Andrew Palmer

8 January, 2016
Period 4
Griffin
American Romanticism
During the 18th century, Washington Irving wrote the short story The Devil and Tom
Walker as an example of American romanticism. The short story centers around a greedy man
who sells his soul to the Devil by agreeing to destroy other lives with debt for worldly riches.
The Devil and Tom Walker proves be an American romanticism through the usage of emotion
and imagery.
Toms emotions towards treasure and his wife proves the short story uses romanticism.
Walkers hatred towards his wife and lust for money can be shown after the Devil killed his wife.
Walker assumed the hanged apron in the tree contained the money his wife stole and began to
climb to reach the apron. While climbing the tree Walker said, Let us get hold of the
property...and we will endeavor to do without the woman (296). This quote shows Tom's
ambition towards obtaining money as he climbs the tree, assuming the apron on the top of the
tree held his wife's money. When Walker finally obtains the apron he noticed the only two items
inside the apron were his wife's heart and liver. Walker then became depressed at the fact he
will never see the money she took again, while not caring for his wife's murder. The fact that he
does not care about his deceased wife demonstrates the hatred he felt towards her. This proves
that The Devil and Tom Walker uses romanticism because Walker shows the emotion of lust for
money while also hatred towards his wife.
The short story uses imagery to illustrate a darker setting that fits the stories romantic
theme. A demonstration of this story using imagery can be seen during the introduction of the
Walker family, The house and its inmates had altogether a bad name (291). Homes are usually
peaceful safe haven that shows love, but the writer uses the word inmates to illustrate the

house owners as prisoners. This quote demonstrates how the writer takes the word home calls
the family who lives in it prisoners to illustrate a darker image.The short stories usage of
imagery to change the meaning of words that possess positive connotations to darker ones
proves that The Devil and Tom Walker uses romanticism.