Greed is a weird thing. It’s not just wanting stuff; it’s that gnawing feeling that you need more than the next guy, even if it kills you. That’s basically the heartbeat of Washington Irving’s 1824 short story, The Devil and Tom Walker. If you sat through American Lit in high school, you probably remember the swamp, the fingerprints on the forehead, and the miserable wife. But honestly? Most people miss the actual historical weight behind why Irving wrote this when he did.
He wasn't just spinning a spooky yarn for the sake of it.
The Reality Behind The Devil and Tom Walker
Irving published this story as part of his collection Tales of a Traveller, specifically under the "Money-Diggers" section. He was writing during a time when the United States was freaking out about its own identity. People were transitioning from old-school Puritan values to a cutthroat, capitalist mindset. Tom Walker is the personification of that shift. He’s a "meagre, miserly fellow" living in a shaky house near Boston around 1727.
The setting isn't random. Irving picks the Charles Bay area for a reason.
It’s where rumors of Captain Kidd’s buried treasure lived. Everyone knew the stories of Kidd being hanged in 1701, leaving behind chests of gold guarded by—you guessed it—the devil. When Tom wanders into that swamp, he isn't just taking a shortcut. He’s walking into a graveyard of colonial sins. He finds a skull with a tomahawk in it. He sees trees marked with the names of wealthy, "pious" men who were actually corrupt.
It's a literal forest of secrets.
Who is Old Scratch, anyway?
Let’s talk about the antagonist. He isn't a red guy with a pitchfork. Irving describes him as a "black man" (meaning covered in soot, like a woodsman or a smith) with a shock of coarse black hair. He calls himself Old Scratch. In folklore, this is a distinct version of the devil—the "Grandmaster of the Woods."
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He doesn't force Tom into anything. That's the kicker.
Old Scratch just presents the opportunity. Tom is so naturally wretched that he doesn't even fear the devil at first. Most people would run screaming. Tom? He goes home to talk it over with his wife. Their relationship is legendary for being terrible. They conspire to cheat each other. When his wife disappears into the swamp to make her own deal, Tom doesn't care that she’s likely dead; he’s just worried she took the silver teapots with her.
When he finds her apron hanging in a tree with nothing but a heart and liver inside? He actually feels relieved. He figures the devil did him a favor by getting rid of her.
The Economic Horror of the 1820s
You have to look at the "Job" the devil gives Tom. At first, Scratch suggests Tom become a slave trader. Even for a guy as soulless as Tom Walker, that’s a bridge too far. He refuses. It’s one of the few moments where Irving shows a sliver of a moral line, though it’s also a commentary on the abolitionist sentiments growing in the North at the time.
So, they settle on usury.
Tom becomes a money-lender in Boston. This is where the story stops being a ghost story and starts being a social critique. The 1820s saw a massive economic boom and bust. People were losing their shirts. Speculation was rampant. Tom sets up shop and preys on the desperate. He builds a massive, hollow house—leaving the inside unfinished because he’s too cheap to furnish it. He buys a carriage but starves the horses.
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He’s the ultimate "empty suit."
The Panic and the Bible
As Tom gets older, he gets scared. He realizes his contract is coming due. So, what does he do? He becomes a "violent churchgoer." It’s hilarious and pathetic. He prays loudly to drown out his own sins. He carries a small Bible in his pocket and keeps a large one on his desk.
But look at the detail Irving includes: Tom is found buried under a mortgage he was about to foreclose on.
When the devil finally comes for him—knocking three times during a thunderstorm—Tom is caught without his Bible. He’d left it at the bottom of his coat pocket. He’s whisked away on a black horse, and all his wealth turns to dust. His gold coins become shavings, his bonds become ashes, and his horses become skeletons.
Why This Story Still Sticks
Critics like William L. Hedges have pointed out that Irving was essentially mocking the "get rich quick" schemes of his era. But the reason we still read it is the atmosphere. Irving was the first American writer to really "own" the gothic style and transplant it into the New England woods.
The Devil and Tom Walker isn't just about a deal with the devil. It’s about the fact that if you’re already a monster, the devil doesn't have to do much work.
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There are a few things people get wrong about the ending:
- The Treasure: It was never really Tom's. It was always Kidd's, and the devil was just the custodian. Tom was just a middleman for his own damnation.
- The Wife: Some readers think she was a victim. She wasn't. She went looking for the devil. She brought the silver as a bribe. She fought the devil and lost—literally leaving behind hair on the ground.
- The Woods: They aren't just a setting; they are a ledger. Every tree represents a soul. When the tree is chopped down for firewood, that person dies.
Actionable Insights for Reading Irving
If you’re revisiting this story or teaching it, don't just look for the "moral." Look for the satire. Irving was a funny guy, albeit a dark one.
- Map the Geography: Trace the actual Charles River locations. Seeing the real-world marshes makes the "imaginary" horror feel way more grounded.
- Compare to Faust: Most people call this a "Faustian" tale. Compare Tom to Goethe's Faust. Faust wanted knowledge and experience; Tom just wanted a bigger bank account. It makes Tom look much smaller and meaner.
- Check the Symbolism: Look at the horses. In literature, horses often represent vitality or the soul. Tom’s horses are always "starved" and "miserable." He’s literally starving his own spirit from page one.
- Contextualize the 1820s: Read up on the Panic of 1819. It explains why Irving’s audience was so terrified of bank foreclosures and "land jobbers."
The story ends with the legend that the swamp is still haunted. People say they see a man on a horse in a white cap and a nightgown. Honestly, the scariest part isn't the ghost. It's the idea that someone would sell everything for a house they don't even like.
Next time you’re reading about a modern financial scandal or a "too good to be true" investment, remember Tom. He’s still out there in the swamp, looking for his Bible.
To truly understand the impact of this work, examine how Irving uses the landscape as a reflection of the character's internal decay. The rotting trees are not merely obstacles; they are the physical manifestation of a community's moral bankruptcy. By focusing on the specific historical anxieties of the early 19th century, Irving created a blueprint for the American Gothic that writers like Poe and Hawthorne would later refine. This isn't just a fairy tale; it is a warning about the hollowness of a life built solely on the acquisition of material goods at the expense of human connection. Study the text for its use of irony, particularly in how Tom's attempt to use religion as a shield ultimately fails because his heart remains unchanged. Look closely at the descriptions of the "swamp" as a labyrinth, a common trope that signifies the loss of moral direction. By dissecting these elements, you gain a deeper appreciation for why this narrative remains a staple of the American literary canon nearly two centuries after its initial publication.