God Bless America

            Jabez Stone’s trial for his soul proved to be the most stimulating scene in The Devil and Daniel Webster for me—it opened up dialogue on American patriotism and commentary on American wrongdoings.

When Daniel Webster argued that Stone could not be taken because of his American citizenship and identity, I was surprised that such an angle was being used against Scratch, the devil and an immortal being. It seems almost absurd that American legality could be applied to the devil, who got a man to sign away his soul. In the scene of the trial, Webster says, “…an American citizen cannot be forced into the service of a foreign prince.” This line of argument then leads Stone to be able to have a trial by which his contract with the devil may be terminated if his case is won. “Standing on the Constitution,” so to speak, Webster challenges Scratch’s authority with a claim to nationalistic principles and earning Stone one of the guaranteed American rights—trial by jury.

Furthermore, Scratch as a character was used in this scene as a voice for criticism on historical American actions. For instance, after being accused as a foreigner, Scratch argues that he is an American—he was there “when the first wrong was done to the first Indian…[and] when the first slaver put out for the Congo…” These are indeed dark eras in American history, with men claiming righteousness as they stepped upon the rights and humanity of peoples of different culture and color. On top of this, Webster had asked for a trial with an “American judge and an American jury.” Of course, what was given to him by Scratch were British men who lived previous to the 1776 declaration of independence, an American traitor, and even a Native American chief. Each of these individuals on the jury represented members of America’s history that stories of patriotism often leave out.
In the end, this all begs the question of what the purpose of this trial was in the grand scheme of the film. Was there a reason why Daniel Webster, champion of righteousness, purported American ideals and nationalistic strength while Scratch, the representation of the devil and all that is bad with human nature, carried with him the stains of America?