s treasure, which he will use in his role as a money lender in the Devil’s service.
Why does Tom initially refuse the devil’s bargain?
Why does Tom initially refuse the devil’s bargain? It is after he gets home and tells his wife about the incident. However Tom might have felt disposed to sell himself to the devil, he was determined not to do so to contradict his wife. So, just to spite her, Tom refuses.
What do the devil’s trees in the swamp represent?
Describe the devil’s trees. The trees of the wooded and swamp area symbolized the land owners, slave drivers, and colonists that have taken the land from the Native Americans. They were all sinners that had made deals with the devil for their own greed and material desires.
What is the moral of the Devil and Tom Walker?
The moral in “The Devil in Tom Walker” is that if you sell your soul to the devil to get what you want, it will end up destroying you. When we say “sell your soul” it is usually a metaphor.
What is the symbolism in The Devil and Tom Walker?
The Devil and Tom Walker – Emblems / Symbols: The Indian Fort=cultural attitudes toward Native Americans, since this is where “Indians” made sacrifices to the Devil, one can infer that the Native Americans were regarded as savages. The Devil = evil, temptation, and the road to hell.
What happens in The Devil and Tom Walker?
“The Devil and Tom Walker” is a short story by Washington Irving about a miserly man who makes a deal with the devil. Tom Walker meets the devil, who offers him a bargain: he’ll give Tom a buried treasure on one condition—presumably, that Tom give the devil his soul. Tom declines, to spite his greedy wife.
How does Tom meet the devil?
Tom Walker initially encounters the devil as he sits on the trunk of a hemlock near what was once an Indian fort. Later in the story, Tom meets up with “Old Scratch” when he returns to the forest to learn what has happened to his wife. The Devil is “sauntering along the swamp,” close to the first location.
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 bargain does Tom make with the devil?
Tom makes a bargain with the devil to get a pirate’s treasure in exchange for “certain conditions.” Tom Walker does not find it strange when he meets the devil during a walk in the woods. He does not find anything frightening, even if local legends tell him the area is haunted.
What does Tom do when he begins to regret his agreement?
In “The Devil and Tom Walker,” when Tom begins to regret his agreement to sell his soul to the devil, he begins to attend church and carry his Bible with him everywhere. He also is rumored to have had his horse buried upside down in the belief that this way, he can outrun the devil.
How does Tom try to cheat the devil?
How and why does Tom Walker attempt to cheat the devil? He becomes a violent church goer, he realizes he would now have to go to hell for selling his soul to the devil. “The devil take me if I made a farthing”, Words that indicate his promise to the devil.
When did Tom first meet the devil?
a. When Tom first meets the devil, he stays and talks with him for a long time (lines 78-141). If he had left immediately, he might have avoided making a deal with the devil.
Is Tom frightened when he first sees the devil?
When Tom Walker comes upon the Devil, Tom is not at all shaken. He is not afraid in the slightest, in part because his wife is such a difficult woman that he is used to this kind of abuse.
What happens to Tom’s money when he dies?
What happened to Tom’s money and things? All the bonds and mortgages were burned to cinders. All the gold and silver in his chest were just chips and shavings. His horses were just skeletons and the next day his house burned to the ground.
What is Mrs Walker’s reaction to the Devil’s offer?
Mrs. Walker’s reaction to the devil’s offer is that Tom should do it.
What did Tom eventually do to anyone who he loaned money to?
The black man was demanding Tom was accepting and obedient. What did Tom eventually do to anyone who he loaned money to? He was anxious about what awaits him in the afterlife, he regrets making the deal with the black man.
How does Tom react to his wife’s fate?
How does Tom react to his wife’s fate? Tom knew his wife’s prowess by experience. He shrugged his shoulders, as he looked at the signs of a fierce clapper-clawing. Egad, he said to himself, old scratch must have had a tough time with it!
Why does Tom’s wife go into the forest?
After hearing Tom’s report of the deal he had been offered by the devil, whereby he could basically “sell his soul” in return for great wealth (the gold buried by Kidd the pirate), Tom’s wife goes into the forest to make her own deal since Tom refuses to do so.
Why did Tom leave his work and wife?
In “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pockets,” we meet Tom when he is working on his Interoffice Memo. While he works on this memo, his wife plans to leave on a movie date by herself. His logic states that missing this date with his wife is a sacrifice that will be worth it in the end—because it will make their lives better.
What eventually happens to Tom’s wife?
Tom’s wife decides to go the Indian fort to try to strike her own deal. She disappears. The most likely story is that she fought with the Devil and he killed her. All that was found of her was he heart and liver tied up in her apron.
What does Tom’s wife want him to do?
didn’t want to agree with his wife. what did Tom’s wife decided to do about the gold? Bargain with the devil herself- brought her apron full of silver teapots and spoons and other items of value. give him the gold so he will use it in black traffic- slave trader.
How does Tom try to escape from the deal he made with the devil?
Bargain with the devil herself- brought her apron full of silver teapots and spoons and other items of value. How did Tom try to escape the consequences of his deal with the Devil? He carried a bible with him at all times and had his horse newly shod and buried upside down, to outrun. the Devil on the last day.
What does Tom do to try to free himself from the devil’s claim?
What does Tom do tobtry to free himself from the devils claim? Tom and his wife hide eggs from each other, Tom is too cheap to feed his horse, Tom makes a deal with the devil etc.
How does Tom try to protect himself from harm?
What things does he do to keep him safe? Tom tries to protect himself by become a zealous christian. He keeps himself safe by having a big bible on his desk and carrying a small bible with him.
How does Tom behave when he is older and nearing death?
How does he behave when he is older nearing death? prays, carries bible, but pracitces immoral lending.
What happens to Tom’s possessions?
Surely enough, when the Devil claims Tom (as part of their bargain) at the end of the story, most of Tom’s worldly possessions are left behind, such as his home and horses. The horses are discovered to be dead, and the house burns down the next day.