Comparing Masks In The Devil And Tom Walker

Many people in the world today try to cover up their darker sides with a "mask" which hides their true self. Often times, however, people's masks are removed and we see them for who they really are. Many politicians today do this when they try to get people to vote for them. They wear a "mask" to veil their darker sides so the public can't see their flaws. The narrator in "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allen Poe and the character Tom Walker in "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving wear "masks" to cover up their darker character traits. However, eventually we are exposed to who they really are. Regardless of how hard one tries to conceal their darker traits and motives, the truth always comes out in the end.
The narrator in "The Black

Tom Walker wears the mask of a super religious person to try and cover up what he has done. He also attempts to appear as a benevolent and kind friend to his clients when he is the complete opposite. For example, "The poor land-jobber begged him to grant a few months' indulgence. Tom had grown testy and irritated, and refused another day"(Irving 330). Tom Walker refuses to give one of his begging clients extra time when clearly he really needed it. This is the total opposite of being a friend to his clients, he takes their money and leaves them with nothing. Tom does things to try and cover up what he has done. For example, "That he might not be taken unawares, therefore, it is said he always carried a small Bible in his coat pocket"(Irving 330). He attends church frequently and also keeps a bible at his workplace; Tom wants to come off as a kindhearted person. Towards the end of the short story Tom is exposed for who he truly is. The Devil takes his soul at the end, and all Walker’s material possessions burn, showings he is an evil man who is ultimately punished for his sins. People may try to hide their flaws, but eventually they are revealed for who they