In the 16th century in plays and legends, the fantasy of making a deal with the devil which sacrifice’s a person’s morality became common. This is called a Faustian Tale, and in numerous books and stories they are used to startle people and to advise people to not make deals with the devil. Such deals appears in “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving and in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The short story is about a man who declines a deal with the devil, but once his wife disappears, he decides to make an agreement and exchange his soul for wealth. Eventually, the devil carries him away and he is never to be seen again. “The Devil and Tom Walker” presents many Faustian elements and its moral and display of this form of a
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Washington Irving clearly states what is happening in the story and does not add the information through side notes that get mixed with other information. Irving makes Tom explain who people are to make it clear for the reader, especially when Tom meets the devil and says, “‘The upshot of all which is that, if I mistake not,’ said Tom, sturdily, ‘you are he commonly called Old Scratch.’” This allows the reader to fully understand what is happening and piece together what happens in the story. By being straightforward, Irving allows his message to be understood very quickly. Since this is a short story, Irving has to be terse because then it will be too long to read quickly. Irving has a finite space to write his story, so he does not have many options. Additionally, Irving makes thoughtful comments by using figurative language instead of lengthy descriptions. When Irving is explaining to the reader just how greedy the Walkers are, he says, “He had a wife as miserly as himself: they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other.” This hyperbole forces the reader to think, but it is relatable and quick to comprehend. Since this short story is easier to comprehend, it is very
Washington Irving clearly states what is happening in the story and does not add the information through side notes that get mixed with other information. Irving makes Tom explain who people are to make it clear for the reader, especially when Tom meets the devil and says, “‘The upshot of all which is that, if I mistake not,’ said Tom, sturdily, ‘you are he commonly called Old Scratch.’” This allows the reader to fully understand what is happening and piece together what happens in the story. By being straightforward, Irving allows his message to be understood very quickly. Since this is a short story, Irving has to be terse because then it will be too long to read quickly. Irving has a finite space to write his story, so he does not have many options. Additionally, Irving makes thoughtful comments by using figurative language instead of lengthy descriptions. When Irving is explaining to the reader just how greedy the Walkers are, he says, “He had a wife as miserly as himself: they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other.” This hyperbole forces the reader to think, but it is relatable and quick to comprehend. Since this short story is easier to comprehend, it is very