[CENTER]Henrik Ibsen's life
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Henrik Ibsen was one of the world's greatest dramatists. He was the leading figure of a artistic renaissance that took place in Norway at the end of the nineteenth century, a renaissance that also included the painter Edvard Munch. . He grew up in poverty, studied medicine for a while, then abandoned that to write plays. In 1858, he published his first play, The Vikings at Helgeland. That same year, he married Susannah Thoresen, the daughter of a pastor.
Ibsen obtained a scholarship to travel to Italy, where he wrote the plays that would establish his reputation, Brand and Peer Gynt. These were long, historical verse plays. He lived most of the rest of his life in Italy and Germany. Starting in 1869, he began to write prose plays. Some critics would say that at this point in his life, Ibsen abandoned poetry and took up realism. In 1877, he began what became a series of five plays in which he examines the moral faults of modern society. In order of appearance, the plays were The Pillars of Society, A Doll's House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, and The Wild Duck.
An Enemy of the People attacks the institution of the liberal newspaper. Like all of the plays in this series, An Enemy of the People deals with the extent to which individual desires and beliefs are compromised by society. In particular, the play focuses on the ways in which an individual can be ostracized by the society he is trying to help. The problems of the play's hero, Dr. Stockmann, are not far removed from the problems Ibsen experienced after the publication of Ghosts. In a letter written around the time of the play's composition, Ibsen noted: "Dr. Stockmann and I got on excellently together; we agree on so many subjects."
Like all of Ibsen's plays, An Enemy of the People was originally written in Norwegian and is full of untranslatable wordplay. Specifically, a number of the character's titles exists only in Norwegian bureaucracy. For the sake of clarity, in this SparkNote, Peter Stockmann is referred to as the mayor, Morten Kiil is Mrs. Stockmann's adoptive father, and Hovstad is editor of the People's Herald.
SUMMARY.
The town in which the play is set has built a huge bathing complex that is crucial to the town's economy. Dr. Stockmann has just discovered that the baths' drainage system is seriously contaminated. He alerts several members of the community, including Hovstad and Aslaksen, and receives generous support and thanks for making his discovery in time to save the town. The next morning, however, his brother, who is also the town's mayor, tells him that he must retract his statements, for the necessary repairs would be too expensive; additionally, the mayor is not convinced by Dr. Stockmann's findings. The brothers have a fierce argument, but Dr. Stockmann hopes that at least Hovstad's newspaper will support him. However, the mayor convinces Hovstad and Aslaksen to oppose Dr. Stockmann.
The doctor holds a town meeting to give a lecture on the baths, but Aslaksen and the mayor try to keep him from speaking. Dr. Stockmann then begins a long tirade in which he condemns the foundations of the town and the tyranny of the majority. The audience finds his speech incredibly offensive, and the next morning the doctor's home is vandalized. He and his daughter are fired. The mayor insinuates that the doctor's actions were merely a scheme to inherit more of Morten Kiil's money, and Kiil himself soon arrives to suggest just such a plan to Dr. Stockmann. However, the doctor refuses all such suggestions and decides to defy authority and remain in town. His family is supportive, and he says that the strongest man is the man who stands alone.
Character analysis.
Mayor Peter Stockmann
From the very
beginning, he seems unlikable. He doesn't want to take part in the party going on at Dr. Stockmann's house. In
addition to being standoffish and easily offended, he's judgmental of his brother, Dr. Stockmann. The Mayor also
makes a snide remark about Hovstad, revealing himself to be prejudiced against people of a lower-class origin.
The Mayor's bad side is further revealed later on in the play. When he receives the report from the Dr. Stockmann
about the contamination of the Baths, he does everything he can to cover up the bad news. Mayor Stockmann has
several reasons for doing this. The chief reason probably being that it's all his fault that the Baths are
contaminated. He went against his brother's guidelines when laying the Baths' pipes and now the town's big
investment is in peril. The Mayor seems much more concerned with his own public standing, than with the safety
of the people using the Baths. Throughout the rest of the play, Mayor Stockmann mercilessly tries to ruin his
brother's life in order to keep the truth from being revealed. He never really shows one shred of guilt for the fact
that he's totally messing up the life of a family member.
Even though the bad factor is pretty high with the Mayor, he's not a totally one-dimensional character. Early on in
the play, the Doctor even defends his brother's nasty disposition saying, "We must remember that Peter is a lonely
man, poor chap. He has no home comforts of any kind; nothing but everlasting business" (1.124). So, maybe the
Mayor isn't grumpy with people just because he enjoys it. Maybe, he's just a lonely and misunderstood.
Mayor Stockmann is also a lot more practical than his idealistic brother, who doesn't take into consideration the
fact that the proposed renovations will destroy the town's economy. It's also important to note that although the
Baths were the Doctor's idea, it took the Mayor skills to get them built. (Too bad they were built the wrong way.)
The Mayor's suspicion of his brother's findings isn't totally close minded either. Dr. Stockmann does have a
tendency to come up with wild ideas, and people didn't know a whole lot about bacteria back then. To be fair, the
Mayor does have some room for skepticism, especially when it'll cost the town he's in charge of so much trouble.
So, what do you think? Is Mayor Stockmann a pompous jerk or just misunderstood?
Mayor Peter Stockmann Timeline
• The Mayor interrogates Hovstad about the article the Doctor is writing.
• Gets mad at the Doctor when the Doctor won't tell him what investigations he's doing on the Baths.
• He receives a report from his brother, saying that the Baths are contaminated with dangerous bacteria.
• Mayor Stockmann informs Dr. Stockmann that the supposedly necessary renovations to the Baths would ruin the town, and tells Dr. Stockmann that his report isn't sufficient.
• He tries to talk his brother out of publishing the report.
• The Mayor threatens to fire the Doctor from his position as Medical Officer at the Baths if he doesn't keep quiet.
• When the Doctor won't comply, Mayor Stockmann turns Aslaksen and Hovstad against him.
• The Mayor arranges to have article published that says that everything is great with the Baths.
• He then manipulates the town meeting so as to not allow Dr. Stockmann to read his article out loud.
• The Mayor is horribly offended and publicly humiliated by his brother's tirade about society.
• After firing his brother, he offers to give him his job back in a few months if he retracts all his statements.
• Mayor Stockmann accuses his brother of being in league with Morten Kiil in an attempt to take over the Baths.
• He makes his exit confident that he has thoroughly defeated his truth-loving brother.
Dr. Thomas Stockmann
Character Analysis
There are lots of good things you can say about Dr. Stockmann, the protagonist of An Enemy of the People. He's generous with his neighbors, which we see clearly at beginning of the play when he welcomes a bunch of guests into his home for roast beef and a hot toddy. He also truly cares for his fellow man, and deep down inside he wants nothing more than to make the world a better place. Most importantly the Doctor is a man of principle, willing to fight for what he believes in no matter what the cost. His dedication is on display throughout the play, as he is steadily stripped of position in society, his home, and his job for refusing to be silent about the town's unhealthy, contaminated Baths.
Of course, there's a lot you could criticize about the Doctor as well. For one, he's totally impractical. It never even occurs to him to take into account the fact that his proposed renovations to the Baths will ruin the town's economy. Also, though it's easy to admire him for sticking to his principles, it should be pointed out that by doing so he places his family in a pretty terrible position. Stockmann's daughter, Petra, loses her job, and his sons are almost mobbed at school. The Doctor also willingly sacrifices his own job at the Baths knowing that it will cause his family to lose their major source of income. We do see Stockmann waver when his father-in-law, Morten Kiil, threatens to take away Stockmann family's inheritance. In the end, though, Dr. Stockmann refuses to give in, plunging his family into financial ruin.
Do you think it's wrong of Stockmann to place his family in jeopardy so that visitors to the Baths won't get sick? You could choose to view the Doctor as a naïve idealist, one who doesn't care about anything but his own abstract principles. On the other hand, you could view him as heroic fighter for truth, who battles dishonesty and corruption at all costs. Then again, he may be both things at the same time.
