Duran, Teran, Nunoo 1

Azmiveth Duran
Fabian Teran
Laud Nunoo
Mr. Britto
ENG 4U1
April 2, 2015
Freedom Issues of Burma in Comparison to Inherit the Wind
In the country of Burma and in the town of Hillsboro from the play Inherit the Wind, by
Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the people experience the struggle of obtaining religious
freedom. Both situations include a community in which the majority of the population are
predominately for the same religion. This initiates conflict for the minority groups and
individuals whose beliefs are of those in a different religion. Along with religious freedom, there
is also a struggle for freedom of speech since both groups are restricted with the right to speak of
ones own mind along with interference coming from higher authority in both Hillsboro and in
Burma. Because of the government structure, it is also present that it is hard for the people to
maintain freedom of education due to the limited teachings preventing students from achieving a
higher level of education based on the limited knowledge that is being taught to them.
In Inherit the Wind, the setting takes place in a community in which everyone is
influenced through Christianity, therefore opposing and being intolerant to those whose ideas are
not from the perspective of their belief. Similarly in the country of Burma, extreme nationalists
are mostly Buddhist as well as the military junta. In effect, the government primarily supports
and promotes Buddhism while destructing and interfering with other ethnic identities and
religions. To begin with, both parties portray the conflict on having religious freedom by only

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allowing the community to promote one religion but not the other. For example, in Inherit the
Wind, before the arrival of Colonial Brady, the townspeople put up a banner that reads Read
Your Bible (Lawrence, Lee 13), symbolizing the support of the towns belief in
fundamentalism. However, when it known to the people that Henry Drummond is the defence
attorney, they do not want to allow him into town because he is an agnostic (Lawrence, Lee 27).
In comparison to Burma, Burmese Nationalism is that being Myanmar nationality is being
Buddhist. The teaching in the Buddhist monasteries were all nationalized and emphasis was
made, so that students will become extreme Burman Buddhist nationalists. Those extreme
nationalist are very proud to show discontent towards other religions just like how the
townspeople in Hillsboro shunned and showed dislike towards Cates and Drummond for
tolerating and showing interests towards the teaching of Darwinism. Another example is from the
Genocide Watch, in which it was reported that there has been violence against Rohingya and
other Muslims in Myanmar. Just like when Cates loses his job for the crime that he commits,
without citizenship Rohingya people were barred from government employment (Genocide
Watch: Nawoyski 2013). Another issue with freedom of religion is that the majority group in
both areas interfere with others right of manifesting in the teachings of their chosen belief. For
example, in Inherit the Wind, they question Howard, a young boy, about his beliefs in the
teachings from Cates if it has harmed him in any way, along with Brady insisting to ask if his
Holy Faith in the scripture has been shattered (Lawrence, Lee 73). This shows that they
interfere with the boys right to be able to believe in what he wants since it is implied that there
would be consequences if it turned out that Howards beliefs had been changed. In comparison to
Burma, the government has also interfered with the religious practises of those who are not
Buddhist. Some examples are previous reportings about Churches and monasteries being closed

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down by the military. Another issue in regards to freedom of religion is that, in both Inherit the
Wind and in Myanmar, there are consequences given if one religion is being ridiculed but not for
another. For example, BBC News reported that a bar manager was arrested for insulting
Buddhism by putting up a poster of Buddha in headphones, yet when times of troubles for other
religions, no consequences for those people were made (BBC News, Asia March 2015); removal
of the poster was demanded. Just like in the play, non-religious thoughts are not tolerated. This
evident when it is asked if they the town should take the Read your Bible banner down and
worksman replies with, The Devil dont run this town, leave it up. In comparison, both portray
an unjust treatment towards the promotion of their religion and also confuses their feeling of
cultural sensitivity with religious insult.
Freedom of speech is the human right to express opinions publicly without government
interference. The play Inherit The Wind illustrates what it is like to not have such freedom. The
theme of suppressive control over a mass of people, such as those from the town of Hillsboro,
was consistent throughout the novel. Characters such as Henry Drummond take a stand for Bert
Cates, a school teacher put on trial for wrongfully teaching Darwins Origins of Species. He is
stripped of beliefs that are rightfully his own and his right to speak his mind, which we have so
hard fought for and that we fortunately have today in developing countries, is taken away.
In the town of Hillsboro, Tennessee, every individual has grown up with the concept and
belief that the bible was the key to all answers and that those who had opinions that contrasted
that of the Bible and was believed to be a threat to the bible were not considered a man or
women of God. Having an opinion that is different from the bible and expressing it publicly
came with consequence. Those who knew having an opinion could potentially ruin their
reputation would contemplate not having an opinion at all. An example is when Hornbeck asked

