Ringside 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial

Ringside 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial
Jen Bryant
Alfred A Knopf
ISBN: 978-0-375-84047-0
Fiction, Young Adult/ Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Kate Greenwood

Ringside 1925 by Jen Bryant is a historical novel that depicts the circus that surrounded the trial of J.T. Scopes, the science teacher charged with violating the Butler Law by teaching evolution to a class at Rhea County High School. Though this work is fictional, Bryant’s work is accurate due to her thorough research of the events before, during and after the trial in Dayton, Tennessee. She even visited the Scopes Trial Museum and viewed the annual reenactment of the trial.
Ringside is intended for young adults, however it is just as enjoyable for an adult interested in learning about the evolution controversy that still persists while also getting a feeling for how the atmosphere of 1925 differs from that of today.A variety of characters narrate the story giving each chapter a distinct perspective that surely reflects the opposing viewpoints that existed in Dayton’s small community. According to Peter Sykes, a fictional Rhea County High student, “Our state lawmakers passed the Butler Act because they think science will poison our minds. Well, I don’t feel poisoned. I still believe in the divine. Why should a bigger mind need a smaller God?” On the other side of the issue, Betty Barker, a fictional member of the ladies Bible study group, said “These atheist teachers have no business bending the minds of our youth! Their science books are written by infidels who want to turn our children away from God.”
These dynamic viewpoints demonstrate why the Scopes trial attracted so much publicity.Jen Bryant’s writing style is intellectual and comical and enables the reader to effortlessly swim through the raging tides of the Scopes Trial. The reader, whether from a religious, scientific or dual background will enjoy this historical novel.