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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Tom seal his bargain with the devil?

2. What news does Tom's wife have for him when he returns from the swamp?

3. What mark does the devil leave on Tom?

4. What does Tom find in the mud of the swamp?

5. Why does Tom Walker originally go into the swamp?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the setting where Tom meets the devil.

2. What becomes of Tom Walker and all of his wealth?

3. What does Tom find in the mud of the swamp, and why does the narrator describe it as a memento?

4. What implicit racism is there in the description of the fort that once stood in the swamp?

5. What two reasons does the narrator give for Tom's fearlessness in the swamp and upon meeting the devil?

6. What is the significance of the devil's comment about Absalom Crowninshield's tree being ready to burn?

7. How does Tom treat his horses, and what does this illustrate about his character?

8. Before Tom and the devil part, how does the devil seal his side of the bargain and what does this allude to?

9. What recent events lead to Tom's business being so successful?

10. What are some of the details of the plants and animals in the swamp, and what do they signify?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the story, Irving mentions a large number of professions. Write an essay in which you explain the pattern behind Irving's treatment of these professions. Which seem to be most openly condemned, which seem to be criticized by implication, and which seem to escape criticism entirely--if any? Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 2

In their time, Washington Irving stories like "The Devil and Tom Walker" were considered to be a kind of horror story. Write an essay in which you identify the elements of horror in this story and discuss how they do or do not succeed in creating a feeling of dread in a modern audience. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

As the story progresses, Tom becomes more like the devil. Write an essay in which you explore the idea that as he does the devil's work on earth, Tom takes on characteristics of the devil. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

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