Story+Analysis

=Analysis & Discussion= [|The Devil and Tom Walker]

Author's Purpose
Washington Irving probably wrote this short story for a number of reasons. Obviously, he wrote it to serve as a lesson against making evil and greedy deals. He used the classic Faust tale and made his own version. He also incorporated the modern professions of tax collecting to give the story a more modern sense. By setting the story in colonial Boston, Irving tried to show the very evil of merciless tax collecting and money-grubbing by rich individuals. So,"The Devil and Tom Waker" can be seen as a critique of American society.

Literary Techniques Used
===__Characterization__-the way in which the characters are described and personified in the context of a story and/or any other prose. In the case of __The Devil and Tom__ __Walker__, the main characters in the story are Tom Walker and Satan who occassionally work together to each benefit in some sort of way. In the text, Satan was characterized as black and not a very surprising property during that time period to represent black men as evil; "I am the Wild Huntsman in some countries; the Black Miner in others. In this neighbourhood I am known by the name of the Black Woodsman. I am he to whom the red men devoted this spot, and now and then roasted a white man by way of sweet smelling sacrifice."===

===__Irony__-can be seen in the story by the way that Satan tries to "help" Tom Walker by bringing him positive things and things that would benefit him. It would seem as ironical at first that Satan himself would actually every bring someone joy or good things. Although, it's not surprising at the end when Tom Walker does not end up with a good life.===

===__[|Foil]__-describes characters that are meant to represent certain symbols, values, or ideas. In this case Tom Walker would represent basic human greed and the way people thrive to gain in the easiest possible way. Satan would represent temptation to do something irrational and wrong for personal gain. The deal that Satan and Tom Walker showed how humans would do almost anything for easy profit.===

===__Mood__- shows the atmosphere of the story and how it progresses throughout the story. In __The Devil and Tom Walker__ the mood is like a very secluded relationship between Tom Walker and Satan which would show how secretive it was for such a deal to take place and how the outside world was so ignorant to the whole thing.===

===__Symbolism__-the whole story just shows the way that humans can be greedy and would do anything for easy gain. It also shows how simple temptations can often lead to misfortune. In this specific story it was Satan who would be the temptation. In the modern world, the temptation would perhaps be theft of some sort.===

Lessons/Morals
There is one huge moral in this story. The moral is that if you do evil and greedy things. essentially "strike a deal witht the devil", fate wil catch up with you in the end and you will have your punishment. This idea is ancient and that is why stories such as these strike such a chord among people today.



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