Brenda Wineapple: When Evolution Was on Trial

In 'Keeping the Faith', Brenda Wineapple delves into the early years of the twentieth century to illuminate the pivotal 1925 Scopes trial. This trial, which captivated the nation, exposed profound divisions in America over issues such as the meaning of freedom, religion, education, censorship, and civil liberties. The book focuses on the legal showdown between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, and it explores how these conflicts continue to resonate in contemporary America. Wineapple also examines the broader historical context, including racism, intolerance, and the rise of fundamentalism, and how these factors intersected with the debate over evolution and its teaching in public schools.

Middlemarch, written by George Eliot, is a novel that delves into the complexities of provincial life in 19th-century England. The story revolves around the intersecting lives of its characters, particularly Dorothea Brooke and Dr. Tertius Lydgate, as they navigate marriage, vocation, and social class. Eliot critiques the conventional romance narratives of her time by portraying marriage as a complex and often problematic institution. The novel also explores themes of idealism, self-interest, hypocrisy, and the constraints on women's lives. Set in the fictional town of Middlemarch between 1829 and 1832, the novel incorporates historical events such as the Great Reform Act of 1832 and early developments in medicine. Eliot's realistic portrayal of ordinary human life, with its quiet tragedies and small triumphs, has made 'Middlemarch' a masterpiece of English literature.