enemy of the people final paper

Submitted By HEMPHILE
Words: 1114
Pages: 5
Open Document
One standing alone in a world full of those who hate everything that you stand for, Dr. Stockman is the enemy of his towns’ people that were once his friends. Enemy of the People written by Henrik Ibsen touches on many subjects that were not deemed suitable in the late 1800s. Throughout the novel there is a battle of ethics conflict between Dr. Stockman and his brother Peter Stockman. Each raise their own points on what should be done about the baths but, it is shown that power is once again trying to conquer over the truth. This novel is Ibsen’s way to lash out at all of the corrupt and those who are so easily turned to the side of the corruption. There has been a never ending argument whether Dr. Stockman was right basing his view of the baths on scientific view, was Peter Stockman was right since his thoughts were based on the economic point of view, or was both right. An individual who defies society because of his moral convictions, and consequently suffers for his independent and unbending stand, is not an unfamiliar phenomenon, whether in the annals of human history or in the experience of contemporary societies (Roshwald Gale). Thomas Stockman is much like the author of the book, who is willing to kicked out of the social realm of society and race the cold world alone. Dr. Stockman raises the argument, is he right because he has science on his side but can only focus on shutting down the towns lively hood. He has many on his side his concern is the health of others and does not care how many turn against him or what they try to do to him; he stands firmly and will not change what he believes in. Just like Dr. Stockman, this plays’ view deal with idealism and promotes to take a stand on moral no matter the obvious cost (Howes Gale). A man that is willing to give up his normal life, stand against those who can obviously hurt him but has the evidence from science to prove his findings. “We are making our living by retailing filth and corruption! The whole of our flourishing municipal life derives its sustenance from a lie!”(Henrik 30). He may have had a callous attitude to willingness to sacrifice the wealth of the town, but sticks to his moral of the well being of human beings and is motivated by his compassion for wider humanity (Roshwald Gale). He is a man that has condemned majority rule. Dr. Stockman is a man that has put himself on the pedestal of principles and is right for standing up for his beliefs to the end, even though, the entire town was against him and his own brother was willing to ruin him to save money. Peter Stockman is a man of great power in the town, he is the mayor, chairman of the Baths and a politician. Being a politician that makes Peter Stockman a man of the people, meaning he believes and has power and authority in the town because of that. Without the majority rule Peter would have never been able to win the situation with his brother, he would have been forced to make the changes needed. However, it is meant in the story for Peter to be the antagonist and Dr. Stockman is the protagonist. Peter wanted to handle the problem of the baths in a way that would not make the town or himself lose any money or cause any bad press to be said on the matter. For this he does whatever it takes to keep the people on his side of the matter, that goes for swaying the wealthy his way by saying there would be a tax to even stabbing his brother in the back. "The matter in hand is not simply a scientific one. It is a complicated matter, and has its economic as well as its technical side" (Ibsen 29). Peter only cares for the economy of the town, he wants to keep the problem with the bathes from the town and from the potential vacationers. Without the bathes Peter knows that the town will have higher taxes, people will lose their jobs and force the town into poverty. So he does everything no matter how ruthless and selfish it may seem to save the economy of the
Show More

Related Documents: enemy of the people final paper

habeas corpus Essay

Running Head: Final Paper 1 Week 2 Assignment Patricia Taylor Ashford University: American National Government Instructor: David Kraff…

Words 1136 - Pages 5

Weapons In The Civil War

The Civil War : English Paper Edition Topic : Weapons / Artillery Introduction : The weapons in the Civil War had a lot of importance. They were used to harm people to get what the other side wanted. With all of the different types and how they were made, they had to make a lot of improvements to be satisfied with the final product. First Body Paragraph : During the Civil War, there were many weapons including canons, guns, knives, swords, etc. With the knives and swords, obviously, they were…

Words 254 - Pages 2

Killing Lincoln's Assassination Rhetorical Analysis

forever, by Bill O’Reilly details one conspiracy leading up to and following the assassination of the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln, president during the Civil War and a strong supporter of the Union, had many enemies who were against his beliefs and opinions. These enemies are the reason Lincoln never got to see the nation reconciled after the war. The assassination of Lincoln occurs only five days after the surrender of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. President…

Words 793 - Pages 4

Antigone: Communism and Noon est Essay

Political Science 275 Online, Spring 2015 Semester Paper The list of topics below is a starting point. You are free to come up with a topic of your own that you think would be more interesting to you; I have always believed that people do better work when they get to decide what they're going to be working on. If you want to use your own topic, by noon EST on Sunday, March 1 you must e-mail me a one or two page typed abstract or outline (it can be longer if you want) clearly explaining what you…

Words 937 - Pages 4

The War At The Home Front Essay

Explain the importance of the Home Front to the final outcome of the War. By Daniel Leeder. Although the Home Front was not as important as the land war in Europe and the war at sea, it was still relatively important to the final outcome of the war. Some of the most important points include, the fact that the British public was affected or involved in a major war for the first time, bombs dropped on London by Zeppelins and the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA). Further points include the munitions…

Words 1214 - Pages 5

Penpal Massacre Case Study

beautiful city of Chicago was home to many people. Officer Chester was one of them. He was a 32-year-old police officer who was always called upon when there was something to investigate. He is most famous for his efforts in the city’s worst catastrophe ever. When he found Susan Nellon’s murderer, he was praised a hero. Assuming he would never have to be involved in another crime solving case, days later, Officer Chester received an influx of emails from people around the country, saying they were witnessing…

Words 2015 - Pages 9

Essay on The Balfour Declaration

through active political maneuvering, a Jewish homeland could be created. Zionism was becoming a popular concept by the time World War I began. World War I and Chaim Weizmann During World War I, Great Britain needed help. Since Germany (Britain's enemy during WWI) had cornered the production of acetone -- an important ingredient for arms production -- Great Britain may have lost the war if Chaim Weizmann had not invented a fermentation process that allowed the British to manufacture their own liquid…

Words 628 - Pages 3

North West Mounted Police (NWMP)

In this paper I will study the presence of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in the West between 1875 and 1919 with the purpose to find out what role they played in the frontier development. The question is whether the NWMP were a colonizing agent or were they a positive instrument of nation-building that secured Canadian sovereignty and the rule of law in the rapidly developing state. This paper will argue that the NWMP embraced both roles at different points of their history. They followed the…

Words 746 - Pages 3

Benjamin Cross Speech

Benjamin Cross slams the paper on the table, anger and shame bubbling deep in his stomach. He clenches his fists, making the veins on his muscled arm strain against his tanned skin. The written words of him repeatedly whisper themselves inside Benjamin’s head, each syllable making his rage grow. At the sound of his fit, Benjamin’s wife, Peggy, walks into the dining area. She seems concerned, but not surprised at the sight of her husband scowling at the newspaper. “Husband, I do wonder what has…

Words 2684 - Pages 11

Matts Final Paper Edited

Matthew Zanella 12/2/14 M. Branchetti Final Paper The war to revolutionize all wars The First World War was supposed to be the war to end all wars. Many of the young men and women who served in it believed this. Sadly, they were wrong. This war revolutionized how wars are fought to this day. One of the major things it changed was battlefield communication. The evolution of World War One battlefield communication is very complex. To understand World War One battlefield communication, its background…

Words 2793 - Pages 12