The Devil and Tom Walker Study Guide consists of approx. 49 pages of summaries and analysis on The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving. Browse the literature study guide below:
The story begins near Boston, Massachusetts. The narrator explains that in Charles Bay, near Boston, there is a swampy area that is heavily wooded and wild with several large, old oak trees. A local legend says that the pirate Captain Kidd buried treasure under one of those trees. The narrator explains that this site is elevated from the water and allows a lookout to make sure that no one is approaching the area where the treasure is. Furthermore, the trees are easy to find again and provide good landmarks. The narrator further explains that the devil himself guards the money. The narrator says that the devil always presides over such money, particularly when the money has been gained by stealing or other illegal means. Kidd never returned for this particular stash of money, and he was later sent to England from Boston and hanged as a pirate. (read more)
