Who wrote The Devil and Daniel Webster?

Who wrote The Devil and Daniel Webster?

• A. Stephen Vincent Benet
• B. Washington Irving
• C. O'Henry
• D. Nathaniel Hawthorne

Answer: (A)

The question tests your recall of who wrote a famous American short story that blends legend with a courtroom showdown. The author is Stephen Vincent Benét, a 20th‑century American writer and poet known for shaping American folklore into modern storytelling. The Devil and Daniel Webster uses a legendary bargain with the devil and a dramatic defense by the real historical figure Daniel Webster, giving it a timeless, mythic feel while staying rooted in American history. It appeared in The Atlantic Monthly in 1937 and later in a collection of Benét’s stories, which helped cement his reputation for weaving national myths into compelling narratives. The other writers listed are known for different kinds of work—Irving for early American legends, Hawthorne for Puritan moral tales, and O. Henry for twist endings—so this particular story is distinctly Benét’s.

The question tests your recall of who wrote a famous American short story that blends legend with a courtroom showdown. The author is Stephen Vincent Benét, a 20th‑century American writer and poet known for shaping American folklore into modern storytelling. The Devil and Daniel Webster uses a legendary bargain with the devil and a dramatic defense by the real historical figure Daniel Webster, giving it a timeless, mythic feel while staying rooted in American history. It appeared in The Atlantic Monthly in 1937 and later in a collection of Benét’s stories, which helped cement his reputation for weaving national myths into compelling narratives. The other writers listed are known for different kinds of work—Irving for early American legends, Hawthorne for Puritan moral tales, and O. Henry for twist endings—so this particular story is distinctly Benét’s.