Importance of Progress as Seen in Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Play, Inherit the Wind
Angelica Mendoza
May 20, 2013
For almost any situation in life, it’s important to make progress; rather than staying the same, which is an idea showed greatly in the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Throughout the play, Drummond, the defense lawyer, is defending Cates, a schoolteacher, who is accused of teaching Evolution in a public school, which is illegal at the time. Living in a town filled with extremely religious people, Cates and Drummond obviously know that it’s nearly impossible to win such a case. However, that doesn’t stop them from trying to get their point across, especially not Drummond. He is determined to have everyone acknowledge and understand his reasoning, rather than letting him stick to the idea that the Bible is right about everything, but that the theory of Evolution is absurd and sac religious. In the text Drummond says, “It’s bad enough that everybody coming into the courtroom has to walk underneath a banner that says: ‘Read Your Bible!’ Your Honor, I want that sign taken down! Or else I want another one put up – just as big, just as big letters – saying ‘Read Your Darwin!’” By saying this, Drummond is already showing an example of “staying the same” vs. “progress.” Even if the “Read Your Bible!” sign isn’t taken down, Drummond still wants to see some type of alteration by adding the “Read Your Darwin!” sign, to try to get Darwin’s ideas in peoples’ heads, too. Along with all of the powerful things Drummond says throughout the play, he says one specific line that explains this whole idea of improving/succeeding. In one of his speeches Drummond mentions, “Gentlemen, progress has never been a bargain. You’ve got to pay for it.” Overall, by saying this Drummond is suggesting that the only way you’re going to actually get somewhere is if you work for it, maybe even by compromising. No matter what you do as “working” for it, the most important thing is where it leads you to, which is always showed throughout
May 20, 2013
For almost any situation in life, it’s important to make progress; rather than staying the same, which is an idea showed greatly in the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Throughout the play, Drummond, the defense lawyer, is defending Cates, a schoolteacher, who is accused of teaching Evolution in a public school, which is illegal at the time. Living in a town filled with extremely religious people, Cates and Drummond obviously know that it’s nearly impossible to win such a case. However, that doesn’t stop them from trying to get their point across, especially not Drummond. He is determined to have everyone acknowledge and understand his reasoning, rather than letting him stick to the idea that the Bible is right about everything, but that the theory of Evolution is absurd and sac religious. In the text Drummond says, “It’s bad enough that everybody coming into the courtroom has to walk underneath a banner that says: ‘Read Your Bible!’ Your Honor, I want that sign taken down! Or else I want another one put up – just as big, just as big letters – saying ‘Read Your Darwin!’” By saying this, Drummond is already showing an example of “staying the same” vs. “progress.” Even if the “Read Your Bible!” sign isn’t taken down, Drummond still wants to see some type of alteration by adding the “Read Your Darwin!” sign, to try to get Darwin’s ideas in peoples’ heads, too. Along with all of the powerful things Drummond says throughout the play, he says one specific line that explains this whole idea of improving/succeeding. In one of his speeches Drummond mentions, “Gentlemen, progress has never been a bargain. You’ve got to pay for it.” Overall, by saying this Drummond is suggesting that the only way you’re going to actually get somewhere is if you work for it, maybe even by compromising. No matter what you do as “working” for it, the most important thing is where it leads you to, which is always showed throughout