In the following essay, Nebeker extends critic Henry B. Rule's discussion of the role of Satan in "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg," arguing against Rule's assertion that the "man" of the title refers to Satan.

Regarding Professor Henry B. Rule's article "The Role of Satan in "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg"' (Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 6, Fall, 1969), I suggest that his thesis can be strengthened and extended by taking a second look at the identity of the Corrupter. The assumption prevails that the Man of the title is naturally the Stranger alias Stephenson, or by extension, as Mr. Rule so carefully develops, Satan. However, in contradiction, and completely supported by the text of the story, I believe that the reference is not to Satan but to another who is fully revealed as the story unfolds. This premise takes Mr. Rule's explication one step further, both in...