Enemy of the People Analysis
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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."
Characters
Doctor Thomas Stockman - A medical doctor, the medical officer of the town baths, and the brother of the mayor, who got him the job at the baths. Stockman is idealistic and excitable. For much of his life he was destitute and lived in the countryside; now he is happy to be fairly prosperous and living in a bustling town...