Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Devil and Tom Walker Summary and Study Guide

'The Devil and Tom Walker' Summary and Study Guide Washington Irving, one of early Americas greatest storytellers, was the author of such beloved works as Rip van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820). Another of his short stories, The Devil and Tom Walker, is not as well known, but it is definitely worth seeking out. The Devil and Tom Walker was first published in 1824 among a collection of short stories called Tales of a Traveller, which Irving wrote as Geoffrey Crayon, one of his pseudonyms.  The Devil and Tom Walker appropriately appeared in a section called Money-Diggers, as the tale chronicles the selfish choices of an exceptionally stingy and greedy man. Historical Context Irvings piece is a relatively early entry into the many literary works considered Faustian tales - stories depicting greed, a thirst for instant gratification, and, ultimately, a deal with the devil as the means to such selfish ends. The legend of  Faust  dates to 16th-century Germany, with Christopher Marlowe dramatizing the legend in his play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, first performed sometime around 1588.  Faustian tales have been a hallmark of Western culture ever since, the major theme of plays, poems,  operas, classical music, and even film and television productions. It is perhaps unsurprising that, given its dark subject, The Devil and Tom Walker sparked a fair amount of controversy, particularly among the religious population. Still, many consider it one of Irvings finest stories and an exemplary piece of narrative writing. In fact, Irvings piece triggered a rebirth of sorts for the Faustian tale. It is widely reported to have inspired  Stephen Vincent Benets The Devil and Daniel Webster, which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1936 - more than a century after Irvings story came out. Plot Summary The book opens with the tale of how  Captain Kidd, a pirate, buried some treasure in a swamp just outside Boston. It then jumps to the year 1727, when New Englander Tom Walker happened to find himself walking through this swamp. Walker, explains the narrator, was just the kind of man to jump at the prospect of a buried treasure, as he, along with his wife, were selfish to the point of destruction. While walking through the swamp,  Walker comes upon the devil, a great black man carrying an ax, whom Irving calls Old Scratch. The devil in disguise  tells Walker about the treasure, saying that he controls it but will give it to Tom for a price. Walker agrees readily, without really considering what he is expected to pay in return - his soul. The rest of the tale follows the twists and turns one might expect as a result of greed-driven decisions and deal-making with the devil. Main Characters Tom Walker, the protagonist of the story,  is described as a meager miserly fellow and is probably Irvings most despised (or least likable) character. Despite his many unsavory characteristics, he is also memorable.  Initially, Walker rejects Old Scratchs offer, but he eventually gives in to the devils conditions. Walker has been compared to Faust/Faustus, a character who has appeared in countless works through literary history, from Marlowe, Goethe, and beyond. Walkers wife is such a minor character that her name is never given, but she can be likened to her husband in her miserly nature and volatile temper, as Irving describes: Toms wife was a tall termagant, fierce of temper, loud of tongue, and strong of arm. Her voice was often heard in wordy warfare with her husband, and his face sometimes showed signs that their conflicts were not confined to words. Old Scratch  is another name for the devil. Old Scratch is described as a dark-skinned man. Washington Irving wrote, It is true, he was dressed in a rude, half Indian garb, and had a red belt or sash swathed round his body, but his face was neither black nor copper color, but swarthy and dingy and begrimed with soot, as if he had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges. The actions of Old Scratch are similar to other tales where he is the tempter, who offers the protagonist riches or other gains in exchange for the characters soul. Major Events and Setting The Devil and Tom Walker may be a short story but quite a bit takes place in its few pages. The events - and the locations where they take place - really drive the overarching theme of the story: avarice and its consequences. The events of the story can be divided into two locations: Old Indian Fort Tom Walker meets Old Scratch: Tom takes a shortcut through tangled, dark, and dingy swamplands, which are so dark and uninviting that they represent hell in the story. Tom meets the devil, Old Scratch, at an abandoned Indian fort hidden away in the swamplands.Old Scratch offers Tom Walker great sums of money in exchange for certain conditions. The conditions are, of course, that Walker gives his soul in his deal with the devil.The devil offers Tom riches hidden by Captain  Kidd if Tom agrees to sell his soul to Old Scratch. Tom agrees.Toms wife confronts Old Scratch. She goes into the swamplands, twice, hoping that Old Scratch would make a deal with her instead of her husband. Toms wife absconds with all of the couples valuables for the second meeting, but she disappears into the swamplands and is never heard from again. Boston Bolstered by the ill-gotten riches offered by Old Scratch, Walker opens a brokers office in Boston. Walker lends money freely, but he is merciless in his dealings and ruins the lives of many borrowers, often repossessing their property.A ruined speculator asks for a debt he owes to Tom to be forgiven. Walker refuses, but the devil rides in on a horse, easily sweeps Tom up, and gallops away - and Tom is never seen again. After that, all the deeds and notes in Walkers safe turn to ash, and his house mysteriously burns down. Key Quotes The legend of a man who sold his soul to the devil and its devious consequences has been retold many times, but Irvings original words truly reveal the story. Setting the scene: About the year 1727, just at the time when earthquakes were prevalent in New England and shook many tall sinners down upon their knees, there lived near this place a meager miserly fellow of the name of Tom Walker. Describing the protagonist: Tom was a hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife, that he did not even fear the devil. Describing the protagonist and his wife: ...they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other. Whatever the woman could lay hands on she hid away: a hen could not cackle but she was on the alert to secure the new-laid egg. Her husband was continually prying about to detect her secret hoards, and many and fierce were the conflicts that took place about what ought to have been common property. Laying out the potential moral consequences of greed: As Tom waxed old, however, he grew thoughtful. Having secured the good things of this world, he began to feel anxious about those of the next. The communitys state of mind regarding the death of Walker and his wife: The good people of Boston shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders, but had been so much accustomed to witches and goblins and tricks of the devil in all kinds of shapes from the first settlement of the colony, that they were not so much horror struck as might have been expected. Study Guide Questions Once students have had a chance to read this classic tale, test their knowledge with these study questions: What is important about the title? Had you ever heard the phrase before reading the story?  What are the conflicts in The Devil and Tom Walker? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) do you see?Does Irving reveal character in  The Devil and Tom Walker?  Who was Faust (in literary history)? How could Tom Walker be said to have made a Faustian bargain?How does greed factor into this story? Do you think the Walker familys financial situation plays a factor in their choices?  Ã‚  What are some themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?  Compare and contrast Tom Walker with Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, by  Charles Dickens  Is Tom Walker consistent in his actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?  Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters persons you would want to meet?  Discuss some of the symbols in The Devil and Tom Walker.  How are women portrayed in this story? Is the portrayal positiv e or negative?  Ã‚  Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why? How did you feel about the ending? Was it fair? Why or why not?   What is the central or primary purpose of the story? Is the purpose important or meaningful?  How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?  What supernatural or surprising events are employed by  Washington Irving? Are these happenings believable?  How do you think Irvings Christian  beliefs impacted his writing?  Ã‚  What would you trade your soul for?  Do you think Tom and his wife made the right choice?

