Greed In Washington Irving's The Devil And Tom Walker

The age old story of selling one’s soul to the devil has always been around. Despite the inevitable consequences, characters seem willing to make this deal in hopes of obtaining their heart’s desires. While the characters from the three selections read were motivated by different longings, their end result remained the same. (Greed, revenge and fame are powerful driving forces for anyone.) Foremost, the allure of being able to obtain that which you want most could tempt a saint on any given day. Tom Walker, however, is no saint we learn early on in Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker.” Tom is described as a “meager miserly fellow” who was so “miserly” that he often cheated his wife out their “common property.” The fact that the devil “conceived an especial kindness” for Tom further illustrates that Tom’s greed was strong; he was a man that the likes of the devil enjoyed sitting around and chatting with at length. When the devil offered Tom riches in exchange for his soul, Tom ultimately and eagerly takes the deal and clearly demonstrates his greed once more by upping the amount of interest the devil tells him to charge. Even though Tom did not seek out the devil, it is his …show more content…
Johnson, desires to be a respected guitarist and singer. Finally growing tired of “taunts and jeers” thrown at him while on stage he mysteriously vanishes for several months. It is believed that this is when he went to the “Crossroads” to seek the devil’s favor. Upon his return he is suddenly able to “memorize” audiences with his “mournful voice” and expert playing of the guitar. He achieved what he always wanted and became the “father of rock-n-roll.” Experts were “mystified by some sounds Robert Johnson was able to produce with his guitar” stating there was “no manner in which one human being could play such music by

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Greed In Washington Irving's The Devil And Tom Walker