Religious Theme Of Greed In The Devil And Tom Walker

In the gothic story titled “The Devil and Tom Walker”,the author Washington Irving has a robust religious theme about the nature of greed. Irving supports his claims by giving us a character named Tom walker who is greedy and religious.This displays Irving's aversion or those bigots who use religion as a means of concealing to be a good person, but then continue to do their sinful practices. Tom believes that by carrying around a Bible,and attending Church, and praying, he can cheat his fate. The authors purpose is to show that people are not true Christian that does sinful acts and he or she knows it's wrong.the author writes a serious tone for a somber matter of religious people.

In irving's story he exposes the hypocrisy of quote on quote religious people that claims to be the true to their religion.“The quiet Christians who had been modestly and steadfastly travelling Zionward were struck with self-reproach at seeing themselves so suddenly outstripped in their career by this new-made convert."(pg237) This quote displays author Irving's dislike for those hypocrites who use religion as a way of faking to be a good person, but then continue their sinful behavior. Tom believes that just by carrying around the holy bible, going to church, and by praying, he can cheat his fate, but this is not the case; only the "quiet Christians" will

"Tom consoled himself for the loss of his property, with the loss of his wife, for he was a man of fortitude. He even felt something like gratitude toward the black woodsman, who, he considered, had done him a kindness."pg(235) Tom's wry values; places his material goods above his wife from time to time again; in fact, he abhor his wife so much that he believes that The woodsman has done him a favor by killing her. This lack of value for his wife—even that of a person he doesn't care for—shows that Tom is moving further down the road of not showing or having