Did Tom deserve his fate Why or why not?
Did Tom deserve his fate Why or why not?
Terms in this set (5) Tom Walker deserved his fate because he took things for granted, Tom made the deal with the devil. When his wife died it seemed as if he did not care. His fate was chosen when he went around and told people to change but he wasn’t changing himself.
What do you think Tom Walker’s real fate was?
Tom’s fate–to ultimately be swept away by the “black man” who retrieves him on horseback and disappears into a thunderstorm–seems fitting given the poor quality of his character and the fact that he knew exactly what he was getting into.
What does Tom find that gives him a clue as to his wife’s fate?
Tom finds his wife’s apron ties around a heart and a liver, believed to perhaps belong to his wife.
What does the walkers home early in the story suggest about their personalities and values?
The starving atmosphere of their yard, horse, and overall decrepit appearance of their home represents the miserly personalities of Tom and his wife. Both characters hide their valuable possessions from each other and are extremely selfish, confrontational individuals.
What is the moral lesson 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.
What is the main point of the Devil and Tom Walker?
The main themes in “The Devil and Tom Walker” are greed, corruption, and misery. Greed: Tom’s greed is his downfall, and his repentance at the end of the story does not change his fate. Corruption: As soon as Tom accepts Old Scratch’s deal, he spends the rest of his life miserable and alone, corrupted by his greed.
Is Tom Walker greedy?
Tom and his wife love nothing so much as riches, not even themselves; both would rather sell their souls to Old Scratch—the devil—and burn in everlasting hellfire, than miss out on an opportunity to profit. In a revealing irony, Tom and his wife are so greedy that they can’t bear to spend the riches they have.
Why are Tom and his wife unhappy?
Why are Tom and his wife unhappy? They fight about money. Irving implements satire when he describes Tom in the following passage. “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.”
How is Tom Walker selfish?
At the end of the story, Tom exhibits his selfishness by agreeing to cheat honest workers out of their money through outrageous interest rates on his loans; even when the devil comes calling, Tom tries to hide the profits from him. So both Tom and his wife only want riches at all costs for themselves.
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.
Who is the antagonist in The Devil and Tom Walker?
And lastly, the devil, who first appears to Tom Walker as a woodsman he recognizes as Old Scratch, is Tom’s final antagonist. He takes advantage of Tom Walker’s greed and collects Tom’s soul for himself.
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.
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 is the main reason Tom agrees to the devil’s terms?
What Tom ultimately agrees to is to become a usurer, one who lends money at exhorbitant interest rates. He trades his soul for a guarantee that he will be rich. 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.
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 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 does Tom’s new house symbolize in The Devil and Tom Walker?
Tom’s house represents the ostentatious side of greed as Tom shows himself to be wealthy, while the lack of furnishings shows the more practical side of greed that withholds unnecessary expenditure. When Tom grows rich as a usurer, he builds himself a house that reflects his greedy and miserly character.
Is Tom Walker a hypocrite?
Tom Walker, an unscrupulous money-lender, makes a pact with the devil and only later professes religious beliefs; through these actions, Tom represents religious hypocrisy, which Irving shows will be punished.
How does Tom die in The Devil and Tom Walker?
In “The Devil and Tom Walker,” Tom dies in the midst of an argument about foreclosing a mortgage, when he cries out: “The devil take me if I have made a farthing!” At this point, there are three loud knocks on the door, and when Tom answers it, he finds a black figure with a black horse.
Where does Tom meet the devil for the first time?
Once day, Tom meets the devil in a swamp. The devil says he will show Tom where some gold is hidden. In return, Tom has to give his soul to the devil.