The tone in the devil and tom walker

Scott Lee
Mrs. Himes
10/02/07
H.A.L. P.6
Tone in The Devil and Tom Walker
In the short story, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” written by Washington Irving, the tone helps the readers to understand the characterization in the story. In the story, Tom and his wife are described, “there lived near this place a meager miserly fellow of the name of Tom Walker. He had a wife as miserly as himself; they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other” (Irving 237). This shows that they are described as greedy husband-and-wife. This also shows that Tom is not only greedy, but also stingy. Later on, when Tom became rich after selling his own soul to the Devil, he becomes greedier than before. The writer writes, “He even set up a carriage in the fullness of his vain glory, though he nearly starved the horses which drew it; and as the ungreased wheels groaned and screeched on the axle trees, you would have thought you heard the souls of the poor debtors he was squeezing” (Irving 243). This shows that Tom Walker is being much greedier that he does not even care about others. This also shows that Tom seems to be provoking his debtors and other people, too. In conclusion, the tone describes Tom as a bad, greedy guy.


*p.s : i really don't get this... i wrote like.. whatever....:(