Even Tom, a character driven by greed and self interest, will not engage in the slave trade. The rotted trees in the forest: the moral decay of society. The shortcut through the swamp: “shortcuts” to wealth. Throughout the story, Walker’s estranged and miserly relationship with his wife, his self-beneficial life choices that harm others, and his unfortunate and pitiful death, demonstrate horrible occurrences in a greed-filled lifestyle. Let all griping money-brokers lay this story to heart.” Hypocrisy . "The Devil and Tom Walker" is an example of romanticism in American literature. An American literary folk tale, “The Devil and Tom Walker” condemns the greed and moral decay prevalent in colonial New England. Mrs. Walker is a person who just wants all the treasure for herself and is a very greedy. The Devil and Tom Walker Summary. Tom Walker: greed and hypocrisy. In this article of Literary criticism for The Devil and Tom Walker by Joyce Moss and George Wilson, Moss and Wilson point out some key themes and ideas behind the short story, including greed and selfishness, and also focuses on the events that influenced Irving's story. Tom walker and his wife had a very unstable relationship. This story is about a man named Tom Walker who took a shortcut home one day and ended up at an abandoned Indian fort, or at least he thought it was abandoned. In the story “ The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving, the theme of greed is exaggerated through Tom Walker’s life story. The Bible buried under mortgage papers: greed and moral decay. This is a strong condemnation of … The theme of the story is how greed will make people do whatever it takes to get what they want and for Tom Walker, it is talking and making a deal with the evil, mischievous devil. THEMES IN THE DEVIL AND TOM WALKER. One theme found in The Devil and Tom Walker is greed has consequences. Romanticism within literature stretched the inner feelings of characters and challenged them to change their pasts. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. My favorite story to read was, "The Devil and Tom Walker." What does the narrator reveal about Mrs. Walker's thoughts and feelings? When approached by the Devil, also know as "Old Scratch, Tom is offered great wealth and riches beyond his imagination. The Devil ( Old Scratch): temptation. Mrs. Walker's reaction to the devil's offer is that Tom should do it. Social Commentary. Immediately he accepts the offer and says he will do what ever it takes to get the riches, basically selling his soul to the devil. Irving incorporates entrapment when he explains Tom Walker's house and how “The house and its inmates had altogether a bad name” (Irving 322). Theme Of Greed In The Devil And Tom Walker 960 Words | 4 Pages. Hypocrisy is evident throughout “The Devil and Tom Walker.” When agreeing to the terms of the deal, Tom refuses to become a slave-trade because he claims to have a conscience. Irving’s moral is clear:”Such was the end of Tom Walker and his ill-gotten wealth. The Devil and Tom Walker Theme: "The Devil and Tom Walker" is a short story by Washington Irving, first published in a collection called Tales of a Traveler in 1824. One story containing the theme of entrapment is “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. Romanticism was an artistic movement in the 19th century that promoted individuality, emotion, love and nature. Irving’s tale makes strong social commentary against the slave trade and religious persecution. 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