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20 questions
Tom and his wife are unhappy because they
have no children.
work too much.
fight about money.
live in the woods.
What convinces Tom that what the devil has told him in the swamp is true?
the disappearance of Tom's wife
the discovery of Kidd's treasure
Absalom Crowninshield's death
Tom's growing business
The narrator describes the devil’s face as “begrimed with soot, as if he had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges.” Irving most likely chose this imagery because
he wanted to contrast Tom and the devil.
people know this is what the devil looks like.
it increases the dark mood of the scene.
his readers can identify with a life of toil.
What is the author making a satire of in the following passage?“ Tom was a hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife that he did not even fear the devil.”
the devil
Tom
wives
fear
Reread the statement that Tom makes after he finds his wife’s apron. What does Tom’s comment reveal about him? “‘Let us get hold of that property,’ said he consolingly to himself, ‘and we will endeavor to do without the woman.’”
He hopes the apron will give clues about his wife's whereabouts.
He worries about his property more than about his wife.
He thinks that his wife will come back to him if he finds the apron.
He wants the devil to run off with his wife and return his property.
Tom is so successful at working for the devil because Tom
is greedier than the devil.
is the only moneylender in Boston.
knows a lot about lending money.
is known for his bargain with the devil.
Who is Irving creating a satire of in the following passage from the end of the story? “The good people of Boston shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders, but had been so much accustomed to witches and goblins, and tricks of the devil, in all kinds of shapes, from the first settlement of the colony, that they were not so much horror-struck as might have been expected.”
people who pretend to be unimpressed
people who pretend to be good but are really bad
writers who tell stories about the devil's tricks
bankers who work for the devil with Tom
A usurer is a person who
buys things from other people
convinces others to follow the devil
employs people to help the devil
lends money at very high rates
Speculating is
entering into risky business deals for quick profit
refusing to sell any of your land to someone else
engaging in a pact with the devil for profit
thinking about past events in your family
What is persecution?
the desire to cause other people happiness in order to make yourself feel better
the fear that people have of death due to a deal made with the devil
the remorse that someone feels after making a bad business deal
the act of treating people badly because of race, religion, gender, or beliefs
Tom begins praying and reading the Bible because he
finds good friends who love him.
wants to escape the devil.
feels bad about cheating people.
thinks God can give him more money.
The author most likely uses the image of Tom’s green spectacles to show that Tom is
concerned about the afterlife.
afraid of the devil's appearance.
jealous of other people's wives.
greedy and obsessed with wealth.
What does the devil do to Tom at the end of the tale?
hides Tom's wealth in the woods
encourages Tom's faith in God
meets Tom at the church
carries Tom away on a horse
What does melancholy mean?
lonely
jealous
gloomy
frightening
What is avarice?
greed
hunger
anger
hatred
Propitious means
supporting
favorable
adventurous
delightful
Ostentation is a
wish to have others' things.
display to impress others.
refusal to help other people.
need to show faith in others.
A censurer is someone who
prays loudly.
makes bad deals.
never shares.
criticizes harshly.
Tom initially refuses the devil's bargain to __________ his wife?
Tom acts like he is a __________ to his customers, but the needier his customers are, the harder his terms for the loan are.
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