Dr. Stockmann tries to take his case to the people, but the mayor intercedes and explains to the people how much it will cost to repair the baths. However, the mayor convinces Hovstad and Aslaksen to oppose Dr. Stockmann. An Enemy of the People Homework Help Questions. In fact, the runoff from the local tanning mill has contaminated the water to a dangerous degree. It's winter in a small southern Norwegian town in the late nineteenth century. Upon returning home in a snowstorm, the Stockmanns are greeted with … After years of struggling, Dr. Thomas Stockmann and his family - his wife Catherine, their young adult daughter Petra, and their two adolescent sons Ejlif and Morten - have returned to town after being away for five years up north, he now well respected and successful as the medical resident of the Health Institute at Kirsten Springs, where he is also a board member. At his urging, the town has built some Baths, which will bring lots of tourists and more importantly tourist dollars. | An Enemy of The People Summary Analysis. Dr. Stockmann is the medical officer for the Baths, and he has concerns, but he refuses to tell anyone until he gets confirmation in a letter from the uni… The audience finds his speech incredibly offensive, and the next morning the doctor's home is vandalized. Ghosts was first performed by a touring company in Chicago and, when Ghosts opened in London, according to Peter Watts, writing in the Introd… 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. Thomas Stockmann and his family are entertaining guests at their home, including Hovstad, the editor of a local radical paper, and his reporter, Billing. Therefore, An Enemy of the People tells the story of a man who … You can view our. So get hooked on and start relishing An Enemy of the People overview and detailed summary. In the morning, Dr. Stockmann and Katherine survey their windows, which have all been smashed during the night. Old Morton Kiil comes to Stockmann and wonders if the poison comes from his tannery as well as the others. Dr. Stockmann decides to fight to get the word out to the people, but receives as very mixed reaction. An Enemy of the People: Summary | SparkNotes An Enemy of the People The town in which the play is set has built a huge bathing complex that is crucial to the town's economy. An Enemy of The People Summary Analysis discusses source of the contamination and what were the likely stressors alluded to in the play Study Guide for An Enemy of the People. A motion is made to declare Dr. Stockmann an enemy of the people. There is … 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. An Enemy of the People summary and study guide are also available on the mobile version of the website. He devised the springs and institute as a center of therapeutic benefits on his own, but developed it with his brother, the town mayor, Peter Stockmann, who is the board chair. Dr. Stockmann then begins a long tirade in which he condemns the foundations of the town and the tyranny of the majority. Almost everyone is excited about the opening of the new Baths, a health spa facility. Would you still tell the truth if the information put your family in danger? He and his daughter are fired. After the newspapermen leave, Peter comes by to talk to his brother. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Sparknotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Ibsen wrote it in response to the public outcry against his previous play, Ghosts, . Mrs. Stockmann suggests that perhaps he should share the honor with his brother. | As the crowd responds with rage, Aslaksen reads a motion to proclaim Tom an "Enemy of the People." 1(a). Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Hovstad is on fire about routing the towns entrenched authority, and Aslaksen cautions moderation but says the people are behind Stockmann. No one has time to read them all, but it’s important to go over them at least briefly. As the town's judge and mayor, Peter also serves as chairman of Kirsten Springs, the community's new tourist destination and the foundation of its economy. Plot Keywords An Enemy of the People Summary. Dr. Stockmann discovers trouble when the water of the Baths is contaminated with bacteria, leaving the whole town at risk to become sick. Find out what happens in our Act 1 summary for An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen. He tells Stockmann he heard about the report but thinks it is a hilarious joke Stockmann wants to play on his brother. Through his efforts to share this information, his family, his reputation, and his safety are put in jeopardy. A scientist stands against an entire town when he discovers their medicinal spa is polluted. What was the source of the contamination and what were the likely stressors alluded to in the play? He receives a letter from the landlord giving him notice to move. They have reinvigorated what was the financially crumbling town. Until now. Dr. Stockmann has just discovered that the baths' drainage system is seriously contaminated. Before the event begins, Tom's brother, Peter Stockmann, arrives for a routine medical examination. Act I opens in the comfortable sitting room of the Stockmann home. In this respect, Petra takes after her father. An