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The Devil And Tom Walker Imagery Analysis

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Imagery is used to help create a more imaginative and well developed story. These stories started to become more popular during the time of the Romantic and Transcendentalist. Washington Irving was an extremely popular author during this time, who was also an author that stretched and tested the limits of past authors’ styles, as well as creating his own new style. Washington Irving’s short storyThe Devil and Tom Walker” is a retelling of a Germanic Faust legend. In the story Tom Walker finds himself in a deep in the forest and comes face to face with the Devil. The Devil tries to make an agreement with Tom, this agreement will make Tom extremely rich. Tom ruminates over the choice he is given. His wife avidly wants him to accept the proposal …show more content…

Irving theme in this short story is that all action have consequences. In the story Tom tries to trick the Devil by becoming more pious that others who have religious their entire lives. However, it does not work, because one day the Devil comes back for Tom “holding a black horse, which neighed and stamped with impatience” (Irving 359). This small segment of imagery supports the theme, because the horse is anxious and impatient as if it has waited a long time to be here and take Tom away to what he deserves. The reader can imagine a horse that is rearing and ready to go. It demonstrates that even if Tom protected himself for a little while the Devil still came back to dispense the consequences for the deal he and Tom made together. Tom worked as a usurer to gain a large fortune that he wanted, just so he could flaunt it in an ostentatious manner. However he wanted to get this money easily by bartering with the Devil to find an agreement that made him rich quickly. He did get this money but he suffered consequences because of it, and when the black horse swept him away all of his earthly treasure disappeared as well. “All his bonds and mortgages were reduced to cinders”, his chest of gold and silver was “filled with chips and shavings”, and where his two horse were “two skeletons lay in his stable” (Irving 359). He was never able to enjoy the money he made, because of the actions he took to gain it. On the other hand, Tom never did enjoy his money, because of his stingy nature. Tom wanted all the money he could get his hands on, but he never wanted to spend a dime. In addition with the added fear of the Devil coming at any time Tom was always on edge and at peace. He made a deal with the Devil and the Devil made him suffer the consequences of his actions. Old Scratch and his black horse carried him off after Tom agonized under the unknown time the Devil’s return.

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