Title

The title of An Enemy of the People is totally ironic. Dr. Stockmann, who gets
branded with this unfortunate label, is only trying to help the people. By
exposing the pollution of the Baths, he's not only protecting their health, but
also protecting them from the larger scandal that will inevitably erupt when all
the tourists who come to bathe in the bacteria-ridden waters start puking up
green stuff.

The label of "enemy" is made even more ironic by the fact that Dr. Stockmann
is popular around town at the beginning of the play. His house is always full of
guests, eating, drinking, and enjoying his hospitality. When the Doctor first
makes his discovery, he's even toasted as a friend of the people. The town
quickly turns on him, though, when they figure out how much money it will
cost to make the necessary improvements to the Baths.

In the end, Dr. Stockmann seems to almost embrace the label. He accepts the
fact that he will be viewed as a heretic and a rebel. Dr. Stockmann even seems
to be empowered by his outsider status, saying, "the strongest man in the world
is he who stands most alone". The title of the play might be pointing out that
people who try to do the most for the world, who try to change things for the
better, are often rejected at first by the majority. The Doctor isn't the first person
in history to speak the truth and be punished for it.

Theme of the novel

In An Enemy of the People, Ibsen vividly portrays the negative aspects of
small-town politics where the majority of citizens are easily swayed by the
controlling bureaucrats, who are often corrupt and self-serving. In contrast, he
unifies the play by praising the responsibility and courage of Dr. Stockmann.

In the play Ibsen clearly criticizes the "compact majority," who often act
foolishly in refusing to accept the truth and in blindly following their elected
leaders. In contrast to the ordinary citizen, the doctor has the courage to stand
up to the authorities. As a result, Ibsen uses Dr. Stockmann to voice many of his
own opinions in the play. He portrays the doctor as a noble reformer who dares
to fight rather than compromise his principles. In fact, Ibsen calls Stockmann
the strongest man in the world for he stands alone to fight his battle with the
authorities, never budging in his beliefs, his correctness of purpose, or his self-
assurance.
Although An Enemy of the People is replete with sarcastic remarks about the
compact majority, Ibsen is not attacking the concept of democracy. Instead, he
levels his criticism upon the unscrupulous leaders and their naïve followers.
Because they have vested interests and secret agendas, the bureaucrats mislead
and misguide the public in order to get what they want and to stay in power.
Ibsen shows how such leaders make a mockery of democracy. Stockmann
appropriately refers to them as a social pestilence.

Ibsen also regards people who advocate moderation as a way of life as social
pests. He knows that moderation is meaningless when drastic measures are
required to root out the evil that is corroding the society. Aslaksen is the symbol
of moderation; he wants to please all the people all the time. As a result, he is
fearful to take any stand, living on hypocrisy and lies. As Dr. Stockmann
bluntly states, "I would rather ruin my native town than see it flourishing upon a
lie." He even suggests that all persons who live upon a lie ought to be
exterminated like vermin.

In the play and in life, Ibsen values the truth above everything. Dr. Stockmann
is determined that the truth about the baths prevail in order to preserve the
health and honor of the community. He states that suppression of truth is a
"fraud, a lie, an absolute crime against the public, against society as a whole!"
This is the key theme of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People.

Analysis

Dr. Stockmann makes a discovery that he thinks will help the town. He presses
for changes to be made to the baths, but the town turns on him. Not only have
his scientific experiments been a waste of time, and not only will the
townspeople suffer, but his freedom of speech and self-respect are being
attacked. He then decides that the only reason that the leaders have turned on
him is that they are afraid of the people. He, thus, lashes out at the people. He is
motivated both by his anger and by true realizations about the corruption of the
town.

It can be concluded that An Enemy of the People has two key messages. First, it
is a criticism of democracy. Second, it is the story of how one man's bravery
and self-respect can survive overwhelming odds.
Ibsen's critique of democracy is twofold. First, he shows the tyranny of the
majority. The majority is a tyrant insofar as the leaders of society are afraid to
do what is right because they are at the people's mercy. Even though Hovstad
wanted to print the doctor's report on the baths, he was afraid to do so because
his subscribers would be upset. The mayor cannot propose any changes to the
baths because the public might find out that the mayor had made a mistake in
the original plans and, thus, oust him. The majority is afraid of risk and,
according to the doctor, it is not intelligent enough to do what is right.
While Ibsen illustrates the tyranny of the majority, he also shows how leaders
can manipulate the majority. When Aslaksen and the mayor take control of the
town meeting, they are manipulating the majority, using the majority to their
ends. It could be that Hovstad merely cited his subscribers' possible wrath as an
excuse because he himself did not want to print the article. More likely, both he
and his subscribers would have been against the doctor. Those who are in
power, like Hovstad and the mayor, automatically guess what the majority will
want, and they always try to please the majority. While Aslaksen and the mayor
manipulated the audience at the town meeting, they influenced them in the only
way possible. In other words, it would have been almost impossible for the
mayor to convince the crowd that they should support the doctor's comments
about the stupidity of the masses. Ibsen's idea is that the majority does not rule
directly; instead, the idea and threat of the majority keeps leaders from acting
honestly.
The personal story of Dr. Stockmann is secondary. The key thing to remember
is that he is extremely idealistic and maybe even a little naive and foolish. His
wife, after all, feels compelled to remind him of practicalities.

CONFLICT

Protagonist:

Dr. Stockmann is the protagonist of the play. He is an idealist who is imprudent in

his behavior. When he discovers that the water in the bath is contaminated, he
rushes to the press and leaks out the information. This leads to a confrontation
between Dr. Stockmann and the Burgomaster, who is also the chairman of the
Baths Committee. The doctor's saving grace is the courage with which he adheres
to his convictions. Standing alone, he bravely faces the citizens when he finds
himself "gagged" by Hovstad and the Burgomaster.

Antagonist:
The general antagonist to Dr. Stockmann is corruption and deceit, which are
clearly symbolized in Peter Stockmann, the Burgomaster. He is a representative of
the Old World order. Unable to understand the ethical aspects of any issue, he
resents his brother's attitude in making public the unsanitary condition of the baths.
He also believes that all individuals should subordinate themselves to the
authorities. Dr. Stockmann disapproves of these attitudes of his brother, and the
Burgomaster is aware of his feelings. As a result, he conspires with Hovstad and
Aslaksen to have Dr. Stockmann declared an enemy of the people.