The theme of Inherit The Wind seems to have more in common with the 2020s than some of us might wish.
High Point: The dialog is fascinating as the characters argue their differences. In addition, the authors’ description of the elaborate stage set would be something to see.
Low Point: The play continues to have so much relevance even well into the 21st century.
Authors: Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee
Publication Date: 1953
Genre: Fiction
Most people are likely familiar with the storyline of Inherit The Wind through the 1960 movie. That was a fictional account loosely based on the 1925 Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee. It concerned the enforcement of Tennessee’s legislation to forbid the teaching in public schools of the theory of evolution. Violators could be fined or imprisoned.
Play Script
The book is the script for the original stage production upon which the movie was based. It was written in 1953 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. They didn’t limit their story to actual events. They embellished them, changed the names of the key players, and even changed the town name from Dayton to Hillsboro.
But they constructed a compelling story—one that would have been told more effectively on the stage. In fact, a stage production of Inherit The Wind—based strictly on their script—would be something to see.
Their script describes a single elaborate set consisting of the courtroom in the foreground. He set then merges into the town courthouse square on an elevated level in the background. Scene changes are accomplished primarily through lighting. The writers explain, “It is important to the concept of the play that the town is visible always, looming there, as much on trial as the individual defendant.”
Creationism Vs. Evolution
The meat of the story, of course, is the presentation of two sides of the question posed by the defendant’s attorney: “…why did God plague us with the power to think?” Both sides—fundamentalists and progressives—frequently punctuate their arguments with rancor and bitterness. Sound familiar?
Initially, it seemed the writers were overly harsh with their portrayal of the Hillsboro community, its religious leader, and its famous guest prosecutor. They were simply a product of their time. But then we see today that school districts are banning books, and states are legislating the prohibition of the teaching of certain topics in public schools—even mandating fines or imprisonment for violators.
The theme of Inherit The Wind seems to have more in common with the 2020s than some of us might wish.
Quotes
| How do you write an obituary for a man who’s been dead thirty years? |
Movie/TV Adaptation
Inherit the Wind (1960); Inherit the Wind (TV Movie – 1965); Inherit the Wind (TV Movie – 1988); Inherit the Wind (TV Movie – 1999)
Sources For This Book
Free eBook (Project Gutenberg): Not available
Free Audiobook (LibriVox): Not available
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks, Biblio, Thriftbooks
