While
Inherit the Wind is a fine play, it does take many liberties in the way it depicts the events of the Scopes trial. Reading through
portions of the actual Scopes trial transcript give a bit better picture of what actually took place at the trial, particularly giving a more accurate picture of the role played by William Jennings Bryan. Choose any portion of the transcript that looks interesting to you and comment on the proceedings. Note how and why different people might interpret this trial very differently. You might find the
debate over prayer or Bryan's (undelivered)
closing remarks particularly interesting.
One part of the Scopes Trial that I found interesting was the debate over prayer in the courtroom. Judge Raulston allowed prayer at the start of the trial even though the defense objected. Later, when the trial moved outside, there was a sign that said “Read Your Bible” hanging behind the court. Some people thought this was normal because most people in the community were Christian. Others believed it showed that the court was favoring religion and was not completely neutral.
ReplyDeleteI also found Darrow’s questioning of William Jennings Bryan interesting. In Inherit the Wind, Bryan is shown as very stubborn and anti-science, but the real transcript shows a more complicated person. Bryan admitted that some parts of the Bible might not be meant to be taken literally. Some people saw this as a victory for science, while others thought Darrow was unfairly attacking Bryan’s religious beliefs. This shows how different people can look at the same trial and come away with very different opinions about what happened.