American Literature
“The Devil and Tom Walker” pp. 234 - 245
Name
Read the introductory information on pp. 234 – 235 and answer the following
questions:
1.
Why is Washington Irving noteworthy?
2.
What book made Washington Irving famous during his lifetime?
3.
What are two of Irving’s most famous stories that have stood the test of time?
4.
Why was Irving’s patriotism questioned?
5.
What is the story of the Faust legend about?
6.
How does Irving communicate the cultural attitudes of his lifetime in his
stories?
7.
What is an adjective clause?
8.
What is an omniscient narrator?
Read the story, “The Devil and Tom Walker” and answer the following questions:
9. What is the legend surrounding the story of Captain Kidd’s treasure?
American Literature
“The Devil and Tom Walker” pp. 234 - 245
10. Why did Kidd never claim his treasure?
11. Why might Irving have included the detail about earthquakes? What does it
suggest?
12. What do we learn about the Walkers?
13. How does Tom Walker’s community feel about the old fort? What were their
attitudes toward Native Americans?
14. What does Tom find by the old fort?
15. In what ways does the man resemble the devil?
16. Why didn’t Tom fear the devil?
17. What offer did the Devil make to Tom?
18. How did Tom realize all that the black man had told him was true, and so he
must be the Devil?
American Literature
“The Devil and Tom Walker” pp. 234 - 245
19. Why did Mrs. Walker set out toward the old Indian fort herself?
20. What do you suppose happened to Mrs. Walker?
21. What did Tom climb the tree to get? What did he find instead?
22. Why didn’t the black man reappear when Tom called for him?
23. How does Tom finally get the Devil to appear?
24. What agreement is made between Tom and the Devil?
25. How did Tom become “a rich and mighty man”?
26. How does Tom change as he gets older? How might you explain this change?
27. Does Tom really change, or is it just for appearance? For whom is he putting
on a show?
American Literature
“The Devil and Tom Walker” pp. 234 - 245
28. How does Tom Walker disappear?
29. What happened to Tom Walker’s material wealth?
30. What might the moral of this story be?