The play Inherit the Wind, was written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee to inform its readers about the injustice of a law that limited the freedom of an ordinary citizen. This play is based upon actual events that happened to an individual, John Scopes, in Dayton, Tennessee during the 1920’s. This famous “Monkey Trial” not only allowed people to begin to accept new theories about the origin of man, but also showed that they did not have to limit themselves in other areas of life.
In the beginning of the play, the authors try to lead us into the topic of Darwinism versus Creationism. One instance was when the character Howard actually told Melinda “Your old man’s a monkey!”(5) The audience also learns that the accused lawbreaker, Bert Cates, and the reverend’s daughter, Rachel Brown, are in love and are set to be married. Rachel becomes a pertinent part of the trial when Brady starts to question her, against the will of Bert.
The theme of Inherit the Wind is, "don't be afraid of new ideas, and you have to let people make up their own minds about things." That theme fits the story really well, because that is the exact opposite of what the people of Hillsboro did, and look what happened there. One man spoke his mind, and a trial that made history was held. No one should be afraid to speak their mind, and people should not automatically reject a new idea because it is not what they are used to. The characters in Inherit the Wind heard Bert Cates's idea, didn't l...
Everyone has a great amount of power and influence to change society’s perspective by taking action. In the play, Inherit the Wind, Bert’s trial gained more attention than expected. The trial itself isn’t just about Bert teaching evolution, but the perspective on freedom of religion, and the separation of church
History is consistently used in films as a technique to teach the values and morals of events that occurred. But what’s the point in teaching history through films when they are terribly fictional? In films, the director finds the best scheme to intrigue their audience only by changing the actual event to satisfy their interest. This is true for Stanley Kramer when he made the history of John Scopes and his “monkey trial” into a film called Inherit the Wind. Kramer knew the exact stereotypical “Hollywood history” his audience enjoyed. The trial itself had a series of conflicts, the main one being evolution vs. religion. Yet there was also a series of tensions throughout the movie, including the argument between individual vs. society. The same themes from Inherit the Wind can also be seen from the actual “monkey trial” event in Dayton, Tennessee. It is sometimes said that truth is stranger than fiction and according to this film, truth is also stronger than fiction. Inherit the Wind ignored the true dramatic moment, which is essential to the actual trial that happened in Dayton, Tennessee. Kramer even portrayed his own opinion of this trial in this film. The truth was so distorted in the film so now the argument is not individual vs. society or evolution vs. religion but history vs. fiction. Inherit the Wind is set in the little town of Hillsboro when Bertram Cates (played by), a biology teacher, was thrown into prison for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. Two famous lawyers were behind this case, Henry Drummond (played by) as the defender and Mathew Harrison Brady (played by), as the prosecutor. Mathew Harrison Brady who was “voted 3 times for a presidential candidate” was sent to Hillsboro is carry out the job as a prosecutor for this trial. As for Cates, a journalist from Baltimore Herald by the name of E.K. Horrbeck willingly provided a lawyer named Henry Drummond for him. Horrbeck was interested in the Cates, expecting to make big bucks from this big “media” case. The two opposing lawyers, Drummond and Brady, were Kramer’s two main characters, both with different opinions on how humans arrived on earth. Drummond supported the evolution theory, while Brady, the creation theory. In this film, Kramer distorted the facts of the actual trial to make this film more of a drama than a history documentary.
As probably the best courtroom dramas of the twentieth century, Inherit the Wind is based on the famous, Scopes Monkey Trial. The play was printed virtually thirty years afterward and takes original authority in varying the true-life elements of the court case. The central conflict of the play is based on the Scopes Monkey Trial itself. Several themes are presented throughout the play, for example when Brady argues for religious values while Drummond argues for natural values and freedom of thought. The definition of a theme is an implicit or recurrent idea. We also see a theme of man versus society, furthermore, Bertram Cates versus the small town of Hillsboro. A third theme is appearance versus reality, or the difference between outward pretext and the basic truth. There are also quite a few symbols all the way through the play. A symbol is something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible. A symbol can also be an image that has multiple interpretations. For instance in Inherit the Wind, the small town mentality concept is greatly represented. The widespread significance of the court case is symbolized by the radio broadcast during the trial. External beauty is also significant when it is symbolized by the means of the rocking horse we learn about from Drummond's childhood. During the decade of the Scopes Monkey Trial, the conflict of evolution and the bible has massive relevance to the municipal and philosophical surroundings.
In Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s tense drama, “Inherit the Wind”, three strong characters express powerful opinions: Bertrum Cates , Henry Drummond, and Mathew Harrison Brady. First, Bert Cates, the defendant, is charged with teaching “Darwinism” to his sophomore class . Second, Henry Drummond, the defense attorney for Cates, displays his beliefs of the right to think. third, Mathew Harrison Brady, the “big-shot” prosecuting attorney, illustrates his bigotry of creationism. To conclude, these three essential characters are fighting for their personal beliefs.
In this story it clearly shows us what the courts really mean by freedom, equality, liberty, property and equal protection of the laws. The story traces the legal challenges that affected African Americans freedom. To justify slavery as the “the way things were” still begs to define what lied beneath slave owner’s abilities to look past the wounded eyes and beating hearts of the African Americans that were so brutally possessed.
The Scopes 'Monkey Trial' - July 10, 1925 - July 25, 1925. University of Virginia American Studies. 16 May 2007
The setting of the Scopes Trial and Inherit the Wind have both similarities and differences. The Scopes Trial took place in Dayton, Tennessee (“Tennessee vs. John Scopes,” 1925). Dayton is a town that normally wouldn’t have been found on a typical map. It is small, quiet, and would be considered insignificant if not for the historical event that took place there in the summer of 1925: the Monkey Trial. Likewise, the setting of Inherit the Wind features a sleepy town in the middle of summer that had never been the center of attention in all its years of existence (Lawrence & Lee, 1955). However, the name of the town is not Dayton. It is called Hillsboro (Lawrence & Lee, 1955). Additionally, while the Scopes Trial took place in 1925, Inherit the Wind does not have a specific date attached to its setting. This gives the story a feeling of timelessness; appropriate since the theme of Inherit the Wind is still applicable today. While the setting in many ways stays the same, it is easy to see the changes that the authors of Inherit the Wind made while writing the story
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale “Young Goodman Brown” is replete, is saturated, with irony. This essay will amply illustrate the validity of this statement.
One character in the movie Dad that had unresolved issues that dealt with it later in the movie was Jake. Jake had many problems such as he was not able to do many things as he use to, so he is in the inferiority stage . His wife Beaty did most of his work for him like get his pj’s, make breakfast for him, and take him into town. Jake dealt with this crisis when Beaty was in the hospital after her heart attack. Jake need to learn how to live on his own if something were to happen to Beaty. With a little bit of help from John, Jake was able again do many of the things he use to do again, like clean the house, cook, and drive. Another crisis that Jake dealt with was that he was role confused because his happy place on the farm in New Jersey was colliding with the real world. So Jake does a lot
These injustices have begun long before Tom’s trial, but it is his trial which epitomizes the problems with our society. The first witness was simply just a misguided fellow named Heck Tate who it seems didn’t have much to offer to the case. Next, Atticus Finch called Bob Ewell to the stand. When I saw Ewell take the stand such a fierce hatred rose within me that I began to shake and tremble. Ewell wrongfully accused Tom of raping his daughter Mayella, however, with the grace of God, Atticus Finch had shown that it was very possible that it was Bob Ewell who because he was a lefty could have beat Mayella. If it were not for great men like Atticus Finch I would have lost all hope for this world. As I watched Mayella take the stand I wondered how such a kind looking person could be someone of such poor character. Her words seemed to paint a picture of a sad life; one where a father neglects her and she has fallen under hard times. Atticus, after pointing out it was probably Bob who beat her, asked Mayella who it really was that beat her. Mayella made it clear it was Tom Robinson, upon which Atticus asked Tom to stand. To the astonishment of the court Tom was handicapped! Tom was then called to the stand where he laid open for all to see the truth, explaining that it was Mayella who came on to him (that treacherous woman!). Soon enough the trial ended and every one awaited the verdict of the jury. The next few hours were the most nerve wracking of my life.
Inherit the Wind, written by Robert E. Lee and ___ Lawrence, has an array of characters that mirror the world during McCarthyism. The greatest similarity between Inherit the Wind and its historical context is evident in the character of Brady and Senator Joseph McCarthy’s personality. Joseph McCarthy exhibited a compelling style when orating speeches that came to define an era. According to historians, “...his current path was the path of righteousness. his delivery was emphatic and powerful. His fist pounded the pulpit, and his voice growled with vigilance.”("Joseph McCarthy as the Epithet of an Era" ) The character of Brady showcases the charisma and force McCarthy used with his words to make people listen to his opinions. In the play, Brady seems to translate Miller’s impression of McCarthy. When about to make a speech, Brady’s charismatic quality is described to the reader, “[Brady] seems to carry with him a built-in spotlight...[Brady] raises his hand. Obediently, the crowd falls to a hushed and anticipatory silence.” (Lawrence, Lee 19) Brady’s power as a public figure imitates Joseph McCarthy’s unequivocal force as an orator. McCarthy’s image in history is known to be one of immense power and manipulation of the masses’ emotions.
Johnson, Claudia. "The Secret Courts of Men's Hearts: Code and Law in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird." Studies in American Fiction (1991):129-139.
The scene that introduces the audience to Matthew Harrison Brady, in Inherit the Wind, (Dir. Stanley Kramer. With Spencer Tracy, Frederic March, and Gene Kelly. MGM. 1960) uses dialogue, composition, camera work and music to develop Matthew Brady. Kramer reveals important information about the plot of the film in this scene. The scene opens with a bird's eye view shot of the town of Hillsboro, and focuses in on the movement of the parade below. The camera comes to rest on the convertible that transports Brady and his wife. The town of Hillsboro welcomes the well-known politician. He will serve the town by being the prosecutor in a trial about evolution, similar to that of the historical Scopes Trial. This scene, where we first meet Brady, reveals his strong character, and the role of savior that the town expects him to play. Through the development of Brady, Kramer also introduces us to the issues of religion and politics. Stanley Kramer, the director, introduces the audience to two key ideas in the very first shot of the scene. He does this through the use of background tools, like music and scenery. As the camera fades in from the previous scene, music begins to play, and a group of women sing a religious hymn, "Give me that old time religion." The extremely loud music continues for the duration of the parade. At first the audience doesn't know the source of the music, but as the parade comes to an end, the camera focuses on a group of militant looking women, who march and sing. This song draws the audience into the impending controversy over religion. It expresses the entire town's point of view on the issue. The audience can see that religion affects the soc...
In this time of transition and uncertainty, research suggests that transformational leadership is highly effective (Straight, 2006). Leadership research has drifted from emphasis on the competence of leaders to “manage change” to the ability to “transform” organizations. Transformational leaders have attributes and behaviors needed to successfully motivate and empower employees. According to Bernard Bass (1990), transformational leadership occurs when a leader transforms, or changes, his or her followers in three important ways that together result in followers trusting the leader, performing behaviors that contribute to the achievement of organizational goals, and being motivated to perform at a high level. Transformational leaders can achieve greater performance by stimulating innovative ways of thinking and transforming follower’s beliefs and aspirations. Maxwell (Maxwell, 2007) articulates that most of the time, influence is more important than formal power or authority. I agree with him. Influence is very important in organizational and co...
The concept of transforming/transformational leadership is the process in which the leader and follower help one another to develop a greater level of morale and motivation (Anonymous, N.D.). According to Burns, the transforming approach was to generate substantial change in the life of the people and organization to aspire the followers (Anonymous, N.D.). Through further research, Bass transformational approach measured the leader in terms of their impact on the followers. The qualities of the transformational leader presented trust, loyalty, and respect towards their followers. These results from the leader offered more than self-gain, but inspire followers to a mission to visualize their own identity within the organization, by being successful within the team and those they are serving. These are the characteristics that motivates the writer to continue being a successful transformational leader within their