Essay about Censorship of Ideas

Submitted By tak64948376
Words: 1186
Pages: 5
Open Document
Inherit the Wind Essay
Censorship of Ideas in Hillsboro

Censorship can be defined as the regulation of information and ideas within a society. It targets information that may be considered offensive or discourteous to the public. In the play, Inherit the Wind, written by Jerome Lawrence, and Robert E. Lee, censorship is evident throughout the entire community of Hillsboro. Hillsboro shows that freedom of thought is strictly limited to the belief of creationism and Christianity, and if one does not comply with this rule, it will result in a punishment. Due to the disciplinary rules of the town, education on other beliefs is forbidden, for it is not considered “correct.” Lastly, the powerful ruling of Reverend Brown imposes rules and regulations which the citizens are expected to obey, without any objections. In the town of Hillsboro, townspeople are forced to live in a restricted environment due to the censorship of ideas.

The confined neighbourhood of Hillsboro limits the freedom of thought among its citizens. Throughout the play, knowledge is constantly being censored, which limits the right to think. During the trial, Drummond is determined to allow everyone in Hillsboro to have the right to think. He felt the need to “stop (the) bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the education of the United States” (Lawrence, Lee. 87). By lifting the constrains on education, the opportunity to learn other beliefs will open for the people of Hillsboro, which in return, will help the townspeople become more welcoming to others. The value of a person's ability to think and create ideas is crucial if one wishes to move forward. Drummond illustrates that “an idea is a greater monument than a cathedral” (Lawrence, Lee.83). He demonstrates the potential of the human mind to suppress the influences of religion. The townspeople of Hillsboro have been taught to obey Christianity, but they have also grown used to detecting “flaws” in other beliefs. However, if the power of the human mind is able to stifle religion, one would be able to think clearly and be open to other beliefs. In short, freedom of thought is prohibited in the town of Hillsboro, creating a repressive environment.

Furthermore, having the right to think will dispel fear amongst the townspeople and they will also develop an understanding for other religions. Hence, eliminating biased opinions toward other beliefs and religions, and creating an open-minded community. Drummond emphasizes the importance of having the right to think during the trial. The people of Hillsboro are narrowed minded, and are not open to other ideas. When Drummond wishes to put scientific experts on the witness stand, the judge dismisses his proposition, which displays the unwillingness of Hillsboro's citizens to talk and think about evolution (Lawrence, Lee. 72-74). The townspeople fear leaving what they are accustomed to, and hearing the unfamiliar. Rachel is a good example of this because in the beginning of the novel, she pleads with Bertram Cates to admit that he “didn't mean to break a law” (Lawrence, Lee. 7), she simply wishes Cates to be “on the right side of things” (Lawrence, Lee. 8), which is siding with what the townspeople believe in. Later on in the play, Rachel realizes the significance of thinking, when she reads Darwin's work and accepts the theory of evolution. She reveals that one can cast off their fear, and become tolerant and open-minded to other beliefs. As a result, fear and biased conceptions can be subsided to loosen the restrictions on Hillsboro.

Moreover, in the town of Hillsboro, people are not exposed to other beliefs, limiting the experiences of the townspeople to what is in Hillsboro. Exposure to other beliefs is not tolerated in Hillsboro because “there is a law against it” (Lawrence, Lee. 7) indicating that evolution must not be taught in classrooms. The townspeople only have an open-mind to Christianity, and they disregard any other religions. Since the
Show More

Related Documents: Essay about Censorship of Ideas

UU114 Assign 1 Essay Writting

benefits and drawbacks for censorship for a society Discussion essay – Block pattern Title: Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks for censorship for a society C: Censorship L: benefits, drawbacks and Society D: Evaluate Introduction Context: Social issues Subject: Censorship Limited subject: benefits, drawbacks and society Issue: Censorship can have shortcomings but at the same time it is beneficial under some circumstances Thesis statement: Despite the fact that censorship is seems socially beneficial…