Dr. Stockmann is often criticized as one of Ibsen's more one-dimensional characters. This is probably true to a certain extent. It would be hard to argue that he is anywhere near as complex and conflicted as, say, Hedda Gabler or Gregers from The Wild Duck. Still, though, there is an essential conundrum at the center of his character. His battle for truth brings about destruction as well creation, despair as well as hope. It could ruin his beloved hometown and his family. Still…it's the truth, right?
Dr. Thomas Stockmann Timeline
• Dr. Stockmann has Hovstad, Billing, Captain Horster, and other friends over for a lovely nighttime gathering.
• He bickers with his brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann, because he won't reveal a new discovery concerning the Baths.
• Dr. Stockmann receives confirmation that the Baths are contaminated, and he announces the pollution of the Baths to the party.
• He is celebrated for his discovery, because everybody thinks it will help the town.
• Dr. Stockmann talks to his father-in-law, Morten Kiil, who is glad that the Doctor's discovery will anger the town authorities.
• The Doctor accepts the support of Hovstad and Aslaksen in spreading the truth of the dirty Baths.
• He gets mad at the Mayor, when Mayor Stockmann orders him to suppress the contamination of the Baths. He pledges to reveal the truth of the Baths no matter what the cost.
• Dr. Stockmann shows up at the newspaper office all riled up and makes sure that the publication of his article is going smoothly.
• He celebrates the fact that he has the support of the majority in town.
• He leaves see to a patient.
• Dr. Stockmann returns to the newspaper office and finds his brother hiding in a backroom.
• He mocks the Mayor, saying that now he, rather than the Mayor, has the power in town.
• When he discovers that the Mayor has turned Aslaksen and Hovstad against him, Dr. Stockmann is shocked. He's furious that now his article, revealing the truth of the Baths, will not be published.
• Once again Dr. Stockmann pledges to reveal the truth no matter what.
• He gathers a crowd together in Captain Horster's house to read his unpublished article, but is kept from reading his article through the machinations of the Mayor.
• Dr. Stockmann launches into a tirade about what he sees as the true corruption in society. He harangues the crowd about how the complacent, ignorant majority is the real pollution.
• The crowd votes Dr. Stockmann an official public enemy.
• He's nearly lynched and has his house pummeled with stones.
• Dr. Stockmann determines to move to America on Captain Horster's ship.
• He's evicted from his house.
• The Doctor learns that Captain Horster has lost his job as a result of supporting him, and now the Stockmanns can't escape to America.
• The Mayor informs Dr. Stockmann that he's been fired.
• Dr. Stockmann refuses to go back on his words about the Baths, even to get his job back.
• Morten Kiil informs the Doctor that he's invested the Stockmann family's inheritance into the now worthless shares in the Baths.
• Out of concern for his family, the Doctor wavers on whether of not to give in and retract his claims about the Baths.
• Aslaksen and Hovstad visit Dr. Stockmann. They now believe the Doctor's health claims about the Baths have been a scheme to get rich and take control of the Baths. They want in on his supposed scheme.
• Dr. Stockmann chases Aslaksen and Hovstad away with an umbrella.
• Reinvigorated, he swears to reeducate the world in the name of truth, starting with the poor.
Hovstad
Character Analysis
Hovstad, like the Mayor, is easy to dislike. At first he seems like a good enough guy. He's a farmer's son who's pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become the editor of The People's Herald, the local newspaper. He claims to be true to his roots, and wants to use his position at the paper to further the cause of the lower classes. Even if you don't agree with his politics, in the beginning of the play he does seem like a straightforward guy who is true to his principles.
As the play progresses, we see that Hovstad isn't as straightforward as we might have thought. When he learns of Dr. Stockmann's discovery that the Baths are contaminated, his first instinct is to manipulate the situation to his advantage. Quickly we become suspicious that his support for the Doctor doesn't stem from truly believing that the people have a right to the truth. When he says things like, "When I took over the 'People's Messenger' my idea was to break up this ring of self-opinionated old fossils" (2.93), it becomes obvious that he just wants to further his own political agenda.
