Question

In this excerpt from Herman Melville’s short story \"The Lightning-Rod Man,\" which parts best support the view that the narrator equates the salesman with the devil?

A) The hairs of our heads are numbered, and the days of our lives

B) See, the scroll of the storm is rolled back; the house is unharmed; and in the blue heavens I read in the rainbow, that the Deity will not, of purpose, make war on man's earth

C) Impious wretch!" foamed the stranger, blackening in the face as the rainbow beamed

D) The scowl grew blacker on his face; the indigo-circles enlarged round his eyes as the storm-rings round the midnight moon. He sprang upon me; his tri-forked thing at my heart

E) I trod it; and dragging the dark lightning-king out of my door, flung his elbowed, copper scepter after him.

F) But spite of my treatment, and spite of my dissuasive talk of him to my neighbors, the Lightning-rod man still dwells in the land; still travels in storm-time, and drives a brave trade with the fears of man

Answer 1

The parts that best support the view that the narrator equates the salesmanwith the devil are:

D) The scowl grew blacker on his face; the indigo-circles enlarged round his eyes as the storm-rings round the midnight moon. He sprang upon me; his tri-forked thing at my heart

E) I trod it; and dragging the dark lightning-king out of my door, flung his elbowed, copper scepter after him.

F) But spite of my treatment, and spite of my dissuasive talk of him to my neighbors, the Lightning-rod man still dwells in the land; still travels in storm-time, and drives a brave trade with the fears of man

Answer 2

The answers are C, D, E and F.

All these sentences present parts that are in some way a description of the devil : Sentence C describes the stranger's foul language and dark appearance. D: the weird expression getting darker and his three-forked thing (typical image of the devil). E: dark lightening-king. F: still travels in storm-time; drives a brave trade with the fears of man. (people's fears allow the devil to act boldly.)