Words 1523 - Pages 7

Fahrenheit 451 Research Paper

Countries like North Korea, Cuba, Iran, and Russia live under censorship. Some countries have worsened, and others have persevered through the harsh environment of censorship and prevailed. Censorship is the suppression of words, images, religious beliefs, or ideas that can and may be offensive. A lifestyle under constant surveillance can be very scary, as everything you do is monitored. Some countries, like the ones I mentioned, take their rules very seriously, and if you break them, they see it…

Words 763 - Pages 4

Pros And Cons Of Censorship In Schools

Censorship in Schools: Is It a Good Thing or Not? Many schools around the world experience censorship, with varying degrees depending on the country they're in. Many teachers, parents, and school administrators are in a battle over censorship, with one side claiming that it can be harmful to students and other saying that it can help children focus on their studies. Those who are curious about this debate should first do their research to know about the pros and cons of censorship and decide which…

Words 573 - Pages 3

Cause Of Book Censorship In The United States

Sprague English 10 29 November 2014 Book Censorship As long as humans have roamed this earth, there has been conflict, and clashings of opinions. With conflict comes censorship in all its forms, such as book censorship. Book censorship is a “form of censorship that attempts to control the dissemination of thoughts and ideas that some groups in society believe to be harmful.” Often, books were (and still are) banned for political or religious reasons. Censorship was more easily defined when all books…

Words 1330 - Pages 6

Role Of Censorship In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the society heavily enforces censorship of books and the members of the society spend their unintellectual lives in front of a television screen instead of having their own thoughts and ideas flow in their head like a river flowing through a forest of knowledge. For example, when Montag expresses his thoughts to Mildred he states, “How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?” (Bradbury 52). At this point in the…

Words 350 - Pages 2

Censorship: Silencing Of Speech

Censorship is putting an end to or the silencing of speech, public communication, or any other information in which the content is interpreted as harmful, objectionable or politically incorrect. Two of the key aspects of censorship are content neutrality which is defined to be that the government can’t regulate speech based on the ideology of the message and government paradigms which basically concludes to the government being neutral about the speech. Censorship is found in the text when Faber…

Words 379 - Pages 2

Censorship: Freedom of Speech and Censorship Cis Essay

Intro to Mgt. Information Systems (CIS109-014) Strayer University Prof. Edwin Otto An Ethical Issue in Information Systems: Censorship Censorship CIS 109 Strayer Why is it important to have Ethics in Information Systems? “Information is a source of power and, increasingly, the key to prosperity among those with access to it” (Lynch, n.d.). As a result of the progress in information systems it involves social and political parallelism…

Words 1221 - Pages 5

The Pros And Cons Of Censorship

There is been censorship all over the internet before we were born. Censorship is achieved through the examination of books, videos, televisions, pictures and internet post. The censorship is target to censor suppressing idea that found offensive and inappropriate. Censorship was created to protect our family and our country by restrict on what we see and heard on internet or television. The government practiced censorship mostly to control the flow of information,which stop free speech in school…

Words 1031 - Pages 5

Censorship: Censorship and Free Expression Clashes Essay

HUM Paper #3: Censorship For as long as there are limits and boundaries to what is acceptable, there will be those who both flirt with, and intentionally cross them. As the nature of our being, it provides us with some of the biggest successes and most catastrophic failures of our history. Crossing the line is a risk, and as long as there is a chance to potentially profit, it will be a risk many people deem worth taking. Apply this to the discussion of censorship and it is obvious some sort of…

Words 1175 - Pages 5

Use Of Censorship In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Why are there many arguments about the use of censorships? In this democratic world that encourages free thoughts, censorship would seem to some people to be positively outdated. Looking at it closely, though, one can easily tell that it is a very complex topic. By looking at both personal and literary examples, one will find that censorships are like tightropes, and that societies that walk on them will have the danger of falling if they are not properly balanced on them. In my school, there happens…

Words 835 - Pages 4