Comparing Devil And Tom Walker, And Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

"About morals, I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after."( Ernest Hemingway). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker,” and Johnathon Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” use different writing techniques to develop their moral themes and make the stories entertaining. Each of these literary works includes characterization, symbolism, and imagery to clearly get their message to show in their literary works.

In “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Devil and Tom Walker” both authors use symbolism to develop their themes based on moral struggles. Washington Irving uses simple objects such as a tree to represent something more

“One of the great trees, fair and flourishing without, but rotten at the core, and saw that it had been nearly hewn through, so that the first high wind was likely to blow it down.”(231). The tree being described is not only describing a part of nature but this tree represents a man. This man is a sinful hypocrite who seems like a wonderful person but on the inside is evil and rotten. This tree is used to show Tom what will happen if he sells his soul to the devil by showing him what it did to others before him. Tom must decide whether to accept this deal, knowing what the consequences are. Nathaniel Hawthorne also used elements to symbolize things such as the wife in his allegory, representing his faith. “Of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee.”(1). Young Goodman Brown is not only leaving his wife, but he is also leaving his Christian faith and is going to sin for one night. He struggles with the decision to leave his wife and God, showing his resistance to sin and the dark side of himself. “Young Goodman Brown” also uses settings to have a symbolic meaning. Goodman

Tom Walker was in the forest when the devil appeared to him. “That stranger was neither negro or Indian… dressed in a rude hald Indian garb, and had a red belt or sash swathed round his body; but his face was neither black nor copper color, but swarthy and dingy, and begrimed with soot… coarse black hair, that stood out from his head in all directions, and bore an ax on his shoulder… great red eyes”(231). The devil is described as not being negro or Indian, he is white with black hair and red eyes. Him having soot on his face hints at him being near fire recently or being in hell. The devil is described to look as scary as he can be but also as powerful as possible. The reason for this is so Tom will fear him and listen to him. Washington Irving wants the reader to fear the devil so they will remember what happens if they follow the devil. Tom Walkers wife has a very specific explanation of how she acts and who she is. “Tall termagant, fierce of temper, loud of tongue, and strong of arm. Her voice was often heard in wordy warfare with her husband”(230). Mrs. Walker put up a fight with the devil and the reason this is included in the text is because Irving is trying to get the reader to understand that Tom is not afraid of anything or anyone because of how his life with his wife has been. Tom becomes a fake christian at the end