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The Devil and Daniel Webster and Tom Walker


            The time of rising romanticism used in literature soon branched out into a new form of art; a faustian legend. A faustian legends originated from the german author scholar who found dissatisfied with his life, he created a pact with the devil in order to turn in his life around at the cost of his soul. The two famous writings, "The Devil and Daniel Webster," written by Stephen Vincent Bennet and "The Devil and Tom Walker", written by Washington Irving, share a common base story in which a poor man not content with his current life state creates a deal with the devil, but although this is shared between the two novels there are multiple differences in each novel, through presentation of the devil to the motives and intent of the foolish man.
             Before the appearance of the Devil, in both stories the men were in the same predicament of being poor and struggling through their daily lives, despising those who lived the lives they wished they too had. Although they shared this common trait in the story of Tom Walker, he was greedy and his motives were all self centered in which he despised everyone around him as a treat to his wealth, even his wife which can be seen in this quote ".were so miserly that they even conspired each other." This is not the same for the man in the story of Daniel Webster, as rather he is open minded, and cares for those around him, but due to his current state, he is blinded by something so small as to wealth that he does not see the dangers that he is dealing with. With his said, even with his good intent, unlike Tom Walker, Jabez openly called out for the Devils aid asking him for the lifestyle he dreamed and admired as he from his self sealed the deal with the Devil, while Tom Walker did not openly call out for the Devil. Both characters shared the common motive, but the intent between the two men were different, and can clearly be seen throughout the story, as time passes from the contract as both men become exceedingly rich.


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