The Devil And Tom Walker

“Let that skull alone!”

Old Scratch’s first words to Tom, telling him to put down the skull of a white settler killed with an Indian hatchet. The line establishes Old Scratch’s strident personality and foreshadows Tom’s demise, as his fate will be like that of the settler.

“This woodland belonged to me long before one of your white-faced race put foot upon the soil.” 

An example of irony in the tale, as the devil accuses the White settlers of corruption in seizing the land from the Indians as well as from him. Irving here follows folklore that claimed that some Indians worshipped the devil and killed White settlers in the devil’s name.

“Since the red men have been exterminated by you white savages, I amuse myself by presiding at the persecutions of Quakers and Anabaptists; I am the great patron and promoter of slave-dealers, and the grand-master of the Salem witches.” 

Part of Irving’s subtle yet powerful social commentary in the tale. He implies that genocide, slavery, and religious persecution are pleasing to the devil, thus implicitly denouncing those practices in his fellow Americans. Irving implies that those Americans who did these things in the past made a deal with the devil for their own selfish gain.

“So saying, he turned off among the thickest of the swamp, and seemed, as Tom said, to go down, down, down, into the earth, until nothing but his head and shoulders could be seen, and so on, until he totally disappeared.” 

Old Scratch’s dramatic exit leaves no doubt of his supernatural identity and the fact that he is indeed Satan or the devil. It also foreshadows Tom’s demise, as he will morally follow the devil down into Hell.

“Let the freebooter roast. Who cares!” 

Referring to the rotting tree symbolizing the corrupted soul of Absalom Crowninshield, Tom unwittingly alludes to his own future damnation at the hands of Old Scratch. “Freebooter” refers to someone who goes in search of plunder, i.e., a pirate.

“Egad […] Old Scratch must have had a tough time of it!” 

Tom comments on the signs of struggle (footprints, clumps of Old Scratch’s hair) left at the scene of his wife’s demise. This line is a bit of humorous commentary from Irving on marriage, and particularly henpecked husbands and strong-willed wives—one of the motifs of the story. Tom implies that a “female scold” is a good match for the devil.

“Tom consoled himself for the loss of his property, with the loss of his wife, for he was a man of fortitude.” 

Once again humorously playing on the theme of a mismatched marriage, Irving has Tom reacting with gratitude at his shrewish wife’s demise and ironically ascribing this to the virtue of fortitude. The line implies that Tom values material possessions more than his wife’s life. Thus, his moral corruption is more or less complete.

“[T]he old black-legs played shy, for whatever people may think, he is not always to be had for calling for: he knows how to play his cards when pretty sure of his game.” 

Irving explains how the devil behaves in this story world: The devil knows how to play upon or manipulate human beings to his advantage. Thus, when they meet for the second time, the devil affects indifference at first to lure Tom into his trap. The line also implies that people willingly go out to seek evil and the devil, rather than the devil always calling on them.

“He accumulated bonds and mortgages; gradually squeezed his customers closer and closer: and sent them at length, dry as a sponge, from his door.”

With typical economy of words, Irving describes the nature of Tom’s corrupt and ruthless business dealings. Such passages in Irving’s stories make a quick work of plot exposition and help to cover a period of time quickly so that readers can get to the story’s denouement.

“He prayed loudly and strenuously, as if heaven were to be taken by force of lungs. Indeed, one might always tell when he had sinned most during the week, but the clamor of his Sunday devotion.” 

This passage pithily sums up Tom’s new veneer of religious piety, which he hypocritically uses to cover up his moral corruption and selfishness. Now regretting his pact with the devil, Tom hopes to outwit him with the appearance of religiosity.

“Charity begins at home […] I must take care of myself in these hard times.” 

Tom twists a common proverb—usually meant to extol kindness to the people closest to one—to justify his selfish business practices. Tom uses the hard economic times as an excuse to look out for his own interests first.

“The devil take me if I have made a farthing!”

This blatant lie spoken by Tom immediately brings Old Scratch, who has come to take Tom away with him. What was meant merely as a figure of speech, a sort of blasphemous oath, becomes literal reality for Tom. Thus, this lie is Tom’s last sin. Irving shows once again that sinful behavior and duplicity will meet with punishment.

“Tom, you’re come for.” 

These ominous words are all that Old Scratch speaks when he comes to take Tom to Hell with him. The words imply Tom’s death; Old Scratch appears in the guise of the Grim Reaper, with a black horse. Old Scratch’s arrival is a direct result of Tom’s lie and unwitting invocation of the devil.