It's in Act 3 that Hovstad reveals his true colors. First, he makes a pass at Petra, Dr. Stockmann's daughter, and alludes that one of the only reasons he's supporting her father is to get on Petra's good side. Then the Mayor shows up and easily turns Hovstad against the Doctor. The Mayor reveals to Hovstad that in order to make the necessary renovations to the Baths, they'll have to raise taxes in the town, and that it will most likely cause everybody financial ruin. Hovstad knows that his newspaper's readers will hate raising taxes, and that if he supports the Doctor The People's Herald will go under. The decision to betray Dr. Stockmann seems to come pretty easily for Hovstad.
All in all, Hovstad appears to be Ibsen's representative of the liberal media of which the playwright had a pretty low opinion. In a letter to a critic Ibsen wrote, "What are we to say of the attitude taken up by the so-called Liberal press – by those leaders who speak and write about freedom of action and thought, and at the same time make themselves the slaves of the supposed opinions of their subscribers?" (source). This is exactly what Hovstad does in An Enemy of the People. Though he claims to be true to his ideals, he feels it necessary to compromise what he prints based on public opinion.
Hovstad Timeline
• Hovstad has a lovely dinner at the Doctor's house.
• He trades a few jibes with the Mayor.
• When Dr. Stockmann announces his discovery about the unsanitary Baths, Hovstad is excited because he can use it against the Mayor and his cronies.
• He schemes with Billing about causing a liberal revolution in the town.
• Hovstad promises the Doctor that he'll publish the article exposing the heath risks of the Baths.
• He congratulates Dr. Stockmann on his strongly worded article, and criticizes Aslaksen for being too timid in his political beliefs.
• Hovstad makes a pass at Petra, Dr. Stockmann's daughter, intimating that he's helping her father in part because he's got a thing for her.
• When the Mayor comes to talk to him, he's easily convinced not to publish the Doctor's article.
• Later, he speaks out against Dr. Stockmann at the public meeting.
• H wrongly assumes that the Doctor's recent activities have all been a ploy to take over the Baths, and he tries to get in on the supposed scheme.
• The irate Dr. Stockmann chases him away with an umbrella.
Characterization in An Enemy of the People
Actions
As in most dramas, the characters are defined by their actions. Dr. Stockmann's relentless pursuit of his quest for truth shows him to a man of principle and possibly naïve idealism. The machinations of his brother, Mayor Stockmann, reveal the Mayor's ultimately crafty yet practical nature. Hovstad's betrayal of the Doctor demonstrates his hypocrisy. And then, of course, there's Aslaksen, whose timid nature is shown by his refusal to take any action that ruffles feathers.
Speech and Dialogue
Plays are written almost entirely in dialogue, so it makes sense that the characters that inhabit them are often defined by the way they speak. Dr. Stockmann tends to speak in high-energy bursts and has a tendency to go off on long monologues. This all seems to point to the idea that the Doctor is a guy who has a lot of ideas and is super enthusiastic about sharing them.
A distinct difference in personalities becomes pretty clear when you compare the way Dr. Stockmann talks to his wife. Rather than haranguing everybody with her ideas, she stays quiet most of the time, only occasionally butting in to try and reign in her husband's wilder ideas. Mrs. Stockmann's restraint in her speech denotes her cautious nature.
Social Status
Social status is a big deal in An Enemy of the People. All the characters are defined by it in some way. The Mayor uses his top-dog status to assert his will over just about everybody. Hovstad uses his position as editor the paper to gain power and as a tool for his liberal political agenda. Then there's Dr. Stockmann, who status goes from respected man about town to lowest of the low. His journey as a character is clearly marked by his journey down the social ladder.
An Enemy of the People Character Roles
Protagonist
Dr. Stockmann
Dr. Thomas Stockmann is the undisputed protagonist of the play. Without the Doctor there'd be no play at all. It is his discovery that disrupts the world of the play. It is his quest to reveal the truth of the polluted Baths that drives the action of the play. Everyone is reacting to what he does. Dr. Stockmann is a textbook example of an active protagonist, around whom everything in the play revolves.
