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The Devil and Daniel Webster, by Stephen Vincent Benet is truly an exemplary short story which instills upon the reader the very difficult struggle between good and evil, heaven and hell. The purpose for writing this piece was to convey the message that, at times, it is necessary to gamble everything one has in order to improve his or her life and that of their families. Benet manages to convey this message in the story through his many uses of literary techniques such as foreshadowing and characterization. He also uses the element of plot to develop the climax and turning point of the story. The characters in this story each play a significant role in developing the story as a whole. As stated by David Peck, The Devil and Daniel Webster has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperament that would be fitting of a New England community.
The main character is Jabez Stone, a poor washed up farmer recently turned into senator of New Hampshire. He had started out as a farmer, but moved up in life and, when he was about thirty years old, he married a woman by the name of Mary Stone. The fiddler, who, for the most part was not that important in this story, was a key character in that he provided foreshadowing. When he said, But the very devils got into that fiddle of mine, he was foreshadowing the coming of the devil to disturb the good times. A very key character in this story is the devil himself, which took the name of Scratch (that was what he was called in New England communities). He had come to steal the soul of Jabez Stone, claiming that he had a right to Jabez because of a legal contract.
Last but most certainly not least in this story is the great Governor of New Hampshire, Daniel Webster. Daniel Webster was not only the governor but, an excellent speaker as well. He had an unbelievable way of using words to persuade the opinion of others. The story starts out in the home of Jabez and Mary Stone, right after their wedding. The Fiddler, who sat on a Cider Barrel, played a tune on the Fiddle, and all of the guests danced to it.
Basically, it was a wedding reception. At first, there was nothing more than small talk going on. This small talk reflected the type of lifestyles that the New Englanders had because, they were literally, all small talk and not much else. In The Devil and Daniel Webster, the reader learns the story of an extremely unlucky New England farmer (Jabez Stone), who, makes a deal with the devil, in order to improve his life. Throughout the beginning of the story, Jabez is frustrated with the illness of his wife, the condition of his animals, and his unproductive crops. Jabez then summons the devil and makes a deal with him, negotiating that Jabez would have all around great success in everything, and that in seven years time, he would give up his soul to the devil, known as Scratch or Mr.
Scratch. However when the time comes for Jabez to give the devil what is legally his, he manages to get a three year extension. When that time is almost over, Jabez calls Daniel Webster, who, upon arrival was greeted with many guests who gave shout outs such as Vote the Whig ticket! and another, Hurray for Daniel Webster! .
A small climax, more like a turning point, occurred when Scratch had driven all the guests away in fear. He then left for a short time, preparing to come back at a later time to reclaim what was rightfully his. When Scratch came back, they had a trial with a biased jury of the undead. A great debate soon followed between Scratch and Daniel Webster. It was a fierce debate, though it did remain calm and easy. Webster used his cunning intellect against Scratch, but in every case, either Scratch would refute his claim, or the judge at this trial, Judge Hawthorne of the Salem Witch Trials, would over-rule Daniel Webster- no matter how logical he had been. (Parry Stroud) Daniel Webster, however, felt confident that he could defeat Scratch, and, as it turned out, both happened.
Parry Stroud also made a few valid points when he stated, As Benet pointed out, Webster was most famed for his matchless oratorical powers; consequently, he would have to meet the Devil in an oratorical contest and defeat him. The conflict between the Powers of Darkness and the powers of an American Statesman has irresistible national appeal, and Benet had the shrewdness to add to the story not only regional humorous touches but universal human significance. The story s several thematic elements and wide range of tone, from the prevailing broad Yankee humor to the notes of pathos and even nobility, are combined in a superlative tale that comes to far more than humorous fantasy: it is a classic American fable. As a result of the above qualities, Webster was able to win for Jabez stone, his freedom, and made the devil put in writing that no New Hampshire man will be bothered by him again until doomsday. In The Devil and Daniel Webster, Jabez Stone signs a contract with the devil to save his family from starvation. He was thinking of others when he signed the contract, and not himself.
That is what leads to Websters strong point for his defense of Jabez Stone, Then he turned to Jabez Stone ordinary man whod had hard luck and wanted to change it. And, because hed wanted to change it, now he was going to be punished for all eternity. The story is truly a credit to the true Daniel Webster, as David Peck very nicely noted: The story tapped Americas love for folklore and legend, it re-created the story of a genuine American hero. A genuine American hero is what Webster is truly portrayed as in this narrative.
Peck also noted that The story is praise not only for Daniel Webster, however, but also for his country, for the two are inextricably intertwined. This story also hints to the fact even though people may seem to be cruel and hard on the outside, they can be truly caring and kind. The political and spiritual lessons to be learned from The Devil and Daniel Webster are those which are very important to the existence and survival of every human being alive today (Parry Stroud). In conclusion, The Devil and Daniel Webster is a beautifully written masterpiece of American literature that will definately be cherished for generations of readers to come.
It illustrates the cause and effect of desire for material wealth, which is what Jabez wanted. On the other hand, it can be argued that Jabez s motive was not a craving for wealth, instead it was for the love and wellbeing of his family.
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Research essay sample on Devil And Daniel Webster Jabez Stone
