KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS

SETTING

An Enemy of the People is set in a provincial town of Norway. It depicts the life of Scandinavian people in the remote northeast of Europe. In the play, Ibsen portrays small-town politics in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

LIST OF CHARACTERS

Major

Dr. Thomas Stockmann - medical officer of the Baths who discovers the contamination of the baths and fights to have it corrected.

Peter Stockmann - the Burgomaster (or the Mayor) and the doctor's elder brother. He is Chairman of the Baths Committee and opposes correcting the contamination problem, claiming it is too costly.

Hovstad - editor of the People's Messenger. He is a hypocrite who easily switches his opinion to side with the popular viewpoint. His main concern is printing stories that will sell the newspaper.

Aslaksen - the financier of the newspaper. He is the representative of the compact majority, serving as the Chairman of the Homeowners' Association and the Temperance Society. His is known for his views on moderation.


Minor
Morten Kiil - Dr. Stockmann's father-in-law who owns the tannery that has contaminated the baths.

Mrs. Stockmann - the doctor's wife who loves and supports her husband.

Petra - the doctor's daughter, who is a teacher.

Eilif, Morten - the doctor's sons, thirteen and ten years old respectively.

Horster - a ship's captain who offers his house for the citizens meeting. He is the only citizen, outside the family, who stands by Dr. Stockmann.

Billing - a member on the staff of the People's Messenger.

Participants in a citizens' meeting


CONFLICT

Protagonist:

Dr. Stockmann is the protagonist of the play. He is an idealist who is imprudent in his behavior. When he discovers that the water in the bath is contaminated, he rushes to the press and leaks out the information. This leads to a confrontation between Dr. Stockmann and the Burgomaster, who is also the chairman of the Baths Committee. The doctor's saving grace is the courage with which he adheres to his convictions. Standing alone, he bravely faces the citizens when he finds himself "gagged" by Hovstad and the Burgomaster.

Antagonist:

The general antagonist to Dr. Stockmann is corruption and deceit, which are clearly symbolized in Peter Stockmann, the Burgomaster. He is a representative of the Old World order. Unable to understand the ethical aspects of any issue, he resents his brother's attitude in making public the unsanitary condition of the baths. He also believes that all individuals should subordinate themselves to the authorities. Dr. Stockmann disapproves of these attitudes of his brother, and the Burgomaster is aware of his feelings. As a result, he conspires with Hovstad and Aslaksen to have Dr. Stockmann declared an enemy of the people.

Climax:

The differences between Dr. Stockmann and the Burgomaster deepen over the issue of the baths. The Burgomaster wants to hush up the matter to save his own face; but Dr. Stockmann is adamant about making the people away of the true conditions of the baths. The Burgomaster wins over Hovstad and Aslaksen to his side and uses them as pawns to checkmate his brother at the citizens' meeting. The moment of climax comes when Dr. Stockmann is declared an enemy of the people and hounded by the citizens.


Outcome:
The story ends in tragedy. Once Dr. Stockmann is declared an enemy of the people, he has a series of misfortunes. He and his daughter lose their jobs, and his landlord wants to evict the family. In spite of his troubles, he refuses to succumb to the pressure tactics of the Burgomaster and determines to carry on his fight until the end, with the support of his wife and children. He even wants to start a school at the very place where he was ignominiously declared an enemy of the people. Experience has made him discover a new truth: the strongest person in the world is he who stands most alone. Although the play has a tragic ending, there is an aura of hope at the close. Although Dr. Stockman has lost the battle, it seems he has not lost the war


PLOT (Synopsis)

Dr. Stockmann is the Medical Officer of the Baths. He is a jovial and independent person who likes to live in style and be surrounded by cheerful, intelligent people. After sampling and testing the water from the baths, he discovers that they are contaminated and dangerous for the health of the people. Dr. Stockman reports his discovery to Hovstad, the editor of the local newspaper, the People's Messenger. At first, the citizens praise the doctor for his discovery; it is even suggested that they hold a torchlight procession in his honor.

