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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. How does Tom treat his most needy clients?

2. Where does Tom open his business?

3. What tool does the devil carry?

4. What is Tom doing at the office on his last day?

5. The narrator says that the timing for Tom's business is propitious. What kind of timing would this be?

Short Essay Questions

1. The devil lists several of his own nicknames for Tom; what pattern can be seen in these names, and what is its significance?

2. What is the reaction of the Walkers' neighbors to their fighting?

3. Explain how Tom develops into a religious hypocrite.

4. Describe the setting where Tom meets the devil.

5. What recent events lead to Tom's business being so successful?

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

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

8. What are Tom Walker's first house and property like?

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

10. What natural event happens in the area in 1727, and what is its thematic significance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In their time, Washington Irving stories like "The Devil and Tom Walker" were considered to be a kind of horror story. Write an essay in which you identify the elements of horror in this story and discuss how they do or do not succeed in creating a feeling of dread in a modern audience. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 2

As the story progresses, Tom becomes more like the devil. Write an essay in which you explore the idea that as he does the devil's work on earth, Tom takes on characteristics of the devil. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

How does the story's allusion to the legend of El Dorodo support the overall meaning of the story? Explain the allusion, offer an interpretation, and then explain how it supports the story's theme. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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