1824 to 1835 in America was a period of bitter evil. Living in a time of slaughter, witchcraft and immorality, authors Washington Irving and Nathanial Hawthorn were influenced immensely. Both writers display differences and similarities of how these tragic events embarked them physically and mentally. Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker ", and Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown " both generate gothic stories by expressing the misfortune of the devil's presence through seemingly alike stories using themes to show consequences, the importance of symbolism and the impact of tone. .
A prominent literary device, theme, replicates itself throughout both passages. It creates a personal connection between the reader and the story. In Irving's story people who lie, steal or cheat money hold an essential topic, which ultimately leads Tom Walker's afterlife into hell. Hawthorne's main character also concepts that pertains to committing sin. The main character, Young Goodman Brown commits one of the seven deadly sins, pride. Likewise, he ends up in hell. .
Symbolism plays a principal role because it gives what may seem like insignificant objects, deeper meaning. Indicatives present in "Tom Walker and the Devil " include red eyes, the Walkers' lack of smoke curling from their chimney and their unkempt property. The woodsmen red eyes represent his demonic self. Without that inkling of information, we would not know that the woodsman was actually the devil. Tom Walker's house mirrors the decay of him and his wife's relationship. They are abusive to each other; lazy, and let their horse starves because of their own greed. No smoke curling signifies the absence of warmth and love a home needs to thrive. Instead of concrete matters, Hawthorn expresses allegory through color. In his passage, the colors pink, brown, black, and red are repetitive. The wife, Faith, wears pink bows, which embodies her immaturity.