The Struggle of African-Americans in Inherit the Wind
Summary:
This is a brief plot summary of Jerome Lawrence's book Inherit the Wind. It describes the price protagonist Bertrum Cates pays for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in school at a time when it was against the law.
Monkey man trial
In the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert .E. Lee Bertrum Cates is a 10th grade teacher in the town of Hillsborough who is convicted of teaching his students Darwin's theory of Evolution. Despite all the pressure from the towns people this does not change anything, Bert still stands up for what he believes in, even though if it may be jeopardizing his relationship with Rachel. Rachel Brown is Bert's beloved woman who is torn between the man she loves and her church reverend father, who does not have any liking for him. With all the disliking and hatred Bert goes through, he will not let anything anyone says or does change what he believes in.
Bert Cates an innocent and naïve 24 year old, struggles to stand up as an individual due to the opposing views and actions of the towns people and suffers emotionally as a result of this. For example, Brady is questioning Howard, and he makes fun of what Bert said about humans descending from bugs first in the water then on land. He does this by taking what Howard said and making it seem so ridiculous. "He has been taught that he wriggled up like an animal from the filth and the muck below" (p70). With this, Bert displays humanity of forgiving open mind to other progressives and evolutionist in the town, than the Christian followers and worshipers of Brady and Brown.
Although Rachel has unwillingly betrayed Bert by testifying against him in Brady's demand, he understand and eases up on her pain as she soon becomes distraught during her testimony on the stand. "Don't plague her. Let her go" (p80). Bert argues to dismiss Rachel because she began to cry and became ill looking which then denies her to be questioned by Drummond. This shows that Bert does care for her, and is willing to give up anything for her even though he is not well liked by her father.
Reverend Brown Rachel's father, does not approve of her relationship with Bert and does not show her ant remorse or care. For instance, when Brown was holding a service talking about how Bert was a sinner who is going to hell and is being damned. "for all eternity let his soul writhe in anguish and damnation-" (p66). Rachel shouts out to protest and her father damns her as well. " Lord we call down the same curse an those who ask grace for this sinner-though they be blood of my blood, and flesh of my flesh" (p66). This shows that he has no care for her feelings, and is willing to damn his own flesh and blood.
Bertrum Cates was a man of strong beliefs and will power to stand up and believe in teaching Darwin the theory of Evolution in a place where it was unjust. With all the pressure from the town he was able to keep a stable status with the reverends daughter Rachel, who was torn between her father and the man she loves. All in all, Bertrum Cates believed in what he thought all the way until he was found guilty in the town of Hillsborough. He was still rewarded by having the trial open up Rachel's mind and deciding to leave town with him at the end of the trail.
This is the complete article, containing 552 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
