"The Devil And Tom Walker" and Romanticism
Is “The Devil and Tom Walker” a good or a bad example of the
Romantic movement in literature?
The Romantic movement, often known as Romanticism, was a literary, intellectual, and artistic movement starting in the late 1700’s into the 19th century. It originated in and traveled through Europe, inspiring its writers. Literary works during this era emphasized the reader’s imagination and emotion. They also had interests in nature and strive to be different from the standards that have been set by previous works. Romantic pieces almost become unrealistic with its fantasy or imagery. “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving is a good example of the Romantic movement. This short story uses imagery and symbolism including elements of nature, it has the common Romantic theme of challenging the character about their past and their inner feelings, and the emotions of the other characters are heightened. “The Devil and Tom Walker” uses a lot of symbols and is very descriptive in the scenes. The black man that is mentioned several times in the story represents the devil and the evil of the “userers.” The different trees that the black man points out during his conversation with Tom represent the different souls of people. Also, the swamp is a symbol for Hell; it is a place of evil and no one wants to go there. That is where the devil, the black man, lives. Nature is a big element in this short story. The theme of changing your past and exploring your inner feelings was used in a lot of Romantic literary works. “The Devil and Tom Walker” was written during a time and setting when Puritans should devote their lives to God. Tom decides to sell his soul to the devil and go against his beliefs and influences. When he heard about the buried treasure, he tries to stay strong but falls prey to his greed for money and riches. His marriage to his wife was not going well and both of them secretly wanted a different reality; this and his greed made his focus change to
Romantic movement in literature?
The Romantic movement, often known as Romanticism, was a literary, intellectual, and artistic movement starting in the late 1700’s into the 19th century. It originated in and traveled through Europe, inspiring its writers. Literary works during this era emphasized the reader’s imagination and emotion. They also had interests in nature and strive to be different from the standards that have been set by previous works. Romantic pieces almost become unrealistic with its fantasy or imagery. “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving is a good example of the Romantic movement. This short story uses imagery and symbolism including elements of nature, it has the common Romantic theme of challenging the character about their past and their inner feelings, and the emotions of the other characters are heightened. “The Devil and Tom Walker” uses a lot of symbols and is very descriptive in the scenes. The black man that is mentioned several times in the story represents the devil and the evil of the “userers.” The different trees that the black man points out during his conversation with Tom represent the different souls of people. Also, the swamp is a symbol for Hell; it is a place of evil and no one wants to go there. That is where the devil, the black man, lives. Nature is a big element in this short story. The theme of changing your past and exploring your inner feelings was used in a lot of Romantic literary works. “The Devil and Tom Walker” was written during a time and setting when Puritans should devote their lives to God. Tom decides to sell his soul to the devil and go against his beliefs and influences. When he heard about the buried treasure, he tries to stay strong but falls prey to his greed for money and riches. His marriage to his wife was not going well and both of them secretly wanted a different reality; this and his greed made his focus change to