In “The Devil and Tom Walker” Irving is saying that the values in American society lie in the wrong place chosing wealth and financial prosperity over the well-being of others.
Irving sees America becoming greedy and warns the reader not to follow Tom Walkers ´s path that led him to exchange his soul to the devil blinded by his ambition for money.
This statement reflects the popular themes of individualism in the romantic era. The American romantics believed that a man's choices decided his fate. Washington Irving shows how Tom chooses the wrong direction that led him astray from the true values of humanity.
WHAT? I? DONT? UNDERSTAND? YOU? SO? PLEASE? FORGIVE? ME?
"Then" is used in an "if-then" scenario, to dictate chronological order. In other words, "If you jump off, then you will fall," or "he was attacked and then retreated."
"Than" is used for comparisons. In other words, "The egg was bigger than the pea," or "I'm stronger than you."
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