With both John Proctor’s and the Puritans’ resistance through tough times, and the work of all people to overcome adversity, being an American means to be strong when the easiest path would be to crumble and give in.
As Americans, we have a relatively short, but very rich, history. We have seen everything from slavery, to great wars, to tragic witch hunts that took the lives of hundreds of innocents. But in all this darkness, the light has found a way to shine. Slavery began thousands of years ago and was prevalent in many places for a very long time. The treatment of these people in bondage was appalling, but still some of them had fighting spirits that overcame even the most trying times. Olaudah Equiano was the epitome of this fighting …show more content…
Throughout the entirety of the play John Proctor goes back and forth between wanting to do what’s right for himself, and what would be best to do for everyone else. He begrudgingly confesses to his sin of lechery to the court in a last ditch effort to save his wife. “A man will not cast away his good name, you know that surely,” (1206) Proctor said when he was trying to prove to the court that it would make no sense to lie about something that would make him be looked down upon. He was willing to throw himself under the bus and take the consequences of his actions so he could save not only his wife, but also to protect all of the other falsely accused that were sitting in jail with the weight of a sin they did not commit bearing down on them. John’s awe-inspiring valor is accentuated in Act 4 when he refuses to admit to the crime of witchcraft to save his own life because he knew that if he did so, he would be muddying the names of all of his friends that were put to death for the same claims being placed upon them. “They think to go like saints.” Proctor said, referring to the people that were hung for not confessing.”I like not to spoil their name” (1230). While the temptation was strong to save his own life and go home to be with his children, he tore the piece of paper with his confession on it to pieces. For that, he was hung, but his point was made and his actions made clear to the people that they had made a mistake. He died a
As Americans, we have a relatively short, but very rich, history. We have seen everything from slavery, to great wars, to tragic witch hunts that took the lives of hundreds of innocents. But in all this darkness, the light has found a way to shine. Slavery began thousands of years ago and was prevalent in many places for a very long time. The treatment of these people in bondage was appalling, but still some of them had fighting spirits that overcame even the most trying times. Olaudah Equiano was the epitome of this fighting …show more content…
Throughout the entirety of the play John Proctor goes back and forth between wanting to do what’s right for himself, and what would be best to do for everyone else. He begrudgingly confesses to his sin of lechery to the court in a last ditch effort to save his wife. “A man will not cast away his good name, you know that surely,” (1206) Proctor said when he was trying to prove to the court that it would make no sense to lie about something that would make him be looked down upon. He was willing to throw himself under the bus and take the consequences of his actions so he could save not only his wife, but also to protect all of the other falsely accused that were sitting in jail with the weight of a sin they did not commit bearing down on them. John’s awe-inspiring valor is accentuated in Act 4 when he refuses to admit to the crime of witchcraft to save his own life because he knew that if he did so, he would be muddying the names of all of his friends that were put to death for the same claims being placed upon them. “They think to go like saints.” Proctor said, referring to the people that were hung for not confessing.”I like not to spoil their name” (1230). While the temptation was strong to save his own life and go home to be with his children, he tore the piece of paper with his confession on it to pieces. For that, he was hung, but his point was made and his actions made clear to the people that they had made a mistake. He died a