Throughout Unit 1, the stories have had a similar story line, which greed and power trumps doing what is right. Christopher Columbus found new land and stripped from those who rightfully owned it, slave traders ripped Equiano from his home to make money off of him, and Salem citizens accused honorable people of witchcraft for personal gain. The stories of Columbus, Equiano, and John Proctor all relate back to show that being an American can be described by the urge for power and the temptation of greed.
When Columbus took off to find a quicker route to Asia, he had no idea what he would eventually find. After a long, trying voyage he landed among the Americas. Though he did not know at the time, eventually he would find out that he was not in Asia. In Letter to Columbus after finding out he wrote, “I understood sufficiently from other Indians, whom I had already taken, that this land was nothing but an island, and I therefore followed its coast eastward for one hundred and seven leagues to the point where it ended.” (1) Columbus came onto the island and overtook
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In the story, people betray life long friends in order to protect themselves or to get what they want. People made claims of seeing witches, and in doing so they sentenced many people to death. In order to relieve the town of the devil, a pastor named Reverend Hale was brought in. When Hale saw through the claims, it was too late. When the last and most honorable citizens hanging day came, Hale said, “Beware, Goody Proctor, ‘ cleave to no faith when faith bring blood. Life, woman, life is God’s most precious gift..”(page 159). When he finally saw above the corruption and greed it was too late and the lives of many Salem citizens had already been taken. Yet another example of the greed in America. The accusers of Salem knew they were lying yet they went along in order to have personal gain from the death of