The Devil and Daniel Webster
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Image:Daniel Webster and the Devil argue in court.jpg
"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Steven Vincent Benét. It is the story of a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the Devil and is defended by Daniel Webster.
The story was published in 1938 in The Saturday Evening Post and won an O. Henry award that same year. The author would adapt it in 1938 into a folk opera with music by Douglas Stuart Moore. Benét also worked on the screenplay adaptation for the 1941 film.
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Summary
The story is about a New Hampshire farmer in 1840 with unending bad luck. Jabez Stone swears that "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" When Mr. Scratch (the Devil) arrives the next day, the farmer reluctantly makes a bargain for better luck. Mr. Stone enjoys seven years of prosperity, and later bargains for three more years, but as the "mortgage falls due," he convinces famous lawyer and orator Daniel Webster to argue his case with the Devil.
Themes
Patriotism
American Patriotism is the main theme in the story: Daniel claims that the Devil cannot take the soul because he cannot claim American citizenship. "And who with better right?" the devil replies, going on to list several wrongs done in America, thereby demonstrating his presence in America. The Devil says "I am merely an honest American like yourself - and of the best descent - for, to tell the truth, Mr. Webster, though I don't like to boast of it, my name is older in this country than yours." Daniel insists on a jury trial as an American right, with Americans for the Jury. The Devil then provides the worst examples of Americans for the Judge and Jury. In Daniel's speech "He was talking about the things that make a country a country, and a man a man" rather than legal points of the case. When Daniel speaks about "being a man" it's not gender, but freedom and independence that defines manhood: "Yes, even in hell, if a man was a man, you'd know it." This theme of American patriotism, freedom and independence is the explanation for Daniel's victory: The jury is damned to hell, but they are American and therefore so independent that they can resist the Devil.
Slavery
Slavery and Racism are acknowledged as evil and ignored by Daniel Webster, making for a condemnation of both slavery and Daniel Webster. Benét acknowledges the evil by having the devil say: "When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck." Benét has Daniel Webster affirm racism, giving him the line: "For if two New Hampshiremen aren't a match for the devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians." The real Daniel Webster was willing to compromise on slavery in favor of patriotism and keeping the Union together, disappointing many who opposed slavery.
The Devil
The devil is portrayed as polite and refined. When the devil arrives he is described as "a soft-spoken, dark-dressed stranger," who "drove up in a handsome buggy." Benét named the devil Mr. Scratch but often referred to him as the stranger, writing passages such as "The stranger looked a little embarrassed." The Devil never threatens, and always acts politely, even shaking hands with Daniel Webster in the end. In fact it is Daniel who attacks the Devil, literally twisting his arm.
Quotes
Jabez Stone is examining Mr. Scratch's contract
- Jabez Stone: What does it mean here, about my soul?
- Mr. Scratch: Why should that worry you? A soul? A soul is nothing. Can you see it, smell it, touch it? No. This soul, your soul are nothing against seven years of good luck. You'll have money and all that money can buy.
Daniel asks the Devil's name
- “I’ve gone by a good many,” said the stranger carelessly. “Perhaps Scratch will do for the evening. I’m often called that in these regions.”
On Jury selection
- Daniel Webster: Let it be any court you choose, so it is an American judge and an American jury!
- Daniel Webster: Let it be the quick or the dead; I'll abide the issue!
The Jury enters
- One and all, they came into the room with the fires of hell still upon them, and the stranger named their names and their deeds as they came, till the tale of twelve was told. Yet the stranger had told the truth - they had all played a part in America.
- "Are you satisfied with the jury, Mr. Webster?" said the stranger mockingly, when they had taken their places.
- The sweat stood upon Dan'l Webster's brow, but his voice was clear.
- "Quite satisfied," he said. "Though I miss General Arnold from the company."
- "Benedict Arnold is engaged upon other business," said the stranger, with a glower.
The trial
- Dan'l Webster had faced some hard juries and hanging judges in his time, but this was the hardest he'd ever faced, and he knew it. They sat there with a kind of glitter in their eyes, and the stranger's smooth voice went on and on. Every time he'd raise an objection, it'd be "Objection sustained," but whenever Dan'l objected, it'd be "Objection denied." Well, you couldn't expect fair play from a fellow like this Mr. Scratch.
The Jury's verdict
- Walter Butler: Perhaps 'tis not strictly in accordance with the evidence, but even the damned may salute the eloquence of Mr. Webster.
Movies
A film of the same title (also called All That Money Can Buy, A Certain Mr. Scratch, Daniel and the Devil and Here Is a Man) was made in 1941 and an as yet unreleased one in 2002. The 1941 film stars Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, Jane Darwell, Simone Simon, Gene Lockhart and Anne Shirley, and adapted by Benét and Dan Totheroh from Benét's short story. It was directed by William Dieterle. It won the Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Walter Huston). When filming first began, Thomas Mitchell had the role of Daniel Webster, but he broke his leg and had to be replaced by Edward Arnold. Mitchell can still be seen in some scenes.
The 2001 version was directed by Alec Baldwin and starred Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, the latter as the Devil, and due to financing difficulties has remained unfinished for some time with a release potentially set within 2006.
Trivia
- Mark Twain, in his short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, named the frog Daniel Webster
- This story was parodied in the first segment of The Simpsons' special Halloween episode, Treehouse of Horror IV, entitled "The Devil and Homer Simpson". In their version, the Devil is played by Ned Flanders, and Homer sells his soul not for better luck, but for one doughnut. Lacking an oratorical heavyweight like Daniel Webster, it is up to incompetent attorney Lionel Hutz to win Homer's freedom from Hell.
- In The Rolling Stones song Sympathy for the Devil, the Devil recounts how he was present at many injustices, which is very similar to a passage in this story.
- A 2005 biopic about cult musician Daniel Johnston was entitled The Devil and Daniel Johnston in reference to the story.
- The story is referenced in the Magnetic Fields song "Two Characters in Search of a Country Song," from the 1994 album The Charm of the Highway Strip ("You were Jesse James, I was William Tell/ You were Daniel Webster, I was The Devil Himself").
- This story was also parodied in the Tiny Toons special, Night Ghoulery, with Plucky Duck in the role of Daniel Webster.
- In several non-English speaking countries, the story in included in textbooks for teaching English to students who are often baffled by the references to events of 19th Century American history.