Enemy of the People, published in 1882, is Henrik Ibsen's response to the public reception of, and the critical assault upon, his preceding play, Ghosts (1881)—a play about sexual vice, moral corruption, and syphilis. An Enemy of the People Themes Arthur Miller This Study Guide consists of approximately 30 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of An Enemy of the People. ...ESSAY: AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE Harry Latirofian 07/SP_CORE_1006_22 The Global Challenge An Enemy of the people is a drama filled with ethical dilemmas and issues that are largely were caused by the contrasts between the Stockmann brothers. The Khmer Rouge slaughtered nearly two million people in the late 1970s. He wants to save it as a reminder of his days of persecution. In Norway, a coastal city is expecting a boost in its tourism venture and everyone is content. He tells him st… Henrick Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People is a play set in a town on the southern coast of Norway. A small forest town is trying to promote itself as a place for tourists to come enjoy the theraputic hot springs and unspoiled nature. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Critical Analysis Essay An Enemy of the People *By Henrik* Ibsen In “An Enemy of the People,” Henrik Ibsen adopts the theme that the majority of people are always wrong. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. His primary concern is increasing the viability of the institute by increasing the number of visitors, while doing as little as possible to increase costs, fixing the water problem, which he is not convinced even exists, being cost prohibitive. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. It is impossible to say what the 'right' thing to do in that situation would be, but the reader is able to explore this in An Enemy of the People. When Peter finds out about the article, he does whatever he can to quash the story, including fear mongering, intimidation and using the power of being both the mayor and the board chair. The town in which the play is set has built a huge bathing complex that is crucial to the town's economy. An Enemy of the People (original Norwegian title: En folkefiende) is an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. An Enemy of the People study guide contains a biography of Henrik Ibsen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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. The Messenger's editor, Hovstad, who is attracted to Petra, sees the mayor as part of a group of townsfolk in positions of power solely for their own benefit - an old boys' club. In An Enemy of the People, Dr. Thomas Stockmann is chief medical officer at The Baths, a health resort that is soon to open. When Doctor discovers the Baths’ condition, he becomes somewhat naive, thinking that the community will be proud of his crucial discovery; he thinks that he will be declared a town’s hero, however, in a short time he becomes “ . by Suleman April 13, 2020. .an enemy of the people” (117). Based on a play by Henrik Ibsen. Dr. Stockmann’s home is in disorder. Critics suggest that An Enemy of the People is Ibsen’s response to the “compact majority” who responded so negatively to truths he presented in Ghosts. The town fathers argue that cleaning up the mess would be far too expensive and the publicity would destroy the town's reputation, so therefore news of the pollution should be suppressed. An enemy of the people summary The town in which the play is set has built a huge bathing complex that is crucial to the . Hornby, Richard. Although not his direct motivation, Peter is not averse to ruining Thomas' reputation in the process, making Thomas an enemy of the public which would make it easier to protect his own interests even more. In a small Norwegian town, Catherine Stockmann, the wife of Dr. Thomas "Tom" Stockmann, prepares to entertain prominent members of the community, including the People's Daily Messenger newspaper editors, Hovstad and Billing. The brothers have a fierce argument, but Dr. Stockmann hopes that at least Hovstad's newspaper will support him. With the exception of Captain Forster, all citizens agree to deny the doctor's civil rights. Peter takes credit for giving Thomas this air of respectability, something that has never been important to Thomas, who would rather be seen as a man of conviction in doing the right thing. . According to Ellen Mortensen (Ibsen Studies v.7, 169), the words "scandalous", "degenerate," and "immoral" were hurled at both Ghosts and its author because it openly discussed adultery and syphilis. Indeed, Ghosts turned Ibsen into a kind of enemy of the people. His family is supportive, and he says that the strongest man is the man who stands alone. Then Hovstad and Aslaksen, the newspapers publisher and Chairman of the Property Owners Association, arrive. He explains that the Doctor is always filled with wild, fanciful ideas. The next day, Catherines father, Morten Kiil, stops by. The people don’t want to go against the common opinion and deal with “the enemy of the people” or his family. In the play, the audience follows Dr. Stockmann, a man who finds that the water supply of the town is contaminated. Dr. Stockmann