The Devil and Tom Walker/Characterization

The opening descriptions of the forest suggest that whatever Tom finds there will be...

• treacherous and malignant.

• fortunate and useful.

• hot-tempered and vengeful.

• dull and depressing.

Which of these details most clearly suggests that the figure Tom meets is the Devil?

• His voice is hoarse and growling, and his hair is black.

• His eyes are red, and he is covered with soot.

• He is powerfully built and is holding an ax.

• He wears "a rude, half-Indian garb" and is sitting on a tree stump.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

What is the significance of Tom finding most of the tall trees "marked with name of some great man of the colony"?

• The townspeople carved great men's names on trees.

• Landowners carved their names on trees on their property.

• The men had carved their own names on the trees to ensure their fame.

• Carved onto the tress in the Devil's forest are the names of those who made a deal with him.

What seems to be Tom's prime motivation in agreeing to the Devil's terms?

• The desire to spite his wife.

• Gratitude for the Devil's involvement in his wife's disappearance.

• The desire to win the respect of the community.

• Greed

In what way is Tom Walker a one-dimensional character?

• He has no personality traits .

• He uses other people for his own gain.

• He does not fear the Devil.

• He is motivated solely by greed.

A main lesson of this story is...

• greed and mean-spiritedness lead to misery.

• husbands and wives should love each other.

• prayer can erase all past sins.

• great wealth often leads to happiness.

It can be inferred from the story New England Puritans of Tom Walker's day believed in...

• many gods.

• witches and spirits.

• tolerance for all religious faiths.

• reincarnation.

From the description of Tom's "violent" religious devotion, you can infer that New Englanders of the 1720's probably...

• believed that loud and vehement prayer was the key to reaching Heaven.

• looked suspiciously on sudden and very public conversions.

• welcomed religious people of all faiths to their colony.

• were, like Tom,usually recent converts to openly devout Christianity.

Based on the details of the story, with which of the following groups does Irving have the most sympathy?

• abolitionists

• New England shipbuilders

• Puritans

• bankers

Based on the passage found on page 231 beginning, "It was late..." and ending with "the evil spirit," which statement best summarizes Tom Walker's character traits?

• Tom is just like everyone else in his community.

• Tom is lonely and melancholy.

• Unlike others in his community, Tom does not fear evil.

• Tom likes the peacefulness of quiet, lonely places.