Corrupted and driven by shallow, physical necessities, materialism exposes mankind's hypocritical nature. Hypocrisy stems from behavior that contradicts one's values. This hypocrisy is illustrated throughout history as well as in works of literature. In the play, The Crucible, playwright Arthur Miller illustrates the story of the mass witchcraft hysteria led by Puritans in Salem, Massachusetts. The storyline introduces a materialistic character: a greedy minister, Reverend Parris. Ultimately, his acquisitive needs expose his hypocritical nature. It is impossible to live a life free of hypocrisy because humans are born with a selfishness that makes them act in ways that they may not believe are virtuous. The selfish nature of people makes it difficult to avoid a life of hypocrisy. During the Civil War era, the constitutionality of slavery was a national controversy. Northern America believed slavery was immoral while Southern America believed it was the "foundation of their economy" (The Southern Argument for Slavery). To preserve the current prosperous state of the Southern economy, the well-being of slaves could be ignored. In the Declaration of Independence, it declares, "We …show more content…
However, it is virtually impossible to live such a life. A respected pastor, Neil W. Davis, is in agreement with the inevitability of having expectations in life. He asserts, "Expectation should be a part of the foundation of a Christian's life...Expectation starts the process of belief and holds or cements our belief together until we see the manifestation of our faith." In the play, the townspeople of Salem are all Puritans that devoted to being good Christians. According to Davis, faithful Christians ought to hold