Fear In Dark Romanticism

Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” illustrates how an individual’s corruption results from their ability to resist temptation, the virtue to act generously, and the self-discipline to perform genuinely. Temptation, symbolized by the Devil and characterized by desperation in this prose, is that catalyst that forces Tom’s proverbial ball to roll. First and foremost, Tom chooses a shortcut home out of ease and lack of time that “like most shortcuts... was an ill-chosen route (280);” along his path of “smothering mud (280)” and “half-drowned, half-rotting [hemlocks and pines] (280)” –likely representative of the comeuppances of giving into temptations–Tom confronts the Devil for the first time and eventually ends up selling his soul

He was supposed to extort bonds, foreclose mortgages, and drive merchants to bankruptcy and with a handshake he made a bargain with the devil. “Everyone driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices hurried to Tom Walker” (Irving 321). He took advantage of receiving bonds and mortgages by leaving his customers without much or no money leaving the door. After collecting enough money, he saved and spent it on himself. As he was becoming an older man, he regretted his bargain that cheated the black man (the devil). He realized that he manipulated his customers by taking most or all of their money at four percent a month. All of a sudden, he became a “violent churchgoer” in which he prayed noisily (Irving 322). Knowing that the devil would soon get his revenge, he kept a bible at his desk and in his pocket at his hip. He thought he could use the bible to fight off the devil. He was not only led by temptation, he was temptation, a devil’s

Tom Walker character is miserly. Tom hid many things from his wife Mrs. Walker. ’’ They were so miserly that they even

In the story “The Devil and Tom Walker”, Tom Walker is secluded from others in his town. The quote in the book, “They lived in a forlorn-looking house that stood alone and had an air of starvation” shows that Tom Walker was a man who most likely did wrong and did not want to get criticized for his actions. The town they lived in was a very religious town that had strict rules and they would have nothing to do with the

However, Tom might have felt disposed to sell himself to the Devil." Irving demonstrates how Tom's wife is likewise greedy and implements Tom's decision to barter his soul to become wealthy. Ultimately, Tom Walker's arrangement with the Devil can be pardoned for his actions because of his lack of faith. Irving states, "He became, all of a sudden, a violent churchgoer. He prayed loud, proud, and all the time, and he always carried a Bible around with

In the story, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” there is a humorous way of looking at serious topics. Washington Irving shows his thoughts on these topics through the characters in this story. He attacks ways of living and social ideas that he thinks people should live without. In this story, Irving criticizes violence, greed, and false piety.

As time passes after Tom has made his deal with the devil, and he is working as a usurer in Boston, squeezing every last cent out of the unlucky speculators that walked through his door, Tom begins to wonder whether he made the right choice when he dealt with Old Scratch: "He thought with regret on the bargain he had made with his black friend, and set his wits to work to cheat him out of the conditions" (134). Tom's decision to attempt to cheat the devil becomes his downfall. Tom now begins a routine of attending a Church service and praying loudly for everyone to hear, and he outfits himself with two Bibles which he thinks will protect him to the end. In a great irony Irving tells of how Tom will put down his Bible for a few minutes while he forecloses a mortgage of some poor borrower, and the resumes his reading when he is finished. Stevens recognized this irony and noted that "Irving has a keen eye for the ironies and contradictions of human behavior." Irving presents the reader with the difficulty that can arise when intentions are based solely on personal gain. In the story, one sees how Tom Walker's actions contradict each other in their

The Devil and Tom Walker Essay Authors often look to current events to decide what to write about. Some authors use satire, which is a way to point out the foolishness of what’s going on in the world using a story. The Devil and Tom Walker is a short story by Washington Irving written in 1824. This is a story about a man who had a miserable marriage, made a deal with the Devil to get rich thinking his life would improve, and never really was happy anyway because he was always scared for his death.

A main theme in the short story is greed and its consequences. Tom, a miserable man, is approached by the Devil, also called “Old Scratch”, and he is offered wealth and riches beyond his wildest dreams. In return for this he sells his soul to the Devil. All characters in the story have flaws and none of them are necessarily “good” as each of them are greedy and will go to great lengths to benefit themselves. Tom's desire for wealth is his ultimate catalyst throughout the story and it is what eventually draws the Devil to him. The Devil called to Tom promising “great sums of money buried by Kidd the pirate... All these were under his command, and protected by his power."(pg 9) knowing this would interest him. Through this you can see the Devil tempting Tom with the wealth he craves so much. His own greed being his damnation when he tells a customer "The devil take me...if i have made a farthing!"(p22). Because as soon as he says this the devil comes to collect his dues.Tom's desire for wealth led to the murder of his wife, the selling of his soul, and ultimately his own death. The Devil and Tom Walker is a textbook example of why the temptation of greed should be avoided. Showing how though it may benefit you in the present eventually its consequences will catch up to

Romanticism in “The Devil and Tom Walker” The Devil and Tom Walker, written by Washington Irving, is a short story that revolves around Tom Walker, a poor man who would do anything for money. He has a wife that mistreats and abuses him when she is upset. While walking home he takes a shortcut and encounters the Devil, and he eventually strikes a deal with him when he returns to look for him. He then becomes a usurer for the Devil and loans his money at high interest.

In “The Devil and Tom Walker”, Tom Walker was the friend of needy, and acted like a “friend in need”,and he always wanted more, “he made money hand over hand, became a rich and mighty man, and exalted his cocked hat upon ‘Change” (Irving). Throughout the short story, Tom is a selfish

Romantic literary texts focus on the expression of emotion. Authors during the Romantic period developed and integrated the idea of the individual being the main focus in life. Romantic authors focused on the individual being at the center of their own happiness and destiny and evil dwelling outside mankind. Dark Romantics believed that evil is not only found in nature and in other people but evil also dwells inside every human being. Dark Romantics argued that earlier writers had ignored the darker side of

The author continuously characterizes Tom Walker in a way that makes the readers pity and resent him to not want to follow the example of his life. For example, after Tom's wife takes all their valuables and tries to strike a bargain with the devil when Tom wouldn’t do it himself, he goes looking for her in the woods. Irving shows just how little Tom cared about his wife when he describes his reaction to her disappearance and death. He is more concerned about the safety of his silverware, which she had taken with her. "He leaped with joy; for he recognized his wife's apron, and supposed it to contain the household valuables.” That shows that he is really greedy and ruthless. However, Tom shows no remorse for his dead wife and has evidence that shows that his wife had beaten up even the

Washington Irving also shows the theme of greed by how Tom Walker was a very cheap and greedy moneylender. During the time of this setting in “The Devil and Tom Walker,” people tried to do anything to make money. Joyce states, “while many had a keen sense of business, pothers were unethical in their dogged pursuit of riches (102).” This statement illustrates Tom Walker very. When Tom was discussing the terms of the deal with the devil, Tom wanted to make his interest rate even higher then what the devil origianally planned. Then devil said, “ You shall

In this story we can see many interesting facts about the main character Tom Walker such as his relations with other characters and his own beliefs. In the story we can see how Tom doesn’t accept the deal with the Devil at first, but when his wife dies in hands of the Devil, Tom Walker now accepts to do the deal; however he doesn’t accept because he feels like he has lost everything but because now his wife can’t take away any part of the treasure and now he will do the things he wants for his own good and not to please