The Representations of the Abstract in Inherit the Wind

A symbol is a concrete thing that represents something that is abstract and something completely different from itself, to show an idea to the story. The play, 'Inherit the Wind' written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, is a magnificence story that shows you that the world is not always black and white as you think it is. The protagonist in this story, Bert Cates, a character that is taken to jail because of teaching his own students about Evolution, which is somehow not in the curriculum of the school board. The antagonist in this story is the society and of how it tries to beat Cates by its opinions and thoughts of Evolution. A symbol that is shown in the story is the rocking horse which is called the 'Golden Dancer' as Drummond called it.

The Golden Dancer symbolizes how the townspeople and Brady thought that creationism was somehow perfect in their opinion and how nothing could ever replace it. In the story, Drummond told Brady about a rocking horse that was called 'The Golden Dancer' and how he saw it when he was a little kid and was amazed by how beautiful it looked. Drummond exposed some problems that involved creationism by using the Golden Dancer as a reason. 'Golden Dancer had a bright red mane, blue eyes, and she was gold all over, with purple spots. When the sun hit her stirrups, she was a dazzling sight to see,' (Lawrence and Lee 109). This quote explains to the readers that Drummond was fondly in love with the rocking horses' beauty and it also shows that even if something is beautiful, you do not know unless you actually have it. It also tells the readers that the world is not always black and white. 'I jumped into the saddle and started to rock— And it broke! It split in two! The wood was rotten, the whole thing was put together with spit and sealing wax! All shine, and no substance! Bert, whenever you see something bright, shining, perfect-seeming—all gold, with purple spots—look behind the paint! And if it’s a lie—show it up for what it really is!' (Lawrence and Lee 109). Drummond explains to Bert that even if it is beautiful, it can trick your mind by how it truly is. Another symbol that is shown in the story is the Evolution book and the Bible being weighed together by Drummond so he can show a point to the audience on how each book is the same like the other one. As the two books are being weighed together, this shows the audience that it is not either evolutionism or creationism, it is actually evolutionism and creationism combined together to prove that each of those books is special in their own reasoning.

The Evolution book and the Bible each work hand-in-hand and show that this whole trial was a whole joke and hard work for nothing since these books are neither right nor wrong. 'The Bible is a book. It's a good book, but it is not the only book,' (Lawrence and Lee 98). In the end of 'Inherit in the Wind,' the author writes about Drummond picking up the two books and weighing them together. 'But Rachel and Cates are out of earshot. He weighs the volume in his hand; this one book has been the center of the whirlwind. Then Drummond notices the Bible, on the Judge's bench. He picks up the Bible in his other hand, he looks from one volume to the other, balancing them thoughtfully, as if his hands were scales. He half-smiles, half-shrugs. Then Drummond slaps the two books together and jams them in his briefcase, side by side. Slowly, he climbs to the street level and crosses the empty square,' (Lawrence and Lee 129). This quote tells the readers that the Bible and the Evolution book are just the same as any other book. Those quotes show that no one should be close-minded and how that even though the Bible and the Evolution book are very important, at the same time, it shows that both books have the same meaning at what they are after. The Bible shows religion and the beginning of life by how God has created the world and of course, the humans and animals. The Evolution book though shows how humans are from monkeys, which are an animal which sometimes does make people confused on why they are formed to be like this, from some monkey. In the Bible, it was Adam and Eve to be the first ever humans on Earth, yet in the Evolution book, it shows that humans came from monkeys, which was about a million years ago.

No one knows which book is right, yet Drummond shows clearly that both books have the same meaning even though people think the Bible is right and Darwin's theory is wrong, or the Bible is wrong and Darwin's theory is correct. The last symbol from this story is the radio. The radio relates to evolutionism because it shows a symbol of humans advancing in technology over the years. It reveals that Brady is not completely against evolutionism since he does allow the radioman to broadcast the trial. He allows the radioman to take footage of the trial and since he says that he does fully support creationism, it shows that he must really support both senses of agreeing to the radioman to broadcast the trial that he is in. He does though support creationism instead of evolutionism, but it does show a different side about him and about his beliefs about all of this. The radioman says to the judge, 'You understand, sir, we're making history here today. This is the first time a public event has ever been broadcast,' (Lawrence and Lee 110). This quote clearly shows that humans are now advancing in technology and are essentially evolving. In conclusion, the story 'Inherit the Wind' clearly show that the symbols in the story are shown and explained on how creationism and evolutionism can work together and turn into something incredible. Creationism explains everything that evolutionism cannot. Though evolutionism explains everything that creationism cannot also. The golden dancer, the radio, and the two books all are symbols that show how evolutionism and creationism can work hand-in-hand.