"The Devil and Tom Walker" contains both physical conflicts and ideological ones.
An example of a physical conflict is the one that, according to the most popular legend of the surrounding events, tells that Tom's wife was murdered by the Devil because she picked a fight with him in her efforts to win the treasure they were negotiating for. We are probably meant to interpret that Tom's wife was willful, but foolish, because anyone with...
"The Devil and Tom Walker" contains both physical conflicts and ideological ones.
An example of a physical conflict is the one that, according to the most popular legend of the surrounding events, tells that Tom's wife was murdered by the Devil because she picked a fight with him in her efforts to win the treasure they were negotiating for. We are probably meant to interpret that Tom's wife was willful, but foolish, because anyone with any familiarity with the Devil and his history and powers should know that physically fighting him is pointless. The brutality of her death also serves as a visible indicator of the Devil's abilities, as well as the restraint which he shows in order to get what he wants.
An ideological conflict would include Tom's refusal to deal in the slave trade. One of the conditions of winning the treasure is that Tom must agree to several terms and conditions regarding its use, as laid out by the Devil. The Devil suggests that Tom enter the slaving business, but Tom finds this distasteful and refuses. This is almost certainly a social commentary relevant to the time at which the story was published, indicating that even a person as evil and corrupted as Tom still considered slavery to be unforgivable.
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