In the play, "Inherit the Wind," based on the Scopes Trial, did the Modernists defeat the Fundamentalists?

Question

Inherit the Wind is a play based on the 1920s Scopes Monkey Trial.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inherit_the_Wind

Does "Inherit the Wind" accurately depict the Modernists victory over the Fundamentalists? Do you agree, disagree, or are you in the middle?

My high school did a show on this play.

I did see the show (it was my school play). My view on this is that the modernists won because the prosecutor was shown to be wrong. He also died because of the stress. The modernists put up a way better argument compared with the fundamentalists. The jury (which convicted the school teacher) were ignorant to begin with.

Answer 1

It does to an extent because the modernists did not win the court case.

Answer 2

You asked two separate questions.

The more important one was whether the play accurately represents what happened in the Scopes Trail. The simple answer: not hardly!

Much of why the Modernists "win the day" (though not th trial) and the Fundamentalists look so foolish in the play is that this was the viewpoints the playwright WANTED to convey. The play makes NO real attempt to accurately show what happened in the trial, and often makes significant, deliberate changes.

One little example -- in the play, the character who is supposed to represent fundamentalist leader William Jennings Bryan strongly asserts that the earth was created in 4004 B.C., the "Bishop Usher" date sometimes found in (and based on a particular way of reading and counting up Old Testament chronologies) In the actual trial, he refused to accept that date or assert that one could set such a date.

Do recall that the trial was a SETUP by the ACLU. They intended to lose, but wanted to get a lot of publicity for their cause. The press grabbed hold of it and painted the portrait the ACLU

Whatever you end up thinking about the viewpoints of the participants, and what should or shouldn't be taught in the schools, if you want an accurate understanding of what happened this play will NOT provide it. There are several studies you would be better off consulting. Several of them somewhat anti-fundamentalist in bias, but STILL far more accurate that the play. (My first exposure was *Six Days or Forever* -- heavily biased against Bryan, but insofar as it recounts ACTUAL testimony, etc., much more useful than the play.)

By the way, plays are fun things and very effective, but they are seldom a good source for solid history. Do NOT, for example, try to get an accurate portrayal of the Salem Witch Trials from Miller's play :"The Crucible"... not even close!

So you know 'where I'm coming from -- I am NOT a "creation science" sort, and I do NOT think evolution should not be covered in high school science classes. But I DO find it more than ironic that so many are fighting to prevent ANY critique of Darwinianism (that is, pointing out the problems in evidence, etc. that scientists, including Darwinians themselves, point out). And again the press is quick to misrepresent any effort to bring in an honest "pros and cons" approach (NOT the teaching of "creationism").

The major opponents of all such efforts are sounding as narrow and religiously committed (I'm thinking here of aggressive atheists such as Richard Dawkins) and scared of open debate and discussion as those old fundamentalist Christians they so despise!

Answer 3

Did you see the show? If not, you might want to see the movie version to figure this out.

The fundamentalists feel that only Creationism should be taught in school. The Modernists believe that the Theory of Darwin should be taught in a science class.

In real life and the play, the teacher is found to be guilty of going against Tenn. Law and teaching Dawin's Theory. So, in the end the Fundamentalists/Traditionalists win. But, do they? I think the decision was reversed a year later.

Here's a better site than using Wikipedia...lots of great info. on the real trial and people...
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm