Inherit the Wind

[Kim, Wild-eyed Bibliomaniac]

I know we are not scheduled to begin reading this until August 1, but I would like to explain a few things and set some ground rules for the discussion. I know that this play is about a touchy subject, evolution vs. creationism. I do not want this discussion to become about that and that alone. Please stay on the topic of the play and not the issues.

There may be a term mentioned that some you may not be familliar with. Chautauqua (Shaw' taw kwa) Tent or meeting. Chautauqua meetings were poplular in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. They were desgined for adult education and would feature all sorts of entertainment, like speakers, singers and the like. They began in Chautauqua, N.Y., but the style of meeting became poplular elsewhere.

William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow were the prosecuting and defense lawyers for the trial now known as the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925. Bryan lived from 1860-1925, ran for president 3 times, 1896, 1900, 1908, and died 5 days after winning this trial. He was a Presbyterian,a prohibitionist,and a supporter of free silver, a movement to back the nations money with silver instead of gold. (The "Wizard of OZ" is an allegorical tale about the free silver movement, with President Grover Cleveland as the wizard and Bryan as the sacrecrow, as he was known as the boy orator from Nebraska.)

Clarence Darrow was a leading member of the ACLU, lived from 1857-1938. He succesfully defended Leopold and Loeb for the thrill killing of 14 year old Booby Franks in Chicago.

The play was first put into print in 1955, 30 years after the original trial. The writers based it on the actual trial, and the teacher in question did indeed go unpunished as there was no way to prove he did anything wrong, other than violate the Butler Law,which prohibited the teaching of evolution.


Keep all of this in mind as you read the play.

[Kim, Wild-eyed Bibliomaniac]

O.K., this weekend the boyfriend and I watched the original movie version of this with Spencer Tracy and Friedrich March, playing Drummond and Brady respectively. I encourage you all to watch this AFTER you read the play so you can see it come to life. There are some bits that were added to the movie, but they do not detract from the work.

March and Tracy were evenly matched playing these larger-than-life men, and Gene Kelly, in a rare-non dancing role, plays Hornbeck, the reporter. Dick York (the first Darrin on "Bewitched") plays Bert,and Harry Morgan (yes, Col. Potter from M*A*S*H) plays the judge.

To me the play is less about the debate of evolution vs. creationism, as it is more about the censorship of ideas. It goes with out saying, that this play has been on the banned book list more than once because of it's subject matter. But, like most things banned, I think the censors are afraid, as usual, that it might make you think for yourself.

That is what the debate of this play is about. Ideas. Free thinking and those who wish to hobble minds to think the way they want you too, like all good soldiers should. (Go ahead, drink the Kool-Aid kids...)

Isn't that what censorship is about, a bunch of people trying to dictate what we think, and a good amount of them haven't even read what they are banning? Like Brady, they hide behind what they feel is safe and dare not to go beyond it, possibly afraid that there secure,narrow world,may shatter and open up to something more,something they can't control....something like you?

[A.]

I will not be reading this particular work as I find reading plays difficult to follow. Were it in a novel form I would be more inclined to read it.
For what it is worth...I am all about thinking for yourself(don't like Grape Kool-Aid anyways)and not blindly following just because someone says so. There is a time and place to follow the rules...but you still have an opinion...and a brain...USE THEM!

[Kim, Wild-eyed Bibliomaniac]

That is exactly what I think that this play is about (if you don't want to read the play, try the movie, it is just as good at getting across the point). Rules are important, when they make sense, like no diving in the shallow end, and some that don't, like we have banned smoking in the work place so you can't even smoke at home. Rules need to be followed, but they do need to be questioned from time to time when they no longer have bearing on our lives now.

Things should not be blindly done because they have always been done this or that way. They should be done with thought and care.