Antagonist
Mayor Stockmann
Mayor Peter Stockmann, the Doctor's crafty brother, is a classic antagonist. The Mayor does everything he can to stop his brother from revealing the truth about the polluted Baths. He turns the Doctor's main allies, and eventually the whole town, against him. Ultimately, the Mayor is successful; Dr. Stockmann is never able to reveal the whole truth about the Baths. Of course, in the end, all the Mayor's machinations only open his brother's eyes to an even deeper corruption that must be exposed. We have a feeling that there's no end in sight to this sibling rivalry.
Foil
Dr. Stockmann to Mayor Stockmann
The Stockmann brothers couldn't be more different. Dr. Stockmann is a naïve idealist, whereas Mayor Stockmann
is a crafty pragmatist. One is a doctor, dedicated to the health of his community, while the other is a politician
more concerned with power and public reputation. The Doctor loves change and new ideas, while his brother is
much more conservative. The Mayor thinks things should stay the way they are, and seems to be afraid of change.
All in all, the characters stand in sharp contrast to each other. The only major similarity that we see between the
two is that ultimately they both seem to believe that a minority should rule society. The Doctor believes it should
be progressive intellectuals like himself, while the Mayor favors conservatives like himself and his cronies. Maybe,
if you step back far enough, the Stockmann brothers are more alike than they immediately seem. They both seem
to think that people like themselves should rule the earth.
Themes.
An Enemy of the People Theme of Society and Class
An Enemy of the People presents a complex analysis of society and class. The play doesn't seem to champion one class over another. It doesn't present the woes of the upper class as they try to rule the land, nor does it show middle-class malaise, or even the struggles of the hardworking poor. Instead, the play takes all levels of society to task. In the end, it's not economic inequality that is highlighted in the play, it's intellectual inequality. The play proposes that the main problem with society is that it's run by the majority, a group made up of unintelligent people.
An Enemy of the People Theme of Wealth
Money and the pursuit of wealth is a major theme in An Enemy of the People. Ibsen's play
highlights the incredible power that monetary concerns have in society. All of the characters
in the play are controlled or influenced by wealth or the lack of it. Some compromise their
beliefs out of need of for money, others use it as a weapon, while one man forsakes it
altogether in the name of his principles. As in many of Ibsen's other plays, the power of
money is felt in every corner of An Enemy of the People.
An Enemy of the People Theme of Principles
An Enemy of the People tells the story of one man's quest to stick to his principles no matter what the cost. The protagonist, Dr. Stockmann, sacrifices everything for his beliefs. The Doctor's fierce dedication stands out in sharp contrast to many of the play's secondary characters, who seem to compromise their supposed beliefs without a second thought. In the end, the play reveals itself as a sharp examination of the terrible price that society often demands of an individuals who stay true to their principles.
An Enemy of the People Theme of Rules and Order
The established rules and order of society are a constant topic of conversation in the play. Some characters thrive on the current system and fight to maintain it. Others deeply desire its destruction, but are too caught up in the system to fight it. And then there's our protagonist, Dr. Stockmann, who makes it his quest to rewrite all the rules from the ground up. An Enemy of the People is a thorough examination of the rules that society is built around and a blueprint for the construction of a new order altogether.
An Enemy of the People Theme of Politics
The conflict of An Enemy of the People is a tense political battle. The tug and pull of political turf wars help drive the action of the play. Though all the politics we see represented in the play exist strictly on a local level, national issues are addressed as well. Also, the patterns of local politics often echo the larger patterns that exist of the national level. An Enemy of the People is an unblinking portrayal of the cutthroat world of political maneuverings.
An Enemy of the People Theme of Pride
Many of the play's characters seem to be guilty of pride. They tend think very highly of themselves and are concerned about maintaining face in public. Often in literature, pride is shown as a destructive force. This is certainly true to a certain extent in An Enemy of the People; it causes no end of trouble. In the end, however, we see how one person's pride and resolute self-confidence could just be the saving grace of all of society.
