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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is Tom's business immediately successful?

2. Whose clothing does the devil's clothing resemble?

3. What does Tom see at the base of the tree where the apron hangs?

4. When Tom opens the apron, what does he find inside?

5. What does Tom find in the mud of the swamp?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the guardian of William Kidd's treasure, and why?

2. What does Tom find in the mud of the swamp, and why does the narrator describe it as a memento?

3. Why is the death of Absolom Crowninshield announced as the death of a great man in Israel when he actually died in Massachusetts?

4. What becomes of Tom Walker and all of his wealth?

5. What two reasons does the narrator give for Tom's fearlessness in the swamp and upon meeting the devil?

6. How does Tom's wife react to his news, and what is his response to her?

7. What does Tom believe is in the apron, and how does he feel when he sees it?

8. How does the narrator add to the credibility of the story by mentioning the various possible fates of Tom's wife?

9. What does Tom do with his money and what does it show about his personality?

10. How does Tom ultimately slip up and get captured by the devil?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you explore the casual racism of Irving's short story "The Devil and Daniel Walker." Describe the elements of the story that are racist and explain the irony in this racism, given the stand that Irving takes against the slave trade. Be sure to use quoted textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Investigate the multiple traditional uses of savin trees as a literary symbol. Write an essay in which you explain which uses Irving probably had in mind and which uses are unlikely to be intended as a part of "The Devil and Tom Walker." Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

What is the function of having Tom's wealth reduced to nothing at the end of the story? Write an essay in which you take a position on the meaning of this choice--be sure to consider the exact ways in which is wealth is destroyed as you develop your claim, and be sure to offer textual support for your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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