Name: ______Mods: ______
Washington Irving’s, “The Devil and Tom Walker”
Student Note Packet
Power Point Notes:
1. Where was Washington Irving born? ______
2. He was the youngest of how many children? ______
3. Where did Irving get his first name from? ______
4. What social class was Irving raised in? ______
5. Before Irving became a writer, what occupation did he have? ______
6. What was Irving’s first major published piece? ______
7. What pseudo name did he publish this under? ______
8. Explain how the death of Irving’s fiancée affected the rest of his life?
9. In 1815, Irving moved to Liverpool, England to do what? ______
10. After realizing the situation was hopeless, what did Irving decide to do? ______
11. Between 1819 and 1820, Irving published what pieced?______
12. What two major literary pieces where part of this book that we still study today?
a. b.
13. What were the three literary pseudonyms that Irving often published his work under?
a. b. c.
14. Describe Irving’s life when he returned to America in 1832:
15. Irving often incorporated ______folktales and legends into his writing.
16. Where was Irving buried? ______
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Vocabulary: Define the following terms:
1. Prevalent-
2. Stagnant-
3. Precarious
4. Impregnable-
5. Melancholy-
6. Obliterate-
7. Avarice-
8. Resolute-
9. Parsimony-
10. Superfluous-
Name: ______Mods: ______
Washington Irving’s, “The Devil and Tom Walker”
Literary Practice
Background
“The Devil and Tom Walker” is an American version of the archetypal story of Faust, the sixteenth-century German philosopher who sells his soul to the devil for knowledge and power (note where Irving based his story from).
An archetype is an original or fundamental imaginative pattern that is repeated through the ages. An archetype can be a plot, an event, a character, a setting, or an object. The story of a person who sells his or her soul to the devil for worldly gain is an archetypal plot.
In the chart below, identify examples of various archetypes that you may have seen in literature, movies, or music that you are familiar with in today’s society. The first example is done for you.
Category / Archetype present / Source / Explain your answerObject / A magic wand / Usually found in fairy tales and various stories present in the fantasy genre. / Many stories that fall into these categories can deal with witches, fairies, and other supernatural creatures. They often carry a wand to represent their magical powers.
Plot
Event
Setting
Character
Name: ______Mods: ______
Washington Irving’s, “The Devil and Tom Walker”
Making Predictions
When you make an inference about a text, you make an educated guess based on clues in the text and on your own knowledge and experience. A prediction is a special type of inference—an educated guess about what will happen later. Not all predictions turn out to be accurate, and adjusting them is an essential part of active reading. As you read “The Devil and Tom Walker,” take notes in the chart below. Identify a clue that suggests or foreshadows what may happen further along in the story. Then, make a prediction based on the clue. Later, note what actually happens. How often did the writer surprise you?
Clue (note the page number) / Prediction / What happens