INHERIT THE WIND
By: Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
About The Authors
"Inherit The Wind" is not the only drama Lawrence and Lee have written together! The two of them also co-wrote "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" and "Auntie Mame." The duo is award winning! Their plays have received awards such as: two Peabody Awards, the Variety Critics Poll award, and have repeatedly been nominated for the Tony Award. The plays have been adapted into movies and translated into many different languages. Lawrence was professor at the University of Southern California and Robert E. Lee died in 1994.
Scopes Monkey Trials
In 1925 a high school teacher was caused of violating a Tennessee law. He taught evolution in a state-funded school, which was not allowed at the time. The case was "staged" on purpose so it could draw attention to a small town named Dayton. Scopes was fined $100 and found guilty, except the case was not valid because of a technicality. The case served its purpose and brought lots of national attention to controversial issues and the town.
Summary of book
Bertram Cates is thrown in jail after being accused of teacher Darwin's theory of evolution. His friend Rachel Brown, who is also the ministers daughter, goes to visit Cates before the trial. When Rachel is selected to testify against Cates, he gets worried that she may tell about what they talked about I'm private a few days before. They question a 13 year old boy named Howard but get no where because the questions they are asking do not make sense to the little boy. The opposing lawyer, Brady, messes up in the court houses and ends of leaving while hysterically yelling "READ YOUR BIBLE!" Drummond ask for an appeal and 30 days later they are back in court. Cates is found guilty and fined $100. In the end Rachel defies her father and has decided to start making her own decisions. Rachel, Cates, and Drummond all leave together on a train out of town.