Morten Kiil, Stockmann's father-in-law, visits the doctor to confirm the reports about the baths. He is delighted when Stockman confirms the contamination of the water, for he wants to expose the misdeeds of the Burgomaster and his followers, who have dislodged Kiil from the Town Council. Aslaksen, the leader of the Homeowners' Association, also calls on the doctor to extend his support, but cautiously urges Stockmann to proceed with moderation.

Peter Stockmann is the Burgomaster (mayor) and the Chairman of the Baths Committee. He is also Dr. Stockmann's brother and is very angry about his discovery of the contamination. He wants to hush up the matter, claiming the town cannot afford the huge cost of re-laying the pipes leading to the baths. He also feels that the citizens will suffer financially if the baths are closed for nearly two years for repairs. Dr. Stockmann cannot believe his brother wants to cover up the contamination and refuses to be a party to such dishonesty, which he feels is a crime against society. The Burgomaster threatens his brother with dismissal from his position if the doctor refuses to withdraw his claim. Dr. Stockmann vows to continue his fight and assumes that the press and the compact majority will support him in his struggle.
Dr. Stockmann's article is discussed by Hovstad and his staff. They then tell the doctor that his article is a masterpiece, which will sway every intelligent person to his side on the issue. The Burgomaster, however, comes to have a private talk with Hovstad in order to explain the technical and economic aspects of the baths. He warns that the citizens may have to bear the entire cost of repairs if the improvements suggested by Dr. Stockmann are to be implemented. Additionally, Peter Stockmann states that the baths will have to be closed for two years for repairs, causing considerable hardships to the citizens who depend on the baths for their livelihood. Hovstad and Aslaksen have not taken these facts into account while extending their support to Dr. Stockmann.
The editor decides to publish the Burgomaster's statement instead of Dr. Stockmann's article, a change that shocks the doctor. When he criticizes his brother for his stance, Dr. Stockmann is removed from his office by the Burgomaster. Dr. Stockmann then determines to read his article to a mass meeting of the citizens, but his brother warns him that no place in town will let him hold a meeting for such a purpose. As a result, Dr. Stockmann decides to read his paper at every street corner, an action that is supported by his wife.
Finally, Captain Horster places his house at the disposal of Dr. Stockmann for the citizens' meeting. Unfortunately, the Burgomaster and his allies have entered into a conspiracy to sabotage the proceedings. When Dr. Stockmann rises to speak, Aslaksen suggests that the meeting should have a chairman. The Burgomaster proposes Aslaksen's name for chairmanship. Aslaksen cautions the citizens that no exaggerated statements should go abroad as to the unsanitary conditions of the baths and of their town. Next the Burgomaster suggests that the meeting should decline to hear the proposed lecture on the subject of the baths by the ex-Medical Officer. Instead, Aslaksen invites the Burgomaster and Hovstad to address the meeting. The Burgomaster discusses the large cost involved in carrying out needless repairs to the baths and the hardship the citizens will have to undergo while the baths are closed.

Hovstad speaks next and points out how he was misled by Dr. Stockmann, who gave false statements about the baths. Shocked by these statements and the proceedings in general, Dr. Stockmann points out how the sources of spiritual life are poisoned and how the society rests on falsehood. He claims that the authorities have shown colossal stupidity in their judgement to perpetrate a lie. In fact, Dr. Stockmann shouts that "I would rather ruin the native town than see it flourish upon a lie." Dr. Stockmann's words provoke the citizens. The Burgomaster seizes the moment, and in a climatic move, he has his brother declared "an enemy of the people."

As a result of the judgment on his character, Dr. Stockmann undergoes a series of misfortunes that cause him to feel depressed. The citizens ignore him, making him feel isolated and lonely; he and his daughter, Petra, lose their jobs; and the landlord wants to evict him. Then the Burgomaster accuses Dr. Stockmann of entering into a plot with Morten Kiil, who he claims is trying to buy all the shares of the baths at a low price. The Burgomaster suggests that the doctor will personally benefit from the contamination issue. Such insinuations infuriate Dr. Stockmann, and he becomes more determined than ever to fight the authorities and to tell the truth about the baths. He even thinks about setting up a school in the very room where he was declared an enemy of the people in order to help young boys grow into free, high- minded, and independent men.
Dr. Stockmann accepts that his battle against the corrupt authorities will not be easy; but he also realizes that his isolation has made him stronger. In fact, he believes that the strongest person in the world is he who stands most alone.


