“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
― George Orwell
Freedom of Speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear of censorship or punishment. "Speech" is not limited to public speaking and is generally taken to include other forms of expression.
This novel talks about school teacher named Bert Cates who is put on trial for teaching Darwin's Theory of evolution to his sophomore class. In the town of Hillsboro it was considered wrong to teach any theory about the existence of human beings that did not agree with what was taught in the bible. People such as the Mayor and Reverend Brown believe that their town should continue to uphold their religious morals. The towns people are willing to restrain the freedom of speech by persecuting anyone that had opinions that were different from the bible or were not seen as a man or woman of God.
EXAMPLES OF HOW FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS INCORPORATED IN INHERIT THE WIND:
The individual human mind. In a child’s power to master the multiplication table there is more sanctity than in all your shouted “Amens!”, “Holy, Holies!” and “Hosannahs!” An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man’s knowledge is more of a miracle than any sticks turned to snakes, or the parting of waters!
"May i ask your opinion, sir, on Evolution?" - Hornbeck
"Don't have any opinions. They're bad for business" - Storekeeper
EXAMPLES OF HOW FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS INCORPORATED IN INHERIT THE WIND:
The individual human mind. In a child’s power to master the multiplication table there is more sanctity than in all your shouted “Amens!”, “Holy, Holies!” and “Hosannahs!” An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man’s knowledge is more of a miracle than any sticks turned to snakes, or the parting of waters!
- This quote speaks about the main conflict in the play, creationism versus evolutionism. The Hillsboro townspeople initially see Drummond’s words to be frightening and to be very hardcore, for in their traditional mindsets, they see any free thought or opinion that questions the Bible as dangerous and irreligious.
"May i ask your opinion, sir, on Evolution?" - Hornbeck
"Don't have any opinions. They're bad for business" - Storekeeper
- People of Hillsboro are so accustomed to the bible that whenever they come across knowledge that can be seen as a threat they think wisely before encountering it. We can see here that the storekeeper wants no opinions to do with any theory that is different from the bible. He's knows that the moment that he gives his opinion that there will be consequences.