Character Comparison

The Legend of Sleepy Hallow In contrast and comparison to Devil and Tom Walker To describe three main characters in great detail would be easiest if to describe the characters of Ichabod Crane and Brom from The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, with the character of Old Scratch from The Devil and Tom Walker. These characters seem to summarize the feeling of each story to the fullest. However, they may also only be summarizing the negative tensions of the plots rather than a cross between a negative and positive tension. It would be easier to give an even comparison of negative and positive tension if there were more characters described in the two stories.

Ichabod Crane is the main character of The Legend of Sleepy Hallow. He is a tall, lanky individual that would best be described as thin as a pole. Ichabod loves greatly to indulge in every form of food as much as humanly possible, and lucky for him, doesnt gain an ounce. Ichabod is Sleepy Hallows one and only school master, who teaches his pupils in a one roomed school house. Hes a fantastic singer, that enjoys in the harmonic melody of psalms, or uses it to pass through dark, frightening places without becoming spooked; this is so because Ichabod, even as a teacher and master of knowledge, remains in the childish mind set of a fear for the supernatural, specifically the supernatural powers of witches. With all that, he manages to stay a rather calm and composed person, which is until he fell into the merciless clutches of love.

Ichabod became in love with a local girl named Katrina. She was the daughter of the local Dutch farmer Baltus Van Tassel. She was a delightfully pleasant and slightly plumped girl, who held all the mens loving desires of Sleepy Hallow in her hand. Like all the rest, Ichabod fell to her spell. However, unlike the rest, Ichabod knew how to work his way into a nice spot next to Katrina. When his mind slipped out of the range of reality, it

floated to a place where he would dream on such things as the day he and Katrina wed. He would dream on the many children they would have together. Of course, he would dream on his inheritance of Katrinas hand in marriage. This involved all of Van Tassels land, all of his money, and all of his valuable possessions. This would probably make Ichabod appear as a very materialistic individual, but cut him a break, he was only dreaming.

Being one the higher individuals of the town, Ichabod was invited to Van Tassels party. He was extremely excited about this and the day of the party could not concentrate on teaching his pupils and was rather caught up in his own imagination again. Ichabod brushed off his only suit he owned and used the broken mirror piece in the school house to straighten up his hair and looks. At the party Brom told a scary story of The Headless Horseman to put a slight startle into Ichabod, and he succeeded. Later, after the party, Ichabod was on his horse slowly trotting home, when along the way he started hearing strange noises. He soon realized these were just nature noises, and were nothing. Quickly after that, however, he heard a shrill cackle of a man, and turn to see the Headless Horseman. The horseman chased him down the trail to the bridge where Ichabod could cross and be safe, but alas, his horse so frightened as it was, turned and went the wrong way. When morning came round, there was only Ichabods trapped hat to be found of him. And then, stories began to spread of Ichabods horrible demise at the horsemans hands.

Another well built character of The Legend of Sleepy Hallow is Brom Bones. Brom is a large person who you really would not want to be caught up in a physical fight with. He is tall, very muscular, has black hair, and has an obvious liking of Katrina. Brom is like the local gang leader. Any trouble that happened around Sleepy Hallow, the towns people instantly look to Brom as the head culprit, but they dont look to him as though he is to be disgraced, but just that boys will be boys. Brom would often spend time at the Van Tassels,

visiting with Katrina and her father, but once the liking of Ichabod to Katrina became apparent, Brom horse wasnt seen tied up as often at the Van Tassels.

It would seem that Ichabod was a fool to go up against Brom, when he seemed to have no chance of a win if he and Brom were to fall into a brawl. For this reason exactly, Ichabod made it a point to avoid Brom. Brom, frustrated with Ichabod being so sly with the ladies, especially with his singing, taught a dog to howl in painful melody with Ichabod when he sang his psalms. This made Ichabod sound ridiculous, and Brom felt good about himself. Another attempt to unnerve the school teacher was when Brom and his gang broke into the school and flipped everything in it upside down. When Ichabod arrived the next morning, he thought that every witch in the county was holding their meetings in his school house of all places.

Finally came the night of the Van Tassels party. Of course Brom was invited. At the party, Brom kept trying to be close to Katrina, and dance with her. However, Ichabod kept posing to be an annoying interference. So to throw him off of his game, Brom told the story of The Headless Horseman. Ichabod was clearly startled by this story, but shook it off with no problem, until he left that night and was chased by the Horseman. After Ichabods disappearance, Brom finally moved in for the kill move of marring Katrina. They had kids, and enjoyed each other. Although, anytime anyone retold the mysterious story of Ichabod and the Horseman, Brom would have a little chuckle to himself, insinuating as if he knew something more.

The final character of description is the devil, or Old Scratch, from The Devil and Tom Walker. He goes by many names, the Black Woodsmen, the Black Miner, the Wild Huntsman, and as Tom refers to him as Old Scratch. Tom stumbled upon him in a scared Indian ground buried deep in a swamp forest. The devil asks Tom as to why he is on his grounds. Tom replies Your grounds!, meaning how could he own such lands that were no mans land. The devil then offers treasure to Tom, treasure long ago buried by Kidd, the pirate. He

offered this information in exchange for something else. Tom and the devil walked and talked on this, and when they came to the forests edge, parted ways, and Tom said he would think about his request, which was never publicized.

When Tom got home, he told his wife of the happenings of him and the devil. She urged him to go back and give what he wanted of Tom. Tom refused, only to enrage his wife. So, instead of arguing deeply with him, she went the next morning herself to the devil. She found him and talked with him, and returned that night. The next morning, she rounded up all the household valuables, and left for the devils forest, never to return. After being gone for 2 days, Tom finally goes on a search for the house hold valuables, rather than his wife. He only finds her apron, tied in a tree, with a heart and lived laid in it. The devil had taken something much more valuable then any physical treasure. And Tom couldnt have cared less.

The most noticeable similarities amongst any of these three characters would have to be Ichabod and Brom both like Katrina. Other than that, there didnt seem to be any similarities. The stories, however, had some similarities in them. Both of which had their climax in a dark, creepy, forest with many tress and noises. Both stories had a mythical being, which were made as idioms of fear and horror. Both stories contained a large amount of descriptive details as well.