Comparison Of Summer For The Gods And Inherit The Wind

Inherit the Wind and Summer for the Gods are two works based on the Scopes Trial, however, there are some differences between the two. Inherit the Wind is a fictional play written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. It takes place in a fictional setting and also using fictional characters as a rendition of the famous Scopes Trial. Summer for the Gods is a highly regarded, non-fictional book that was published in the early 90s. It was written by author and Pulitzer Prize winner, Edward J. Larson. The book is based on historical events and accounts of The Scopes Trial; including events leading up to and after the trial.

Inherit the Wind In the fictional play Inherit the Wind, controversy surrounds Bertram Cates, a school teacher who

The American Civil Liberties Union, along with the teacher, John Scopes (Bertram Cates), wanted to challenge the law in Tennessee that banned the teaching of evolution in public schools. The trial got the attention of the famous politician, William Jennings Bryan (Matthew Harrison Brady), and also got the attention of Clarence Darrow (Henry Drummond), who was considered to be the best criminal defense lawyer of his time. Brady and Darrow faced off in the “Monkey Trial”, also considered the “Trial of the Century”, in which the law was

At the time, certain events were taking place that allowed the rise of religious fundamentalism. Larson says, “These scientific developments helped set the stage in the early 1920s for a massive crusade by fundamentalists against teaching evolution in public schools, which culminated in the 1925 trial of John Scopes.”13 Developments such as the increase of public schools, new fossil discoveries that strengthened the evolution argument, and the rise of religious fundamentalism all helped strengthen the case of anti-evolution advocates. These anti-evolution movements lead by religious leaders such as William Jennings Bryan argued that the teaching of evolution should be banned in public schools since it was the will of the majority, even if freedom of speech was compromised. The ACLU eventually advertised for a teacher to challenge the law that banned evolution. John Scopes agreed to cooperate with the ACLU and news of what was happening

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