The story follows Tom Walker, a miserly man who takes a shortcut through a swamp. He encounters the Devil, disguised as a black man. The Devil offers Tom buried treasure and prosperity if Tom sells his soul. Tom agrees and becomes a ruthless money lender. Years later, his greed catches up to him when he remarks that the Devil can take him if he has made a farthing from his dealings, upon which the Devil appears to claim Tom's soul.

1. THE DEVIL AND TOM WALKER BY WASHINGTON IRVING

2. Characters Tom Very miserly Suspicious Tom’s Wife Miserly Termagant Yelled and hit Tom Hid things from him

3. Tom heads home Tom takes a shortcut across what? “ Like most shortcuts, it was an ill chosen route” Pg.351

4. Imagery Imagery (What is it?) “ The swamp was thickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlock, some of them ninety feet high, which made it dark at noonday, and a retreat for all of the owls of the neighborhood.”

5. Imagery http://www.flickr.com/photos/benimoto/762478050/sizes/s/in/photostream/

6. Tom takes a rest Where does Tom rest? An old Indian stronghold. Pg. 352 What does Tom uncover with his walking stick? “… a cloven skull, with an Indian tomahawk buried deep in it…” Pg 352 http://www.flickr.com/photos/47966865@N08/4478592538/

7. Tom meets someone What did this man look like? “… great black man…” “… the stranger was neither Negro nor Indian.” “… dressed in a rude half-Indian garb…”

8. Tom meets someone More Imagery Fun!!! “… his face was neither black or copper-color, but swarthy and dingy, and begrimed with soot. As if he had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges.” Shaggy black hair, red eyes, and an ax Can you find more imagery?

9. They talk a bit Who’s forest is this? Deacon Peabody “ Look yonder, and see how Deacon Peabody is fairing.” “… behold one of the great trees, fair and flourishing without, but rotten to the core,…” What does that mean?

10. Symbolism Symbolism A symbol is something that represents or suggests something else. It usually is something abstract. What do the trees symbolize? Pg. 353 “ He’s just ready for burning!”

11. What’s my name? “ I go by various names…” “ I amuse myself by presiding at the persecutions of Quakers and Anabaptists; I am the great patron and prompter of slave dealers, and the grand master of the Salem witches.”

12. What’s my name? Old Scratch Who is he? What is your view of the Devil? http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggoconnell/534878733/sizes/s/in/photostream/

13. Gold? Who has buried gold in the area? The pirate Kidd What’s the deal Tom is offered? What does he get? What does he have to give? Tom wants proof. What does he get? A fingerprint burned on his forehead.

14. Bad News or Good News? Why was the news about Crowninshield’s death from his wife important? Pg. 354-355 How does his wife react to the his story? Why does he decide not to make the deal?

15. Bad News or Good News “… he was determined not to do so to oblige his wife; so he flatly refused, out of mere spirit of contradiction.” What does she decide to do herself? Did it work?

16. Bad News or Good News? What did she bring with her the second time around? “… the silver teapot and spoons, and every portable article of value.” Tom looked for her and found what?

17. Bad News or Good News? What happened to her? Any proof? Pg. 356 What was around the base of the tree? “ Old Scratch must have had a tough time of it!” Meaning?

18. Lets make a deal! The one condition for the deal “… he (Old Scratch) insisted that the money found through his means should be employed in his service” Pg. 356 What does this mean?

19. Lets make a deal! What does Tom refuse to do? Why is that funny? Tom agrees to be a usurer? What is that? “ You shall extort bonds, foreclose mortgages, drive the merchants to bankruptcy”

20. Open For Business Where does Tom open up his business? What type of people come to him? What type of people are these guys?

21. Open for Business Was Tom doing well? Avarice? Vainglory? Parsimony?

22. Change of Heart? Tom is now older and starts to worry about death. Why? He becomes a “violent churchgoer” He was a “…censurer of his neighbors, and seemed to think every sin entered up to their account became a credit on his own side of the page” Pg. 358

23. Change of heart? Wants to start persecuting Quakers and Anabaptists again. Carried a small bible in his pocket

24. Change of Heart Kept a large one on his work desk Kept his horse ready at all times so he could”…give his old friend a run for it.” Why?

25. Be careful what you say… What is the land-jobber trying to do? “ You have made so much money out of me.” What were the words that did Tom in?

26. Be careful what you say “ The Devil take me if I have made a farthing!” What happened? “… never was a sinner taken more unawares.” Page 359

27. There’s always a lesson What happened to Tom’s stuff? “… his bonds and mortgages were found reduced to cinders.” Gold and silver were turned into wood chips His horses died and his house burnt down

28. There’s always a lesson “ Let all griping money brokers lay this story to heart.” Why? “ The very hole under the oak trees whence he dug Kidd’s money is to be seen to this day; and the neighboring swamp and old Indian fort are often haunted in stormy nights…” Why is this part here? Why not end at Tom being taken or after his stuff disappears? Moral?

29. Textbook Sherman, Marilyn, and James Dedes. Reading Literature. Evanston, IL: McDougal, Littell, 1990. Print.