"An Enemy of the People"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Ibsen criticized democracy in his plays, most specifically in "An Enemy of the People". The politician is seen as a morally corrupt individual whose only concern is himself. The masses believe the propaganda of those with authority, thus crumbling the democracy, which is supposed to be honest and fair. This term paper goes into detail of the plot of "An Enemy of the People" and reveals Ibsen's true criticisms of the society of his time.

From the Paper:

"Written in 1882, the play An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen simplistically describes the timelessness of society and its unchanging conduct through the microcosm of a coast town in southern Norway. Through the protagonist, Dr. Thomas Stockmann, the workers and newspaper men of The People's Messenger, the prominent politician of the town, Mayor Peter Stockmann, and the common citizens of the Norwegian community, Ibsen portrays the collective masses as self-involved and easily swayed toward a more favorable prospect. The politicians depict the likenesses of morally corrupt leaders, who are often considered to be present the world over. Ibsen's juxtaposition of such complacent and hypocritical leaders and the credulous masses in An Enemy of the People creates an unsettling ambience of immorality and deceit through the intense greed of both parties. Dr. Stockmann, a recognized and honored man of research, finds himself on the wrong side of what comes to be an overwhelmingly biased debate, while even his own character flaws aid in the dismissal of his authority in the argument that is present throughout the play. In An Enemy of the People, Henrik Ibsen depicts society as a mass of individuals who fear the truth, in conjunction with the ubiquitous elements of hypocrisy and egoism of municipal authorities and the general public, which essentially apply to society regardless of era."

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