Columbus Picture

Brittany Middlebrooks
Per.11 9/08/08
Ms. Brown

Analyzing Columbus Picture
Everyone knows the story of Columbus how in “1492 Columbus sailed the ocean
blue”. Well as true as that is Columbus wasn’t the first let alone the only to sail that ocean
blue. So why is he accredited for doing such a deed as great as discovering America,
when America in itself had already been discovered? We know how Columbus must feel,
full of pride, and accomplishment, but what about those brave explorers who came before
him? I would imagine that they would feel cheated, and very remorseful. I have chosen
two cartoons which I have found online, courtesy of www.OfftheMark.com by Mark
Parisi, and Ms. Brown for allowing us to use the internet. I have chosen two visuals,
because it’s so like me not being able to pick just one. Firstly you will see a visual of a
young man turning in a paper only to have his teacher remind him that it had been
plagiarized. Christopher Columbus “discovered” America, and at the time thought he was
the only one to ever come across this land, however when coming across the Native
Americans you would think that he would actually begin to think he wasn’t the first to
come across the continent. By the time Columbus arrived the Native Americans, were
probably thinking exactly what the teacher is communicating to the young man in the
cartoon.

Secondly, if you avert your attention to the next cartoon, you will see the visual of the
fifth Teletubby, whom does not receive the same recognition of that of his four other cast
mates. Although he probably has the most gruesome job, being a toilet plunger and all, he
feels remorse, because he’s constantly in the backlight. This is similar to the explorers
who constantly had to live in Columbus’ shadow. How would you feel if you discovered
the cure for cancer, but so many years later someone else found another cure, and they
were credited and received their own holiday while you received nothing? Many years
later Columbus is still receiving credit for his works, despite the fact that it has been
proven he is not the true originator of finding America. Just as he maintained journals and
letters throughout his journey, I would assume that other have also. Why haven’t any of
them been published, and if they were, why do they not receive the same recognition?