The Devil and Tom Walker – Activity Packet
KEY TERMS:
Stagnant –
Treacherous –
Eminent –
Consecrated –
Persecutions –
Avarice –
Resolute –
Sullen –
Propitiatory –
Haggle –
Obstinate –
Superfluous –
Piety –
Zeal –
Squeamish –
Censurer KEY EXAMPLES:
1. Define folktale. What traits make “The Devil and Tom Walker” a folktale?
2. Define Romanticism.
3. Give an example of the supernatural within the story.
4. Give an example of didactic literature within the story.
5. Give an example of a theme within the story.
6. Romantic stories are said to reveal the truth of the human heart. What does this
story reveal about human nature and emotions?
SORTING IT OUT – READING GUIDE:
1. Near what city is the setting?
2. What bad trait do both Tom Walker and his wife possess? How is this
demonstrated by the way they gather eggs?
3. What evidence is there that Tom and his wife are fighting?
4. Where does Tom Walker’s shortcut lead him? For what is the area known?
5. Describe the stranger that Walker meets. Who is he?
6. Why does the devil say that Deacon Peabody will be damned? What else do we
learn Deacon Peabody has done which might be seen as a sin?
7. What does the tree with Deacon Peabody’s name on it show about him? (How
is it used as a symbol of his character?)
8. After the devil cuts down a tree, what does he do with it? What is that a symbol
of?
9. What offer does the stranger make Walker? Why does Tom Walker refuse the
first offer?
10. When his wife hears Tom’s story, what is her reaction? How does this change
Tom’s attitude?
11. What happens the first time Tom’s wife encounters the devil? What does she
take the second time?
The Devil and Tom Walker – Activity Packet
12. What does Tom find when he goes looking for his wife? What is his reaction?
13. What happens to Walker’s wife?
14. Identify three of the stories explaining the disappearance of Tom Walker’s wife.
15. What deal does Tom Walker make with the devil? What is the result of the
deal?
16. What does Walker tell the land jobber who begs him to extend his loan for a
few months because Tom already has so much money?
17. What finally happens to Walker?
18. What happens to Walker’s riches?
19. What is the saying or proverb that became popular in New England as a result
of the story?
THINK CRITICALLY: In your opinion, could Tom Walker have escaped the consequences
of his bargain with Old Scratch? Explain (in 3-4 sentences).
THE WRITER’S STYLE: Writers use a variety of elements to create humor, including
ridiculous characters, absurd situations and images, exaggeration, understatement, and
situational irony. Write a well-developed paragraph explaining which of these
elements make this story humorous? (Cite specific examples from the story.)
LITERARY ANALYSIS—IMAGERY: Before you read the story, you were asked to pay close
attention to Irving’s imagery—the descriptive words and phrases a writer uses to recreate sensory experiences. Think of imagery as a multimedia presentation in your
mind. The pictures, sounds, physical sensations, and sometimes tastes and smells that
you imagine as you read help you interpret what is going on in a story.
ACTIVITY: Identify the imagery in the following passages, and discuss how it supports
characterization, plot and/or theme: (This should be completed, drawn, & labeled)
1) the description of the trees marked with the names of men in the colony
2) the description of Tom’s search for his wife in the forest
3) the description of Tom’s house, horses, and carriage
4) the description of Tom’s being carried off by the devil
LITERARY ANALYSIS—NARRATOR: Another interesting element of this story is its
omniscient (all-knowing) narrator, who stands outside the action of the story and
reports what different characters are thinking.
1) What seems to be the narrator’s attitude toward the events of the story?
2) What does Irving gain by using this type of narrator rather than having Tom relate
the events?
CREATIVE ENTRY: Compare people you know (or yourself) to Tom Walker. What are
the traits in his personality that perhaps might also be found in someone you know
(or yourself)? Have you known someone who has lived on the wild side only to
change later in life? Have you known someone who is living that kind of life now
with little thought about the consequences? What message would you like to give
to that person? What message might you give yourself? What is the moral of this
The Devil and Tom Walker – Activity Packet
short story and how does this moral apply to all of us?
OR
Create an updated version of the story. This may be in the form of a short story,
one-act play, or video.
WRITING A SUMMARY: Summarize Tom’s wfie’s journeys into the forest. Use the summary
checklist to help you with your work.
Summary Checklist
_____ words used are my own
_____ ideas stated are not my own or
distortions
of the author’s original ideas
_____ main idea of entire text stated in
beginning
sentence
_____ minor details and examples omitted/
main ideas included
_____ length is shorter than original The Devil and Tom Walker – Activity Packet
Main Events:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.