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Conjugating Comer in Spanish

Conjugating Comer in Spanish Comer is a common Spanish verb to eat and has most of the meanings that the English verb has. Most commonly, comer means simply to consume food through the mouth: Me gusta comer pizza sin anchoas. I like to eat pizza without anchovies.El comer es uno de los placeres de la vida. Eating is one of the pleasures of life.Comieron en el aeropuerto de Lima antes de abordar el avià ³n. They ate at the Lima airport before boarding the plane.Leah come como un pajarito. Leah eats like a bird. Sometimes, depending on the context, comer refers specifically to eating lunch or dinner. Desayunamos en casa y comemos en el camino. Were eating breakfast at home and eating lunch on the road. Like eat up, comer can be used colloquially to suggest immense pleasure: Mi abuela comià ³ el libro. My grandmother ate up the book. Comer can be used figuratively to refer to corrosion, erosion or the eating up of something by natural processes. The translation varies with the context: El mar comià ³ toda la arena. The sea washed away all the sand.El cido comià ³ el concreto de la cisterna. The acid ate away at the tanks concrete. Similarly, the reflexive form comerse can be used in a variety of ways to indicate that something is swallowed up or otherwise consumed or missing:  ¿Cuntas pginas se comieron? How many pages were missing?Parece que se comià ³ la letra N. It looks like the letter N was omitted.La inflacià ³n se come el ahorro de la gente. Inflation is eating up the peoples savings. The reflexive form is also sometimes used to add emphasis. In such a case, the difference between comer and comerse is roughly the difference between to eat and to eat up. Los chicos se comieron todos los dulces. The boys ate up all the candy. Comer is conjugated regularly, following the pattern of beber.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Logic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Logic - Research Paper Example If we do not act at the right time, the anthropogenic climate could lead to the devastation of earth and our very own existence(Thesis) According to (TOC,2007) â€Å"Almost 100% of the observed temperature increase over the last 50 years has been due to the increase in the atmosphere of greenhouse gas concentrations like water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and ozone†. The greenhouse gas enact for the greenhouse effect and heat up the earth on a gradual process. The burning of fossils is the largest contributing factor of green house effect as it releases large quantity of carbon – di -oxide into the atmosphere. The major concern of greenhouse effect is that it gives way to the heating of the earth and increase the temperature around the globe. The anthropogenic climate change can be explained as the gradual increase in the climatic temperature of earth due to the greenhouse gas emitting. Green house gas emitting leads to the increase in the heat of the planet and leads to the melting of ice in the polar region which can increase the overall seal level on the earth. Even though not very obvious, green house effect is affecting many parts of the earth. The green house gas mostly contains, carbon – di- oxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide and methane which traps the heat and sunlight and elevates the temperature of the planet. Global warming risks the existence of plants, animals and human beings. This entrapping of heat and sunlight in the atmosphere is called the anthropogenic climate change and can evolve the current status of the planet. In this process, the heat get entrapped in the atmosphere but cannot get out of the atmosphere. Because of this process the temperature of atmosphere rises and climatic condition of earth changes with seal level. If the temperature of the planet goes on increasing the productivity pattern of the earth can changes at a rapid level. This can