The Devil and Tom Walker

by Washington Irving

The Devil and Tom Walker: Style 1 key example

Style
Explanation and Analysis:

Irving assumes a straightforward narrative style that readers might associate with a children’s fable, befitting its simple moral lesson. The tale is told in a chatty, conversational fashion that emphasizes the role of the omniscient narrator as a story-teller, who speculates as to which elements of the story are true, and which are “mere old wives fable.”