THEMES

Major

Throughout the play, Ibsen portrays the negative side of small town politics and the power of persuasion. At first the citizens are on the side of Dr. Stockmann, praising him for his discovery of the baths' contamination. Then the authorities, who are opposed to the disclosure about the contamination, begin to make their political moves. They convince the editor of the paper of their point of view and persuade him to publish their statements rather than Stockmann's article. They next disrupt a citizens' meeting and sway the people to their side, not giving the doctor a chance to read his paper about the dangers of the baths. The citizens are like puppets, easily manipulated by the right words.

Closely coupled with the predominant theme, is the theme of the nobility of a person who bravely fights for truth. Dr. Stockmann is the representative of the truth seeker who refuses to give in to lies and dishonesty. Even when he is ignored by the people, loses his positions, and is almost evicted, he still stands up for the truth. Through him, Ibsen is clearly stating another theme - that strong persons should have the courage to stand alone without compromising their principles.

Minor
Through the play, Ibsen warns against leaders who are solely rooted in the past, having only myopic vision. The refuse to look to the future and are afraid of new ideas, like Peter Stockmann, the mayor. In fact, the Burgomaster curtly tells the doctor, "The public has no need for new ideas. The public gets on best with the good old recognized ideas it has already." By contrast to his brother, Dr. Stockmann is convinced that it is a citizen's duty, when he has conceived a new idea, to communicate it to the public.

MOOD

Centered on the negative aspects of small town politics and corrupt leaders driven by self-interests, An Enemy of the People has a pessimistic, depressing mood. The only positive note in the play comes at the end when Stockmann vows never to give in to the corrupt leaders and to fight for his cause no matter the price.


IRONY IN THE PLAY

An Enemy of the people is a drama filled with irony that is largely built upon the contrasts between the Stockmann brothers. The Doctor is jovial by nature and likes to be surrounded by intelligent, cheerful, hard-working people. The Burgomaster is solemn and conservative, uncomfortable in the company of liberal minded people. The Burgomaster represents conventional world-order. Dr. Stockmann strives to bring about reforms that benefit society. The Burgomaster is highly conscious of his power and status. Dr. Stockmann is conscious of his duty as a citizen. The Doctor is a brave and noble person who can defy a mob consisting of moral cowards. The Burgomaster is a shred manipulator who can sway the mob to his side.
The irony of the play is that the good person, Dr. Stockmann, is the one branded as the enemy of the people. The doctor strives diligently throughout the play to expose the sordid condition of the baths so that people do not fall ill. For his efforts he is labeled as the enemy of the people, while his brother, the Burgomaster, is considered a hero for suppressing the truth.

 
ACT SUMMARIES WITH NOTES

Act I

Summary

The play opens in the evening in Dr. Stockmann's sitting room. The doctor is seated at the dining table, and his wife is serving him. Peter Stockmann, the Burgomaster (mayor) and Dr. Stockmann's brother, enters wearing an overcoat and an official gold-laced cap. When Mrs. Stockmann invites him to stay for dinner, he politely declines, saying he prefers economical tea, bread, and butter to roast beef. Mrs. Stockmann responds by saying they are not spendthrifts.

Hovstad, the editor of the local newspaper, enters and greets the Burgomaster. He tells him that he has come to collect an article from Dr. Stockmann for the People's Messenger. The Burgomaster, in an expansive mood, talks with Hovstad about the baths, around which the whole life of the town centers; the mayor feels that the baths have brought about an economic transformation for the citizens. Visitors, especially invalids, come to the baths in large numbers. The Burgomaster declares that with the visitors "money has come into circulation and has brought life and momentum with it."

Hovstad points out that Dr. Stockmann is really the creator of the baths. The Burgomaster, who is the Chairman of the Baths Committee, resents this remark. He wants the editor of the paper to know that he has also played an active role in constructing the baths. Mrs. Stockmann, the diplomat, wisely suggests that Peter and Thomas Stockmann can share the honors, like brothers.