An Enemy of the People Theme of Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy runs rampant throughout An Enemy of the People. We see characters compromise themselves for a host of reasons. Power, money, and public image all play a part. Dr. Stockmann, the play's protagonist, refuses to compromise his beliefs no matter what. His dedication to his personal principles stands in sharp contrast to many of the other characters. It's important to note that the play goes beyond any simple definition of hypocrisy, however. Many of the characters have sound reasons for compromising themselves. When reading the play, we often find ourselves wondering what constitutes hypocrisy is in the first place. Where does it begin and end?
An Enemy of the People Theme of Power
An Enemy of the People is one long power struggle. Whether it's the intense sibling rivalry at
the core of the play, or the petty maneuverings of the play's secondary characters, everybody is
constantly battling for turf. Many of the characters spend their time in efforts to gain control
over other people. Interestingly, by the end the play's protagonist, Dr. Stockmann, comes to
the conclusion that a person has the most strength when his power is contained wholly within
himself. He declares, "the strongest man in the world is the man who stands alone
An Enemy of the People Plot Analysis
Initial Situation
Doctor Stockmann makes a discovery.
Everything looks hunky dory at the beginning of the play. Everyone expects the Baths to make the town lots of money. Out protagonist, Dr. Stockmann, is surrounded by friends and family who all seem to love him. There's definitely some sibling rivalry going on with his brother, the Mayor, but ultimately things look A-OK. Then the Doctor announces a little discovery: he's found out that the Baths are contaminated with bacteria. If something's not done, the water that is supposed to be healing people will make them sick instead. At the end of the act, the Doctor's supposed friends all congratulate him on his discovery and praise him as a hero. Conflict
The Mayor brings bad news. The Doctor swears to persevere.
Both Aslaksen and Hovstad show up to promise the Doctor their support. At first the Doctor doesn't see what the big deal is. The water is poisoned. Everybody will want it fixed, right? Dr. Stockmann's bubble is quickly burst with the arrival of his brother, Mayor Stockmann. The Mayor tells Dr. Stockmann that it will ruin the town to fix the pollution in the Baths, and resorts to threatening his brother. The Doctor is undaunted by the Mayors threats and vows to make the truth known to all. By the end to the second act, the central conflict of the play is clear: Dr. Stockmann is going to struggle to bring out the truth no matter what the cost. Complication
The Doctor is betrayed.
Act 3 starts off with the Doctor feeling confident of his success. He has the support of Aslaksen, the head of the Householders' Association, and Hovstad, the editor of the local newspaper has also promised support. Unfortunately, for the Doctor, his brother is far craftier than he thought. The Mayor cleverly turns Aslaksen and Hovstad against the Doctor by pointing out how much money it will cost to complete the proposed renovations. Before the Doctor knows what's happened, he's lost all his allies. His quest to reveal the truth has definitely gotten a lot more complicated.
Climax
The Doctor gives all of society a piece of his mind.
When The People's Herald refuses to publish his article about the pollution of the Baths, Dr. Stockmann calls a public meeting to read his discoveries out loud. Once again, though, he is foiled by his brother, who skillfully manipulates the rules of the meeting so as to not allow the Doctor to read his findings. Outraged, the Doctor rages about the corruption of society as a whole. The play reaches an emotional peak when Dr. Stockmann places the blame of all society's woes on the power of the ignorant majority, who keep freethinking, intelligent people like him from revealing the truth.
Suspense
The last temptations of Dr. Stockmann.
After the whole town riots against him, the Doctor is determined to leave them all behind a head to America. Several guests show up to tempt him before he makes his final decision. The Mayor, Aslaksen, Hovstad, and even his father-in-law, all come to try and manipulate him in some way.
Denouement
The Doctor refuses to abandon his quest.
Unfortunately for the Doctor's would-be tempters, their efforts only serve reignite Dr. Stockmann's passion. The Doctor swears stay in the town fight the good fight.
Conclusion
Dr. Stockmann vows to reeducate the world.
In the end, Dr. Stockmann decides that the only way to truly help society is through education. Along with his daughter Petra's help, he will take the poor children of the town and enlighten them. He hopes that by educating the young, he can fight the power of the complacent majority.[/
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