The Devil and Tom Walker Analysis

With "The Devil and Tom Walker," Washington employs the development of atmosphere and tone to express his theme. The atmosphere is set mainly through setting and character description. The meeting with the Devil transpires near an abandoned Indian fort where the natives were rumored to have "held incantations and made sacrifices to the evil spirit." Tom's shortcut home is described quite grimly as well. The mire, or morass, is described as precarious, treacherous, dark, and stagnant. Also, a religious undertone is set early on with "...just at the time when earthquakes were prevalent in New England, and shook many tall sinners down upon their knees." The morbid and religious atmosphere set by Irving helps to portray his interpretations of greed, immorality, and miserliness. The combination of Puritan New England and the swamp setting give off a feeling of condemnation and retribution.

The tone of "The Devil and Tom Walker" gives the story its irony. It is straightforward, yet descriptive at the same time. The story seems to be told by an experienced raconteur, an older man attempting to teach a lesson with bravado and simplicity, so the younger kin can comprehend. He talks about grim subjects, while maintaining complete control of the story and progressing the plot. The manner in which Tom finds the skull is representative of this story-telling, " He raked it out of the vegetable mould, and lo! a cloven skull with an Indian tomahawk buried deep in it, lay before him." Also, Irving builds on his developed atmosphere with a morbid tone to match. The story-teller takes time out of the story to describe the rotting of the trees, the eerie qualities of the Indian fort, and the Devil himself. These almost over the top descriptions build on the fear and condemnation of greed and miserliness that Irving is attempting to explain.