What is the message in The Devil and Tom Walker?
“The Devil and Tom Walker” contains a moral allegory that offers a warning against greed and the pursuit of earthly gain. In this story, sinful behavior is met with punishment, and the devil controls the souls of those driven by wealth.
What moral does Tom Walker’s fate suggest?
The story suggests that greed and hypocrisy are the root of evil, and from Tom’s fate it is clear that these do not go unpunished.
What does the devil symbolize in The Devil and Tom Walker?
The Devil = evil, temptation, and the road to hell. The Swamp = the shorcut full of “pits and quagmires,” in other words this is a trap. Trees=look good on the outside, but rotten at the core. Chopped wood=ready to be burned.
Why does Tom refuse the Devil’s offer at first?
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.
Why are Tom and his wife unhappy?
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 Tom doing when the devil comes to collect his soul?
Once he gains his riches, he spends the rest of his life looking over his shoulder wondering when the Devil will come to collect his part of the debt. He tries going to church as penance for what he has done, but inevitably, the Devil comes and collects on his deal and carries Tom away on horseback.
How does Tom feel after his wife’s death?
Only containing a heart and liver, Tom responds to his wife’s death by simply stating that the Devil was most assuredly challenged by his wife. While saddened by the loss of the property, Tom finds that he would gladly give up the items since they disappeared with his wife. Tom is glad his wife is gone.
What does Tom regret as he begins to get old?
Once Tom becomes successful and grows older, he begins to regret the bargain he had made with the devil. How does he try to get out of this bargain? Tom is described as a “violent churchgoer.” Explain why this term is a paradox.
Why was Tom not afraid of the devil?
Tom is stubborn, not easily intimidated, and has a bossy wife, so he does not fear the Devil. Most people would be nervous walking through woods that people say are haunted.
How does Tom change after he becomes wealthy?
When Tom becomes rich, he turns into a thoroughly ruthless businessman and soon gains a reputation for being a cheat and a swindler. Although Tom worries what will happen to his soul, he continues his greedy ways regardless, amassing a huge fortune as a moneylender.
Is there anyway Tom could have gotten out of his deal with the devil?
The most obvious way that Tom could have gotten out of the deal was by not making it in the first place; it was clear that he was under no obligation to commit to it, and that Scratch was neither pressing him nor really all that interested in pursuing the matter.
What happens to Tom’s wealth at the end of the Devil and Tom Walker?
What has happened to Tom’s wealth by the end of the story? By the end of the story, his gold and silver in his iron chest was filled with chips and two skeletons laying in his stable instead of horses. His house burned down to the ground.
What is ironic about Tom’s mix of Bible study and business?
Tom’s carrying the Bible is ironic because the Bible is a symbol of good, but he has sold his soul to the devil and cheats people every day in his counting house.
What kind of business does Tom run?
Money lender
What is the irony in the Devil and Tom Walker?
The dark and humorous irony in this passage is that normally nobody would willingly wish to sell her soul to the devil, and that the only reason Tom does not go through with the deal is simply to spite his wife rather than any concerns for his own welfare.
What is ironic in the statement when Tom says the devil take me if I have made a farthing?
“The Devil take me,” said he, “if I have made a farthing!” This statement illustrates irony of situation. For, Tom Walker in his miserly way is simply mitigating his financial gain from the man, but the reality is that the Devil does actually take him.
What is the imagery in The Devil and Tom Walker?
Throughout the tale Irving uses imagery to show both Tom’s inner corruption and remind the audience of his damnation. For example, images of fire or sparks remind the reader that Tom’s soul will suffer from the flames in hell.