Themes and Symbols: Inherit the Wind 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 …show more content…
The playwrights, Lawrence and Lee, introduce a chain of opposites, or a notion of "doubling." We see this is the shape of character traits, surroundings and atmospheres, and ideas. The characters of Brady and Drummond are distinguished as very contradictory. Although they are both lawyers, they have extremely conflicting views on thinking. On one hand, Brady is very closed-minded. He truly believes in the bible and that one God created earth and everything on it. On the other hand, Drummond is very open-minded. He deems the appropriate decision for this case is the freedom to think. As the defendant for Bertram Cates, Drummond upholds his beliefs of natural, scientific evolution. Cates questions the law and customs of the Hillsboro community. He is faced with vast hostility and disapproval amongst the townspeople and must put together a verdict whether or not to continue his case. This evidently creates a conflict between man and society. He experiences feelings of isolation, but eventually settles on believing that the law he has broken is unjust and is firm with carrying on with the trial. Drummond's character also comes into contact with a struggle versus society. However, since he is older and wiser and has more experience, he is able to give advice and reassure Cates with his knowledge. This knowledge consists of the fact that one human being can make a difference. An
Inherit the Wind is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee that depicts the infamous Scopes Trial. The real names of the persons involved in the case were changed, however, the play recounts the same story. One journalist in the story, E.K. Hornbeck, who is closed-minded, a hypocrite, and very cynical proves that the religious community of Hillsboro is not the only one to be intolerant.
The Crucible is a play that revolves around the witchcraft trials in Salem, Massachusetts. In any trial, it takes a lot of persuasion for a lawyer to convince the courtroom to favor their side. There is one character in particular that strongly uses the three rhetoric devices; ethos, pathos, and logos. Deputy Governor Danforth’s life revolves around public opinion and his reputation. To protect him and other government officials, he persuades the town to believe his opinion. By analyzing Danforth’s use of rhetoric in the courtroom scene, it is evident that the use of ethos, pathos, and logos can successfully win any case.
In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the authors William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer use allusions to make the story more interesting. For example, one allusion that they mention is, “My father talked about the early days of MBC and hearing Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers from America and the wonderful sounds of Robert Fumulani” (68). Dolly Parton is a singer-songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman and humanitarian. Dolly Parton is best known for her work in country music (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton). Kenny Rogers is an American singer who has won many awards and has a lot of fans all over the world (http://www.kennyrogers.com/#bio). William’s father is recalling his memories from when he was younger, and the famous musicians
The Way of the Wind by Amos Oz, is about a man named Shimshon Sheinbaum, and his view of his son, Gideon. Shimshon was a military, political, and social hero amongst his kibbutz. He is a founding father of the Hebrew Labor Movement. People in his kibbutz looked for him for guidance, because this man was in top physical and mental shape devoting all of his life to learning as much as necessary and the remainder to stay in peak shape. As one can imagine, he would expect the same of his son, and he does but his son isn't the same man as his father. His father didn't have someone else make a decision like that for him and he can't make that decision for Gideon. Shimshon, regardless how much he cared for his son, pushed him too far and had too
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.
I believe that the state should not tell people what to believe. Everyone has their own mind and they have the right to believe what they want to believe. I see nothing wrong with teachers teaching about Darwinism or Creationism. I think that everyone should be educated on both matters. There is nothing wrong with knowing information about both subjects, and believing or not believing in them. It is the job of teachers to educate the students on people’s ideas and findings from their research. Once a teacher is telling students what they should or shouldn't do then it is a problem. In the movie, Inherit the Wind, there are many instances where I believe that Bert Cates should not have been found guilty for educating his students on the
The Wind in the Willows (published in 1908) by Kenneth Grahame is a children's fictional novel set in England during the early 20th century. This allegory from the stimulus booklet evokes feelings of magic and adventure but also feelings of reflection as we relate the actions of Ratty, Mole and Toad to our lives.Grahame evokes an imaginative journey within the mind of the reader as he questions "Which journey's do we take that we really want to experience?" Kenneth Grahame conveys this idea through Mole who is being forced to take Ratty's journey instead of his own. This text broadens our understanding of the world today in that it helps us to undertsand the complex interactions between people.
