LONGMAN LITERATURE An Enemy of the People Henrik Ibsen Adapted by Arthur Miller Editor: Geoff Barton voxcuasLongman Literature Sores editor: Ray Batehfont Plays ‘Aun Ayckboum Absurd Person Singular 0 562 060020 6 Act Miler An Enemy ofthe Pople "0582 08717 7 JB Prastley An laspecor Cals 0582 060125, Terence Ratan The Winiow Boy 0 8206019 2 Wily xse! Educotng Ria 0362 060133 ShifeyYlemine 0 8208173 4 Por Shafer The Real Hurt of he Sun 0 582 06014 | Equus "0582 09712 6 Benard Shaw Arms and the Man 0 582.0785 0 Pygmalion 0 582 06015 x Sain Jon 0582 077869 (Onear Wie Th Importance of Beng Eomest 0 S62 07784 2 Longman Literature Shakespeare Sars editor: Roy Satvord Constant Jace Heac octets 056008827 5 Ramee ond Jet 058208836 4 The Merde of Veer 0 362 C8835 6 Ansar Nips Dream 058208833 X Twelfth lp OSE C28s4 Jul Coror_0 587 08828 3 ‘Othe 0582 097193 Kirgteor 0862057185 Hamlet” 062057207 ‘Other ties inthe Longman Literature seis ae lated on page 1 Magasin BMS Odense: Universiteisbibliotek F- 4210 © Contents ‘The writer on writing Miers ite wv Adapting Ibsen's play vi Ineroduction Theare background Ibsen's begining: x ‘An Ena ofthe People ii Te role ofthe adaptor xv Reading log ‘An Enemy of the People Glossary: reading the text Study programme Characters 104 Ives 111 Tre play 114 Farther asgoments 115 Study questons 116 Suggestions fr frter reading 118 Wider reading assignments 119 9 041 The writer on writing Miller's life ‘Arthur Mile was born on October 17, 1915 in Harlem, New Yor. ‘ter leaving chool he worked fortwo years in an automobile parts warehouse, before ewolng fora degre injouralsm atthe University (of Michigan, In addition o is sts, Miler had two jobs — washing dishes and feeding mice ata laboratory onthe outskirts of town, One spring rater than return home forthe hokdays, he decided to use the week to wit a play. even though he hac een relatively few plays From the Begone wring meant feedan.ospreadng of wings. ond once gt the fist ning thot thers wer reached by whet wrt, an assumption ase thot semen of pub business was hopper de re tha hot perplexed ortoved me must ove others... Weng doy and igh wth afew hous of Cevbaused seep spnied tough te wenk | fod the ploy within fe ays Timebends, page 212 ‘The pay ~ called No Vilain— won Miller the Avery Hopwood Award in Orama for 1936 and the sum of $250. But is memory ofthe event isnot entirely happy 1 fo plese of cous, bt aso samen dose to embarassment, praying that eeu wed soon forget my oor lyn fowur of my ext oe ich xd sel be beter ‘Tmebends page 224 Public success however, was to come some year later. with the writing CF AI My Sons in 1547, Miler felt forthe frst me the excitement of seeing actors auditioned forthe roles his mind had created hoe nec oad es caring cut the aceon ao ply oy ebilsand worker doy on MY Son uit seemed gh asm, Ie wes etioring 2 usuy i fst tne eau. mer fo came to the “THE WRITER ON WRITING froin ofce on East Fity seve Steet every ming to watch Caran ‘and Kazan the proces} tenscwing oct. Ofcourse rane serie to resemble rea people ke te oes hod modeled the crates on the yg women beng too beaut ond he young men t0 handsome Timebends page 271 ‘Thisisareminder that Milersconcemasaplaywrightlies with ordinary ) people — usually working people whose ives had rarely before been representedon the stage Typically, the pays maincharacterJoe Kl, ! a manufacturer of arraft engines, faces a moral dlerma: committed ‘to making profs he allows fay pats to be ited to airforce planes, ‘When one crashes he allows his business partner, rather than himsel, | to take the blame Shame at ths action leads Kellers son to commit, suicide, anactfraly repeated by Keller ime A My Sons, ike so many ‘of Miler’ plays explores the clash ofthe individual with socety and the | destructive nature of greed, ‘The play won Miller the New York Drama Cries Cele Award for 1947, Hisnext play, Death ofa Salesman. won the same awardfor 194, lus the prestigious Pultzer Prize. Again an ordinary man — Willy Lomax ~struggesto controlhislifeandto provide for his fal, This ts Miles theory that A chaocers defied he kinds of ehaenges corn wak away far. Aad | by hose he has wold aay fm hat cause hen rare Timebends, page 367 “The chalenges a character faces are always deeply personal, but their © implications and effects aways reverberate throughout the immediate family and community. These ae important recuring themesin Mile's plays— frequently sources of frustration as welas symbols ofhope and “ ‘deals. in Miler’s nex play. An Enemy ofthe People for example, the familyanel community ae broughtinto confit because Peter Stockman ‘snot onlya member ofthe family but abo the town mayor. Aconfict of business interests i sharpened ito a clash of family loyaties, ‘Aer An Enemy ofthe People ior went on to write some ofhis mast famous plays notably, The Crucible and A View rom the Bridge. But he