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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. Who is said to have been present when the treasure was buried?

2. According to the narrator, why does Tom not immediately agree to the devil's bargain?

3. When the narrator says that Tom has built his house out of ostentation, what does this mean Tom's motive was?

4. Where does Tom open his business?

5. Tom Walker is described as meager and miserly. What kind of a person is he?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What do Tom and the devil negotiate about before striking a bargain, and what is the bargain they strike?

3. How does Tom treat his horses, and what does this illustrate about his character?

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

5. What kind of a person is Tom Walker's wife?

6. Explain how Tom develops into a religious hypocrite.

7. What does Tom's wife do as a result of his refusal to make a deal with the devil, and what is the outcome?

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

9. What are some of the details of the plants and animals in the swamp, and what do they signify?

10. Before Tom and the devil part, how does the devil seal his side of the bargain and what does this allude to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the story, Irving mentions a large number of professions. Write an essay in which you explain the pattern behind Irving's treatment of these professions. Which seem to be most openly condemned, which seem to be criticized by implication, and which seem to escape criticism entirely--if any? Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Is Tom Walker a static or dynamic character? Write an essay in which you make a claim about whether or not Tom changes and what relationship this has to the theme of Irving's short story. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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