What does the Devil represent in the story, The Devil Swims Across the Anacostia River, from the story collection, All Aunt Hagar’s Children?

Although the Devil is in some respects a character in The Devil Swims Across the Anacostia River, his manifestation can also be read symbolically as a representation of Laverne's crisis of faith. As Laverne turns over the various evils she has witnessed in the world and tries to square her feelings about her two grandmothers, who appear diametrically opposed but are in fact quite similar to one another in terms of the heavy reputation they wield, the Devil appears to her and vocalizes her innermost thoughts as she embarks on her questioning of her faith. In this sense, the Devil is a symbol of doubt as much as he is the harbinger of it.