Money Over Life Is money worth more than life? Does money buy eternal happiness? Some may disagree, but others like Tom Walker and his wife would have engaged in the love of money until they were proven wrong. As the story, “The Devil and Tom Walker” expresses that money only brings out the evil in everyone. Life is a valuable memory until wealth becomes worth more than life. Most people spend their whole life trying to make a fortune, while doing this they often forget to live. Time is the most valuable aspect in life because once it is gone; it can never be retained again. Many people, especially Tom Walker, view life for the valuables in it and not much the love and time. The Devil offered Tom endless money for his soul, but once Tom …show more content…
It may also buy the dream cars, but without somewhere to go the car is useless. Money may be able to fill all of the short-term needs that make people fulfilled, but in the end it will only leave the soul empty.
Some people are willing to sell their soul for money. Life has several meanings behind it, but some will never identify them. People live to find their purpose, but others only live for the containment of money. Currency is just a simple piece of paper that can be burned, ripped, or even thrown away. So why do people value money more than their life? That is a question maybe Tom Walker and his wife could answer. On another note, a soul is something that cannot be easily destroyed. People like Tom Walker and his wife would easily make the decision to trade their souls for the gift of money. In response to Tom’s wife’s actions, she was ripped apart and dead. The Devil eventually took Tim with him after he proved himself to be the greedy person he was. “The black man whisked him like a child into the saddle, gave the horse the lash, and away he galloped, with Tom on his back, in the midst of the thunderstorm” (Irving 14). No matter what kind of person someone is believed to be, they may have evil buried on the inside just waiting for the opportunity to
In “The Devil and Tom Walker,” written by Washington Irving’s, Tom Walker gives his soul to the devil for greediest. For example, in the story, it was said, “He accumulated bonds and mortgages, gradually squeezed his customers closer and closer and sent them at length, dry as a sponge, from his door.” This shows how greedy and selfish he was for not caring about what anyone else feels,
Both “The Devil and Tom Walker” and “The Devil and Daniel Webster” are exemplary specimens of Faustian myths, and as such have very many similarities and concurrences. But, they also emphasize different aspects of the characters and their respective personalities. These two commendable stories serve as excellent chronicles of literature and as worthy examples of moral lessons for all ages.
"About the year 1727, just at the time when earthquakes were prevalent in New England, and shook many tall sinners down upon their knees, there lived near this place a meager miserly fellow of the name of Tom Walker." (Irving) “The Devil and Tom Walker” is a short story written by Washington Irving in about 1824. The story is about a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for Pirate Kidd’s hidden treasure. The man, named Tom Walker, is a greedy, selfish man who thinks money is more important than his wife. “The Devil and Tom Walker” is the best short story example of Romanticism. The story uses escapism, nature as a form of spirituality, and imagination, which are all tenets of Romanticism.
In Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” Tom Walker was convinced by the devil to make a deal to sell his soul to him. “The Black Man told him of great sums of money which had been buried by Kidd the Pirate, under the oak trees on the ridge not far from the morass.” That quote from Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker,” explains why Tom was interested in selling his soul to
I must say that Tom Walker truly deserves what happened to him. In Tom’s mind he believed happiness in life can only come by money and wealth. During this time, life was not doing too well for Tom, in any case, he does deserve his fate. I truly believe he deserved what happened to him because Tom had made an agreement with the devil for some wealth in return. Also while making the arrangement the DEVIL had agreed to give him money "only on certain conditions" (Irving 325). To protect himself from all the consequences of the devil, Tom carries a bible around him at all times as a shield from the devil. Making an arrangement with the devil was the most awful choice Tom had made. In addition, selling your soul to the devil will make you have nothing
Walker again faces the tempting offer the devil gives him, he takes it with little regard of the consequences. “Not a man to stick at trifles where money was in view.” The quote states how greedy he was, and he doesn’t care for anyone else but himself, he tricks people to for money. Tom rips people off by selling their property for more then he bought it for. Tom was consumed by greed, it affected him in the long term. It slowly changes his character throughout the story and made him miserable the rest of his
Bernier, Lee. "Killing time without injuring eternity." : An Analysis of The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving. Blogspot, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. .
