Do you feel that Tom Walker deserved fate as told on pages 160 and 161? Would you have more symphathy for Tom if he, like the original Faust, had sold his soul for knowledge instead of money?
The Devil and Tom Walker" has all the makings of a traditional Faustian bargain tale. In the German legend, Faust, a scholar, makes a deal with the devil to sell his soul in exchange for unlimited knowledge, the thing he desired most in the world. In this story, Tom Walker agrees to sell his soul to the devil and endure eternal damnation in exchange for a vast sum of wealth, the thing he desires most in the world. Just like Faust, Tom realizes the consequences of his actions far too late.
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