Dr. Stockmann, who has gone out for a walk with his sons, returns; he brings with him another visitor, Captain Horster. The doctor invites his brother Peter to have a drink with them. The Burgomaster says haughtily, "I never join in drinking parties." It is apparent that Peter does not particularly like Dr. Stockmann, especially not his jovial nature. He also resents the doctor's "extravagant" life style. The Stockmann brothers had led a hard life and had lived for a long while on starvation wages. Now Dr. Stockmann wants to live in style, surrounded by "bright, cheerful, freedom-loving, hard-working young fellows like Hovstad, Horster and others."
The Burgomaster asks his brother about the article he has written on the baths for the newspaper, but Dr. Stockmann does not give any details. His refusal to discuss the article upsets the Burgomaster, who insists that in "a well-ordered community the individual must subordinate himself to the society, or, more precisely to the authorities whose business it is to watch over the welfare of the society." With these words, the Burgomaster walks out in an angry mood.
After Peter's departure, the others sit round sipping cocktails and chatting. Captain Horster says that he intends to sail to America soon and will miss the election of the Town Council. Horster candidly admits that he does not care or understand anything about politics; he does, however, take an interest in news that has public interest. Hovstad feels that Dr. Stockmann's article will be of interest to the public and is eager to receive it from the doctor; however, Stockmann asks him to defer the publication of the article, for he is awaiting an important report pertaining to the baths.


Petra, Stockmann's daughter, returns from the school where she teaches and hands over the eagerly awaited letter to her father. Dr. Stockmann reads the letter in his study and then rejoins the others in a triumphant mood. He declares that the baths are not healthy places, but a poisonous and "pestiferous hole." He claims that the water in the baths is contaminated by the filth from the mill. The letter he has just received has confirmed his suspicions. During the last year, the doctor had noticed that many of his patients had fallen ill after visiting the baths, suffering both from typhoid and gastric attacks. His tests of the water showed them to be contaminated; as a result, he sent samples to the University for analysis. Their analysis confirmed the presence of "putrefying organic matter in the water - millions of infusoria." The water is dangerous to one's health whether used internally or externally. Hovstad seeks Dr. Stockmann's permission to put a short announcement about the discovery in the Messenger. Billing suggests that there should be a torchlight procession in honor of the doctor for his discovery.

Dr. Stockmann wants to get rid of the contamination by re-laying all the water pipes. It was his brother, the Burgomaster, who had played an active role in laying the incorrect pipes. The doctor seems happy to have caught his brother in a mistake. The act ends on a light note when Dr. Stockmann puts both his arms round his wife's neck and whirls her around with him.

Notes

Act I is largely introductory in nature. The two main characters, Dr. Stockmann and his brother, Peter the Burgomaster, are presented on stage and developed. The Burgomaster, a restless bachelor, obviously resents his brother's success; he comments that he would rather dine economically on bread and butter than on extravagant roast beef. It is further learned that the Burgomaster is a representative of the Old World order and fears a person who asserts his individuality. Additionally, he believes it is the duty of the authorities to watch over the welfare of society. Proud and power-hungry, Peter Stockmann does not want to give up any of his authority as Burgomaster.

Dr. Stockman is a real contrast to his brother. Although he has suffered a hard life like Peter, the doctor refuses to let his past haunt him. He has become a successful and jovial doctor who likes to live in style and be surrounded by young, bright people with liberal views. He particularly enjoys the company of Hovstad, the editor of a daily newspaper, and Horster, captain of a ship. Politically, he is conscientious and believes in protecting the welfare of society, no matter the cost.

The seeds of the conflict are also introduced in this act, as it becomes apparent that there are problems between the two Stockmann brothers. First, Dr. Stockmann does not confide in his brother, a fact that the Burgomaster resents. Secondly, although the idea of the baths was conceived by Dr. Stockmann, his brother wants credit for implementing the scheme, for he is Chairman of the Baths Committee. When the Burgomaster learns that his brother has written an article about the baths for the newspaper, he wants to know the contents. When Dr. Stockmann refuses to let him see the article or even be told what it is about, Peter is quite irritated. The Burg-master then becomes furious at his brother's refusal to consult him on a matter of public importance.