One of the many conflicts in the play that relates to the theme of the play is the conflict of gender roles. Mr. Hale and Sheriff Peters make a big deal about the roles of what the woman should do in the house. They also make sure to point out what Mrs. Wright does not do a good job of to meet the needs of Mr. Wright. This in turn creates a conflict between the men and woman in the play that brings forth separation in the investigation. Instead of following the law the ladies decide to side with Mrs. Wright in understanding why she murdered her husband. This conflict is very important because in the end it leaves the murder a mystery and leaves the men with not enough evidence to convict the murderer. Another conflict in the play that contributes to the theme of isolation is the inner conflict of Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Wright is very isolated from the public by not having any friends, not talking to anyone in the public, and by not having anyone to talk to when she needs it. This conflict is very important because it leaves Mrs. Wright feeling very lonely and shows her isolation from the rest of civilization. The theme of isolation is presented through some of the conflicts that are presented in the
Discuss the quote that Matt Brady uses at the prayer meeting (proverbs 12:29) “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.” What does this quote mean, how does it relate to the main themes of the movie, why is it such an important quote that is chosen as the title of the film.
Bertram Cates is not a typical criminal. He is quiet and reserved and doesn’t to want to cause trouble or conflict. He is merely standing up for what he believes in and is doing his best to teach his students that there is more to the world than what the Bible states. He is viewed as unchristian and toxic by the locals. Both Drummond and Cates experience a struggle against mainstream society. Cates doesn’t try to stand up for himself too much, he actually is quite dependant on Drummond for support and direction. In the end, Cates is ironically more forgiving than his Christian counterparts. Cates’ role in the film is quite small in
In life there are omens that can give hints to what fate has decided, these omens can be bad or give good luck. Bad omens show hints of a terrible fate wherever they go. In the town of Kwan-Si, a wall was built into the shape of a pig, our towns wall was built in the shape of an orange. The town of Kwan-si had a wall built like a pig that would surely devour our town, all who visit our town would go to the town shaped like a pig for good luck instead of ours. My poor father, the mandarin had thought all he could to think of a solution for our wall. To no avail, my father came up with nothing so behind a silk screen I had offered my advice to my father. Behind the silk screen I
The essential theme expressed in Inherit the Wind is narrow mindedness vs. intellectual curiosity. As the play opens, the writers described the town of Hillsboro as being “visible always, looming there, as much on trial as the individual defendant ( p.3).” They go onto describing the courtroom with walls, in which the town square, shops, and streets were always visible. In making the town always visible, it is evident to the viewer that the court case is not just a question of disembodied ideas or legal principles. Instead, the play and the court case it dramatizes the mean to challenge an entire way of life and thinking embodied by Hillsboro, a small Southern American town. The writers zoomed in on the people residing in this town and revealed the homogenous nature. The citizens attend the same church, hold the same beliefs, and join together to condemn Cates, a man who dared to express an opinion different from theirs. Cates is a courageous and idealistic young teacher. He carries the natural tendencies of human nature-curiosity; thus he poses questions at which does not make sense.
According to the cops, you were nothing but a no good hood they all knew was destined to die young and violent. None of those cops would think to charge a Soc with your death. They're too busy kissing up to their rich mommy and daddy's.
Gone with the Wind, was published in May 1936. The author, Atlanta born, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for her efforts. The novel was the first and only published novel of her career. Miss Mitchell was a storyteller from the time she could speak. She enjoyed writing stories and plays. She would cast herself and her friends in the different roles. She lived in Atlanta all of her life and she was enchanted in the history of the city. Miss Mitchell was influenced by the stories told to her as she spent her childhood sitting on the laps of Civil War veterans and of her mother's relatives, who told stories of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction of the South. She was an old soul at heart and enjoyed the
In “ The Name of the Wind” Patrick Rothfuss once said, “ It’s like everyone tells a story themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” Our identity is what we know ourselves by how others view us in the world. Their many identities that we have some examples are race, gender, fashion, class, sexuality, etc. All these identities shape the way we think, act, and view the world. We may not know it, but our identities impact one another either in a negative or positive way. Either we make our identities by our interests or what we feel like we should be viewed as. Some let others make their identity for them, they’re influenced by what they see on T.V. mainly by what celebrities are wearing. I know for me when I was younger I would watch all these NBA games and see these players wear Jordans. Jordan 's back when I was a youngin and still today where cool shoes you had popularity if you had Jordans. All the cool kids had Jordan 's and I wanted to be like that a cool kid. So I acted like someone I wasn 't, buying many pairs of Jordan’s (which are expensive) so I can fit in and so everyone can know me as a cool kid because as a little boy at Colonia Middle School I wanted to have recognition as the kid with the expensive shoes and the showy clothes. Also, I was pressured by my surroundings to buy these items because I saw a lot of kids being bullied for wearing inexpensive clothes and I didn 't