In the short folktale story “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving shows different forms of archetypal behavior like greed, selfishness, and evil. Tom Walker and his wife were quite alike with a few differences. Tom Walker and his wife do not have the typical relationship. They cheat each other whenever they get the opportunity. Anything his wife can get her hands on with little or no value his wife hides it from him. A miserly old couple they were. Tom Walker was a greedy, mean, cheap old man. Tom took the back way home through a swamp with pines and hemlocks, some nighty feet high. Tom stumbled upon a black man, but he was neither black nor Indian with red eyes. He’s usually called Old Scratch, but goes by other various names. He seemed like a regular man and Tom didn’t seem to be frightened, Tom is an overly confident man and was not to be troubled with any fear of such kind. Tom and the Old Scratch spoke about things one couldn’t imagine. The Old Scratch inquires about making a deal with the devil for Tom to be a rich man, the story says “Tom was a hard minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife …show more content…
Walker is mean and selfish and wants all the riches for herself. She abuses Tom verbally and physically. If Mrs. Walker was described in one word, it would have to be selfish. She hides food, money, and valuables from her husband so she can have them for herself. She is a selfish person and a nagging wife. Tom arrives home to tell Mrs. Walker about his fearless trip home. Mrs. Walker is intrigued and thinks Tom should take the devil up on his offer. Tom doesn’t really like his wife and doesn’t want to share his riches with his wife. With Mrs. Walker’s personality and her urge to have all the wealth to despite her husband she decides to go for it. With taking a trip to visit Old Scratch she never returns. Curiously Tom goes looking for her and finds her heart and liver tired up in her apron and never heard of