What does the Indian fort represent in The Devil and Tom Walker?

What does the Indian fort represent in The Devil and Tom Walker?

The Devil and Tom Walker – Emblems / Symbols: The Indian Fort=cultural attitudes toward Native Americans, since this is where “Indians” made sacrifices to the Devil, one can infer that the Native Americans were regarded as savages. The Devil = evil, temptation, and the road to hell.

Why do you think Tom’s wife visits the old fort in the swamp?

A4. What motivates Tom’s wife to meet with the Devil? Greed and spite. She wants money and is mad that Tom won’t accept the deal.

Who is the black woodsman?

When Tom Walker takes a shortcut home and travels into the dark, gloomy swamp, he comes across the mysterious “black woodsman.” The black woodsman that approaches Tom Walker is the devil, who is also known as Old Scratch.

What does Old Scratch symbolize in The Devil and Tom Walker?

In “The Devil and Tom Walker,” the character of Old Scratch personifies evil or temptation. The murky woods full of quagmires in which Tom meets the devil are symbolic of his conscience, which, clouded by his greed, falls easily to the devil’s temptation.

Why does Tom’s wife go into the woods?

After hearing Tom’s report of the deal he had been offered by the devil, whereby he could basically “sell his soul” in return for great wealth (the gold buried by Kidd the pirate), Tom’s wife goes into the forest to make her own deal since Tom refuses to do so. She is never heard from again.

What does Tom leave behind when he dies?

In “The Devil and Tom Walker,” the trustees appointed to take charge of Tom’s wealth after his death find that nothing of value remains. The bonds and mortgages are “reduced to cinders,” and his treasure chest contains wood shavings in place of gold and silver.

What does the devil look like in The Devil and Tom Walker?

The devil is described as a “great black man,” because his face is covered in soot and dirt. He wears a red belt, or sash, and carries a large axe upon his back. He also has black hair that sticks out in many directions and large red eyes. (Read extended character analysis of Old Scratch.)

What does Tom’s wife take with her to bargain with the devil?

what did Tom’s wife decided to do about the gold? Bargain with the devil herself- brought her apron full of silver teapots and spoons and other items of value.

Why does Tom have sympathy for old scratch after finding black hair?

he said “Old Scratch” must have had a tough time of it. He felt gratitude towards the black woodsman who had done him a kindness. Mean things to say about your wife!

How do you spell the devil’s name?

The devil is sometimes called Lucifer, particularly when describing him as an angel before his fall, although the reference in Isaiah 14:12 to Lucifer (Latin Luciferus, “bringer of light”), the “son of the dawn”, is a reference to a Babylonian king.

What is the last anyone sees of Tom?

What is the last anyone sees of Tom? The devil grabs Tom, who is totally unaware, and puts him on the back of his black horse. The last the clerks see of him is galloping away, totally out of control, out of town; in his night gown and cap.

What does the Devil want Tom to do for money?

The Devil will give Tom the treasure so long as Tom uses the money to make the Devil a profit. The Devil asks Tom to become a slave trader, but Tom has no desire to join this profession. Instead, Tom suggests that he will become a usurer (a moneylender), an occupation to which the Devil agrees.

Where does Tom meet the Devil in Tom Sawyer?

Tom meets the devil, Old Scratch, at an abandoned Indian fort hidden away in the swamplands. Old Scratch offers Tom riches hidden by Captain Kidd in exchange for “certain conditions.”

What is the theme of the Devil and Tom Walker?

“The Devil and Tom Walker” may be a short story, but quite a bit takes place in its few pages. The events—and the locations in which they take place—really drive the overarching theme of the story: avarice and its consequences. The events of the story can be divided into two locations:

When was the Devil and Tom Walker first published?

“The Devil and Tom Walker” was first published in 1824 among a collection of short stories called “Tales of a Traveller,” which Irving wrote as Geoffrey Crayon, one of his pseudonyms.

What does the Devil in disguise tell Walker about the treasure?

While walking through the swamp, Walker comes upon the devil, a great “black” man carrying an ax, whom Irving calls Old Scratch. The devil in disguise tells Walker about the treasure, saying that he controls it but will give it to Tom for a price. Walker agrees readily, without really considering what he is expected to pay in return—his soul.