Inherit the Wind Book

Inherit the Wind

Howard: What're yuh skeered of? You was a worm once.

Melinda: I wasn't neither!

Howard: You was so! When the whole world was covered with water, there was nuthin' but worms and blobs of jelly. And you and your whole family was worms!

Melinda: We was not!

Howard: Blobs of jelly, then.

Melinda: Howard Blair, that's sinful talk! I'm gonna tell my pa and he'll make you wash your mouth out with soap!

Howard: Ah your old man's a monkey!

This interaction between two small children on a courthouse lawn is the beginning of one of the most famous plays/movies of the 20th century. It was inspired by the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in Kentucky thirty years prior.

Inherit the Wind is a play first staged in 1955 and perhaps thousands of times since. Many people are more familiar with the wonderful screen adaptation in 1960 starring Spencer Tracy and Frederic March.

The little boy Howard's science teacher, Bert Cates, is about to face trial for blasphemy, straight up violating the Butler act that bans teaching evolution in the classroom.

This three act play takes place almost entirely in the courtroom. Cates is defended by a famous lawyer, Henry Drummond, and is being prosecuted by an equally famous self-righteous lawyer, Matthew Brady.

***** Spoiler*****

The first act moves slowly as we are introduced to the main characters including Bert's love interest Rachel who is ironically testifying against him in the upcoming trial. Rachel unsuccessfully pleads with Bert to denounce evolution so that the prosecution will drop the case. There is some anxiety for the prosecution as well. They are led by Brady, a character inspired by Williams Jennings Bryan. They come to learn that Drummond, the character inspired by Clarence Darrow, will be defending Bert.

So in the second act the trial begins and we soon learn that it is going quite badly for the defense, particularly when the bible thumping judge will not allow any of the defense's expert witnesses on evolutionary science to testify. Then in a move that strains credulity, the pompous Brady agrees to testify as an expert on creationism. The drama soon accelerates to a crescendo as Drummond takes advantage of Brady's vanity and picks apart his creationist timelines. Some in the crowd start to laugh at Brady and he is caught off guard by the ridicule. The arguments eventually end and the jury is sent odd to deliberate. They return a few hours later with the verdict ' guilty. The judge however seems to have been persuaded by Drummond's arguments and sentences Bert to just a $100 fine.

In the very short third act, a humiliated Brady has died of a heart attack immediately following the ruling. A big city newspaper reporter is congratulates Drummond on the victory and disparages Brady. A saddened Drummond quotes several bible verses and excoriates the reporter for not respecting diverse viewpoints. Drummond then hops on the train to head out of town.

***** End of Spoiler ******

4.5 stars. Highly recommended. I am rating based on the story and the reading of the play not necessarily how it was performed on stage or adapted as a movie. In a nutshell, this is a masterfully wrought drama, particularly the messaging. The introduction where the children discuss evolution is pure genius. And the last quarter of the play is equal genius. It humanely captures the the embarrassment on the stand, the verdict, the judge sentencing and the reaction to the death.