“The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving tells of a greedy man and his even greedier wife. Shortly into the story, Tom’s wife is killed by the Devil himself because she was far too greedy. Later, Tom makes a deal with the Devil and gets the life he always wanted. Obviously, there was a catch, and Tom had to constantly hinder the livelihood of others. Towards the end of his life he finally begins to see the cost and consequences of his choices in life, “He thought with regret of the bargain he had made with his black friend, and set his wits to work to cheat him out of the conditions” but it was too late. His life was that of the Devil’s now, and the Devil made sure to collect. This story depicts humankind as being greedy and
In the book of “The Devil and Tom Walker” marriage was where the most struggle lies.
It seems that money is the root of all evil and can make a man do things that he would
Can you imagine yourself locked up in a room with no doors? Similar to a room with no doors, there is no way out of hell if it was one's destiny. In the short story "The Devil & Tom Walker" by Washington Irving, the main character's fate is hell because of his wrong decisions in life, accepting a deal with the devil for earthly benefits. Irving reinforces his message about not making decisions that may damn your soul with the use of literary elements and figurative language. Wisely, Irving combines characterization, mood and point of view to perpetuate the theme of the story in the reader's mind.
Written during the American Romanticism period, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” by William Irving, personifies the belief in the primacy of imagination. The period of Romanticism in America is often seen as the crucial period of American culture, as it was the central movement of the Renaissance period that moved into a more free-feeling and artistic approach to literature. American Gothic literature made its early appearance with William Irving, first with “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in 1820, and carrying over to “The Devil and Tom Walker” in 1824, both of which use a macabre approach to establish a moral ending (Matterson). Told by a narrator known as Geoffrey Crayon, “The Devil and Tom Walker” takes on the tone of a legend or tall tale as the story describes the life of a greedy money lender by the name of Tom Walker, who sells his soul to the devil to gain wealth. Irving ultimately uses literary elements such as symbolism and character development, as well as themes such as greed and hypocrisy to establish a moral to the corrupt man’s tale.
In Washington Irving’s short story, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” Tom revolves his life around his own selfish wants. Tom and his wife were not a right match for each other. The trouble in their relationship is they would seek out the others stash of treasures to take as their own. In their mind they cannot be happy with what they already have, but imbedded in each other is the need for more. Greed overshadows Tom’s inner conscience, and he goes to great lengths to satisfy his wants. On one ordinary day Tom decides to take a shortcut home, “Like most shortcuts, it was an ill chosen route. The swamp was thickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlocks, some of them ninety feet high, which made it dark at noonday… (Irving 4).” Any typical human being would have enough common sense not to take a route through a dark, frightening swap. While resting in the swap, Tom met a strange “black man.” Tom’s wife fell into the trap many do, the idea of wealth caused her to fall into the hands of the devil. With his wife gone, he made a deal with the devil to open up a broker’s shop in order to ob...
We see that good vs. evil has been a theme that is ubiquitous in many writings. The story "The Devil and Tom Walker" is a story about a man who lives an immoral life of greed. Walker lives in a wooded area, where it is solemn, and quiet area of New England. Walker runs into the devil and sees that the devil is cutting down someone else's timber.
Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” includes great examples of Romanticism, such as symbols in nature having links to the supernatural, the importance of the inner nature, and the emphasis of the individual. In the story, Tom Walker is a selfish man who cares more about money than he does about anyone else, including his wife. One day, while he is walking through the woods, Tom Walker comes across the Devil, who makes a deal with him to exchange his soul for the treasure that is buried in those woods. Tom declines and returns back to his wife and tells her that he has passed on an opportunity that could bring them lots of money. Tom’s wife, outraged by his actions, decides to strike a deal of her own with the Devil and after several attempts, she never returns from the woods. The next time Tom goes to the woods he finds that his wife had been killed by the Devil. He finally agrees to make the deal with him, now that Tom doesn’t have to share anything with his wife. Tom ignores the Devil’s suggestion of becoming a slave-trader and becomes a moneylender instead. He gets wea...