is willing to share the honor if he can get the thing straightened out. Parents Guide. | Thomas Stockmann is jovial by nature and likes to be surrounded by people like him that are intelligent and hard working. In Norway, the published edition of the play sold poorly and could find no theater to produce it. In a public meeting, he has his brother declared an enemy of the people. Tom returns home with his two young sons, Morten and Ejlif, as well as his friend, Captain Forster, who is included among the dinner guests. Yet the Killing Fields of Cambodia remain unexplained. An Enemy of the People Summary The future is looking bright in Dr. Stockmann's hometown on the coast of southern Norway. Thomas often writes articles for the local activist newspaper, The People's Daily Messenger, as part of doing the right thing. An Enemy of the People is set in a coastal town in southern Norway. Synopsis 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. Gray develops in a very interesting way the widely held theory that An Enemy of the People is an allegory on the hostile reception generally given Ibsen’s previous play, Ghosts. Ace your assignments with our guide to An Enemy of the People! The doctor challenges the "truth" the masses are the "backbone" of society and suggests the masses are more like mutts, when a "pedigree dog"—an enlightened intellectual such as himself—is the one of real value and quality. However, the doctor refuses all such suggestions and decides to defy authority and remain in town. He appears holding a stone which someone cast through his window. This is to say that if one wishes to find truth in the world he must look to the minority of people. Instant downloads of all 1422 LitChart PDFs (including An Enemy of the People). Morten Kiil approaches the doctor and says that if his tanneries are implicated in bad publicity about pollution, the doctor may suffer. Hovstad and Aslaksen incite the entire town against him, and the people vote Dr. Stockmann "an enemy of the people." Henrick Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People is a play set in a town on the southern coast of Norway. Captain Horster, who had to take the Stockmanns to America, arrives and tells that he lost his ship as a friend of “the enemy of the people”. What if the information could affect the safety of your neighbors and friends, too? He leaves with his family, as … Dr. Stockmann, however, makes the inconvenient discovery that the nature around the village is not so unspoiled. Taglines A small-town doctor discovers that, for economical reasons, his colleagues propose to conceal that the local health spa is contaminated by tannery water. An Enemy of the People The average student has to read dozens of books per year. The motion is passed with only one person voting against it. Ibsen wrote it in response to the public outcry against his previous play, Ghosts, which challenged the hypocrisy of 19th-century morality. This free study guide is stuffed with the juicy details and important facts you need to know. The crowd is offended and angry; led by Peter and Mr. Aslaksen, they vote to declare Dr. Stockmann “an enemy of the people,” and the entire Stockmann family has to leave the hall amid taunts and jeers. He is briefly visited by his brother, the town's mayor. "An Enemy of the People," a play by Arthur Miller adapted from the drama by Henrik Ibsen, focuses on a conflict between two brothers, Dr. Tom Stockmann and Peter Stockmann, and a conflict between the freedom and the suppression of speech. Hovstad credits Tom with originating the plan to capitalize on the town's natural resources, but Peter claims that he alone had the wherewithal to establish the business and leaves the house in anger. As he feared, in the board's decision to locate the institute's water supply in the cheapest site and in the process dismissing Thomas' original recommendations, the water is being polluted, contaminated by being located downstream from a tannery. Summary Dr. Stockmann has his manuscript returned to him with a note from the Burgomaster that they should meet at noontime. The Springs were built by the town and lure visitors with their promise of health and vitality. Tom, who is the Springs' medical examiner, has recently conducted a study of the water and is awaiting its results; Peter is pleased to learn that Hovstad and Billing will publish Tom's findings before the summer season to promote tourism. Aslaksen announces that by a unanimous vote Dr. Stockmann has been declared an enemy of the people. Dr. Stockmann discovers trouble when the water of the Baths is contaminated with bacteria, leaving the whole town at risk to become sick. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Thomas' latest article, not yet published and what he wanted to investigate during the springs' off season before tourists start arriving in the spring, concerns the water supply at Kirsten Springs. This book contains 34554 words. An Enemy of the People Summary. Through the story, Thomas wants to protect the overall public health, and does not want to be seen as a hero or extraordinary in doing so. Set in a town on the coast of Norway your assignments with our guide to an of... 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