Reverend Brown Is A Fool
Szymanski 1
The Foolish One
Since Reverend Brown is a harsh man, He is also a fool. According to the bible all harsh men are fools. They react out of anger and in Proverbs 18:2 it says, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his [own] opinion” (English Standard Version). This meaning that they don’t enjoy other opinions or even the opinion of God, but are selfish in their thoughts and expressing their thought to others. The bible states that they are quick to anger (Proverbs 12:16 NLT) and that they rejoice in evil (Proverbs 2:14). A harsh man can also be described in these ways. Furthermore, in the drama Inherit the Wind, Reverend Brown is shown to be a harsh man. During one of the conversations of the Reverend’s Daughter Rachel, she states, …show more content…
“[…] I remember feeling this way when I was a little girl.
I would wake up in the middle of the night, terrified of the dark. I’d think sometimes that my bed was on the ceiling and the whole house was upside down; and if I didn’t hang onto the mattress, I might fall outward into the stars. (She shivers a little, remembering) I wanted to run to my father, and have him tell me I was safe, that everything was all right. But, I was always more frightened of him than I was of falling. It’s the same now” (1.2. 54-55).
The fact that a little girl is that afraid of what her father might say tells us Reverend Brown was not a comforting person. He did not react in love towards his daughter, especially after the absence of her mother mentioned shortly after. Also, at the arrival of the prosecuting attorney, Matthew Harrison Brady, Rachel is forced to talk to him by the reverend who calls to
her
Szymanski 2
“Fiercely” (1.1. 24). Therefore, Reverend Jeremiah Brown is a fool. He shows his quick-temper and harsh attitude later-on during the prayer meeting when he prays,
“(Deliberately shattering the rhythm, to go into the frenzied prayer, hands clasped together and lifted heavenward) O Lord of the Tempest and the Thunder! O Lord of Righteousness and Wrath! We pray that Thou wilt make a sign unto us! Strike down this sinner, as Thou didst Thine Enemies of old, in the days of the Pharaohs! (All lean forward, almost expecting the heavens to open with a thunderbolt. RACHEL is white. BRADY shifts uncomfortably in his chair; this is pretty strong stuff, even for him) Let him feel the terror of Thy sword! For all eternity, let his soul writhe in anguish and damnation—” (2.1. 66).
His daughter interrupted his curse of death to plea for her friend, and he turned to her as well calling, “Lord, we call down the same curse on those who ask grace for this sinner – though they be blood of my blood, and flesh of my flesh!” (2.1. 66). One could not get harsher and more evil than wishing death upon his own daughter simply because she did not approve of that kind of death on a friend. This man was crude, harsh, evil, wicked, and above all a fool who did not deserve the title of reverend.
The Foolish One
Since Reverend Brown is a harsh man, He is also a fool. According to the bible all harsh men are fools. They react out of anger and in Proverbs 18:2 it says, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his [own] opinion” (English Standard Version). This meaning that they don’t enjoy other opinions or even the opinion of God, but are selfish in their thoughts and expressing their thought to others. The bible states that they are quick to anger (Proverbs 12:16 NLT) and that they rejoice in evil (Proverbs 2:14). A harsh man can also be described in these ways. Furthermore, in the drama Inherit the Wind, Reverend Brown is shown to be a harsh man. During one of the conversations of the Reverend’s Daughter Rachel, she states, …show more content…
“[…] I remember feeling this way when I was a little girl.
I would wake up in the middle of the night, terrified of the dark. I’d think sometimes that my bed was on the ceiling and the whole house was upside down; and if I didn’t hang onto the mattress, I might fall outward into the stars. (She shivers a little, remembering) I wanted to run to my father, and have him tell me I was safe, that everything was all right. But, I was always more frightened of him than I was of falling. It’s the same now” (1.2. 54-55).
The fact that a little girl is that afraid of what her father might say tells us Reverend Brown was not a comforting person. He did not react in love towards his daughter, especially after the absence of her mother mentioned shortly after. Also, at the arrival of the prosecuting attorney, Matthew Harrison Brady, Rachel is forced to talk to him by the reverend who calls to
her
Szymanski 2
“Fiercely” (1.1. 24). Therefore, Reverend Jeremiah Brown is a fool. He shows his quick-temper and harsh attitude later-on during the prayer meeting when he prays,
“(Deliberately shattering the rhythm, to go into the frenzied prayer, hands clasped together and lifted heavenward) O Lord of the Tempest and the Thunder! O Lord of Righteousness and Wrath! We pray that Thou wilt make a sign unto us! Strike down this sinner, as Thou didst Thine Enemies of old, in the days of the Pharaohs! (All lean forward, almost expecting the heavens to open with a thunderbolt. RACHEL is white. BRADY shifts uncomfortably in his chair; this is pretty strong stuff, even for him) Let him feel the terror of Thy sword! For all eternity, let his soul writhe in anguish and damnation—” (2.1. 66).
His daughter interrupted his curse of death to plea for her friend, and he turned to her as well calling, “Lord, we call down the same curse on those who ask grace for this sinner – though they be blood of my blood, and flesh of my flesh!” (2.1. 66). One could not get harsher and more evil than wishing death upon his own daughter simply because she did not approve of that kind of death on a friend. This man was crude, harsh, evil, wicked, and above all a fool who did not deserve the title of reverend.