Inherit the Wind Essay

Inherit the Wind “Here in Hillsboro we are fighting the fight of the Faithful through-out the world!” (53) Inherit the Wind is the epic legal drama, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, of a controversial subject: creationism versus Darwinism. Hillsboro is extremely determined to defend creationism. Though fictional, Inherit the Wind is based on the Scopes Trial, which occurred in July of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee. The play was published in 1957, a period of time where people, especially those of Hillsboro, the small town in which the play is set, were only allowed to teach the theory of creationism; teaching evolution was against the law. The people of the town were extremely religious. To not believe in the bible or attend church would result in being shunned by Hillsboro. In Inherit the Wind, the attitude of Hillsboro subtly changes throughout the course of the trial of the young schoolteacher who purposely broke the law. The town reflects the fiercely religious and biased views collectively shared by its people, such that it becomes an important character in itself. The changes in the town’s attitude are small, evident by certain individuals within the town learning to open their minds and accept the theory of evolution. Before the trial of Bert Cates, the attitude of the town is reflected by its behavior towards Bert Cates, Henry Drummond, and Matthew Harrison Brady. Bert Cates is a schoolteacher who was imprisoned for teaching evolution to his class, something Hillsboro considers to be very wrong. Rachel Brown is the daughter of the Reverend, and though she tries to defy her father and his views, even she sides with Hillsboro and does not understand “why [he] can’t be on the right side of things” (8). The “right side” is Hillsboro’s side; the only “right” answer is in the bible. Because Hillsboro is so close-minded, it refuses to accept any other theories or opinions. It wants Cates to be found guilty. It considers him a