The Devil And Tom Walker Romanticism Essay

One of the main elements of Romanticism that it used throughout the story, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” that was wrote by Washington Irving is the archetypal plot, which is someone who sells his or her own soul to the devil for money, wisdom, power, and fame. The character that really shows this element is Tom Walker because he will do anything to be rich. This element that Tom shows in the story is going against our Christian beliefs and he is turning himself further away from God. Christians believe that the love of money leads to all sorts of sin and evil. Once someone becomes obsessed with money, that is all that they are worried about and they push God away from themselves and they do not make time for Him. Since Tom loves having money,
Tom becomes a merciless moneylender and got the money he wanted, but he started having regrets and repents for his sin. Towards the end of the story Tom creates false displays of Christianity while committing immoral deeds. So one day Tom loses his temper and says, “Devil take me if I have made a farthing.” Shortly after he said that a black horse shows up at his house and takes him away and Tom was never seen again. As Christians when we do something that is a sin we go to confession so we can be forgiven, but Tom did not do that and thought he would be fine by carrying a small bible around in his pocket or having a huge bible on his desk. Tom would act like he was a Christian on the outside, but deep down in his soul he would do anything for money. Both Tom and the devil got what they wanted but Tom regretted bargaining with the devil, and the devil got what he wanted, which was Tom’s soul. When the black horse showed up Tom did not have his small bible in his pocket because he left it in his coat pocket so Tom was helpless to prevent the devil from placing him on the