It's historical fiction in which the reader feels the actual history is the focus, and the fictional side of things seems occasionally forced. However, Kidd changed her age at the time of the trial for dramatic purposes, making her a teenager instead of the younger child she actually was in 1925. William Jennings Bryant and Clarence Darrow feature prominently, of course, and Kidd uses transcripts of the actual trial to good advantage, Frances is a real person, and she lived in the town of Dayton, Tennessee, recounting the history to visitors throughout her long life. Mencken as he covers the trial for the outside newspapers, and is more and more critical of her father as events proceed. Frances is the character who changes the most as the trial goes forward. Kidd has done his research well, and chooses to tell the story through a character named Frances who has a crush on the young teacher on trial, Johnny Scopes she is the daughter of the drugstore owner who dreamed up the scheme as a way of promoting his town. What with the current debate in our culture about teaching evolution or intelligent design theory, returning to the Scopes trial in the summer of 1925 helps us focus on the central arguments in the culture wars. Monkey Town the summer of the Scopes trial. Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial. Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial." Retrieved from Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial." The Free Library.
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