http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbJrmi6CZlY
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Ms. Ellison
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Character Analysis; The Devil and Tom Walker
Read the following short story by Washington Irving. You may listen to it only if you have earbuds of your own. Afterwards you are to write a character analysis. In other words, what can you infer about the characters after reading or listening to the story. Tell me whether or not you are using direct or indirect characterizations. In your second paragraph I want you to provide me with as many themes as possible and give me explanations as to why you feel it is a theme. Once you have done this, go back and read a few of your peers responses and make comments on whether or not you agree or disagree and tell me why. Use the text as proof for your inferences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbJrmi6CZlY
Happy Blogging!!
Ms. Ellison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbJrmi6CZlY
Happy Blogging!!
Ms. Ellison
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Old Scratch is the guise for the Devil, who appears in "The Devil and Tom Walker'' as a dark-skinned man. Readers are told, however, that he is neither Indian (Native American) nor white. He has deep red eyes, wears a red sash, and carries his axe on his shoulder. He is the one who tempts Tom Walker with the proposition of wealth and who ultimately condemns him to ride a horse through the swamp where they made their bargain. The Devil's actions are similar to those he exhibits in other stories in which he is a featured character. In the Faust legend, as retold by Johann Goethe from German folklore, the Devil also strikes a deal with a man who desires wealth. It is the Devil's usual place in literature to tempt other characters, often by providing some hapless character a deal "too good to refuse." In "The Devil and Daniel Webster," written by Stephen Vincent Benet almost a century after Irving's story, a farmer who is down on his luck sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for seven years' prosperity. In Benet's tale, the Devil is also known as Scratch. In "Tom Walker," Old Scratch personifies temptation, which has existed ostensibly since the Garden of Eden, providing a colorful and dramatic way to present a character's conflict between choosing good and evil.I am using direct characterization.
ReplyDeleteThe theme is Tom is greedy enough not to want to share his wealth with his wife so he calls off the deal. As soon as he finds out that his wife is dead he goes to bargain with the devil. He becomes rich, but because of his greed, he continues cheating people out of their money. He never finishes furnishing his house and never feeds his horses.
He is a hypocrite because he says he wouldn't do the slave trade yet he is having the poor people make his money for him, which is basically slavery.
the scratch is the devil that appears with tom and walker..I can infer that the story is kind of mystery because..Tom had long been picking his way cautiously through this treacherous forest; stepping from tuft to tuft of rushes and roots which afforded precarious footholds among deep sloughs; or pacing carefully, like a cat, along the prostrate trunks of trees; startled now and then by the sudden screaming of the bittern, or the quacking of a wild duck, rising on the wing from some solitary pool.and I can infer that he is not scared because the story says that he clims in top of trees and that his and indian.. I can infer that in new englad was a lot of tornados and earthquake in 1770 because About the year 1727, just at the time when earthquakes were prevalent in New England, and shook many tall sinners down upon their knees, there lived near this place a meagre miserly fellow of the name of Tom Walker.
ReplyDeleteIts obious to me that the black figure that is'nt negro nor white is the devil. There are many inferences in this story. The Fact that tyhe horse has exposed ribs is a given sign that this couple was poor and the grass was limited for the horse to feed on. Another reason to believe this family is unfortunate is the fact that they always look for valuebale which the typical rich or middle class wouldnt have to worry about. I can also infer that the couple are miserable together and have no more love left toward eachother. The way the wife hides certian things she comes across from her husband show that there is no trust or loyalty between them as well. The reason that makes me believe that they have no more love for eachother is beacuse when the wifes missing sure Tom was worried where she went but that was because she took house hold vaulbales. when he found her heart and liver he felt no sarrow. I think the devil killed her in order to keep her out of Toms head. Another infer i came up with is that the Dacon Peabody is a hypocrite , the story compares him to a tree that is decent on the out but as rotten on the inside.
ReplyDeleteThemes in the story are very well interperded. The land that Tom and his wife lived on was forest like and swampy. It tells of mossy grassy land and muddy land.The theme when Tom meet the black figure was in the forest I know this because of the trees. These trees had names of certain townes people, Which I believe the devil has his eyes set on. The story mentions Crowninshield which is a name of rich man of the colony the black figure says its ready for burning , I infer these tree are souls. When Tom found the skull I think it is the The Black woodsman.
the scratch is the devil that appears with tom and walker..I can infer that the story is like a mystery. "Tom had long been picking his way cautiously through this treacherous forest. stepping from tuft to tuft of rushes and roots which afforded precarious footholds along the prostrate trunks of trees; startled now and then by the sudden screaming of the bittern, or the quacking of a wild duck, rising on the wing from some solitary pool." I can infer that he is not scared because the story says that he climbs in top of trees and that his and an Indian. I can infer that in new England was a lot of tornadoes and earthquake in 1770 because About the year 1727, just at the time when earthquakes were prevalent in New England, and "shook many tall sinners down upon their knees, there lived near this place a meager miserly fellow of the name of Tom Walker." and it seems this time was back when committing a sin was a very big crime.
ReplyDelete"the land that tom and his wife lived on was forest like and swampy"
i can infer by that , that they really didn't live in a good environment. it was muddy, and grassy, so they must if lived out side. but the people in middle class or rich lived in a good place. and seems that all the rough things the poor couples go through, makes them grow apart. the story compares one of the characters to a tree as decent on the outside but rotten om the inside.