Hornbeck's greeting to Drummond at the end of Act I contains a significant allusion to the Biblical landscape of Hillsboro. "Hello, Devil. Welcome to Hell," is an allusion to the zealously charged religious atmosphere and the mention of the "devil" helps to bring out how the Bible is seen in a literal interpretative sense in the town. In the first scene of Act II, Reverend Brown gives the title of the play in a reference to the Bible:
He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.
The reference to Proverbs at this moment reflects how the townspeople, or the ones that are following Brown, believe about the practice of religion. Either one is in support of the demands of the community, which supposedly pledges allegiance to the Bible, or one is against them, in which case they are expunged and left to only "inherit the wind." It is an important Biblical allusion not because it gives title to the play, but because it reflects how religion is practiced in the town and what Cates is up against in this debate.
See eNotes Ad-Free
Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.
Already a member? Log in here.