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the storekeeper what his opinion on evolution was and he responded Dont have any opinions.
they're bad for business. Here we see that not only is the storekeeper aware that it is wiser to not
have opinions outside of the Bible, but is well aware of the consequences. This is the control that
is being enforced over the townspeople; a control that strikes fear into a human liberal
conscience. Later on in the novel, Drummond starts to win the crowd when using Bradys own
knowledge of the Bible against him. For example, Drummond asks Brady: Why did God give
man the power to think if he did not intend for him to use it. In the end, however, Drummond
and Cates go on to lose the case, but accomplish what they set out to achieve, which was to give
back man his freedom to think and have opinions.
In Burma, there have been countless violations against freedoms and struggles to obtain
those freedoms. An example is an article headlined Suu Kyi Urges Freedom of Speech in ArmyRuled Myanmar (reuters.com). It talks about a woman named Suu Kyi who wanted freedom of
speech so that they can have a democratic country, and got many followers to stand by her. In
Myanmar the army controls nearly every facet of life, so everyone else has absolutely no
authority. Suu Kyi fought for freedom in order get a chance to work for the peace and prosperity
of the country. This is an example of the presence of the struggle for freedom prevalent in
literature and in todays modern world.
Along with the freedom of expression, education being the premise of the main conflict
throughout this novel, the comparison between Inherit the Wind and educational history of
Burma can be duly noted. Seen early on in the play, children are conflicted with the new
involvement of the greatly renounced Darwins theory of Evolution, which directly conflicts with
the highly revered Creation Story as written in the Old Testament. Religion by all means is
religion; Christianity weighing more than others has been forced upon believers, non-believers,

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and children seen through characters Rachel, Melinda, and Howard. Similar to how Burmese
students are forced to study in fields that the government says they must base only on the scores
of their matriculation exams. This form of lack of freedom of education mirrors that of how the
social expectation for belief solely in the Creation story as written in Genesis in the play. This
freedom is blatantly restricted from the Burmese citizens who are fortunate to even achieve that
higher level of education, in a similar manner to how Reverend Brown as well as the government
has forced children to not be able study Darwins theory. This on a going problem is a factor
which when people are to act against it, negatives problems arise. Government in the play as well
in Burma retains an important role in the enforcement of their laws, be it that they are unjust or
not. When Bertrum Cates educated himself as well as his students to the matters of evolution,
selective pressure, and scientific proof alike, the government immediately shut him down and
resultantly was put on trial. This is the same mentality and enforcement the Burmese government
exhibits because they feel that when educated individuals come into the mix; they can bring an
uprising of those effected with the, enlightened one, and can severely alter their control and
maintenance of their people. When students decided to show agency against the social injustice
they faced, instead of putting them on trial like in Inherit the Wind, universities were shut down
for years at a time. Examples, being in 1988 and 1996, where the State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC), the government at the time, were responsible of the closing of the institutions
on a national scale for an accumulated total of five years.

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Works Cited
AFP. The Telegraph. Aung San Suu Kyi criticises Burma presidency ban. Thetelegraph.co.uk.
14 November 2014. Print.
BBC News. Asia: Myanmar court finds trio guilty of insulting religion. 17 March 2015. Print.
BP. Burma Partnership. http://www.burmapartnership.org/aboutus/ 2014. Web.
Burton A. Oxford Burma Alliance: Education In Burma. 2012. Web.
Human Rights Watch. Burma: Violence in Arakan State 31 July 2012. Web.
Hla Tun, A. Suu Kyi urges freedom of speech in army-ruled Myanmar. Reuters.com. Reuters. 14
November 2010. Print.
International State Crime Initiative. Religious Conversion Law Threatens Religious Freedom in
Burma Statecrime.org 12 June 2014. Web.
Kipgen, N. TIME Magazine Highlights Myanmar's Religious Problem. The World Post. 8 July
2013. Web.
Lawrence, J., Lee, R. Inherit the Wind. New York: Random House Group, 1951. Print.
Mathieson, D. Human Rights Watch. Film and Freedom of Expression in Burma. 18 June
2014. Print.
Nawoyski, K. Genocide Watch. Myanmar/Burma. Violence against the Rohingya and other
Muslims in Myanmar. 4 April 2013. Web.
Suu Kyi, A. Bibliography Online: Aung San Suu Kyi Biograph. Date N/A. Web.
UN Refugee Agency. Burma/Myanmar. Refworld.org. 2015 Refworld. Web.