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Ibsen literary analysis
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The play “An Enemy of the People” focuses on the truth and how different characters expose their outlook about it. Each of the characters are enthused by diverse things, so intern, they act in certain ways. Consequently, they end up in battles due to their differing opinions about the truth of the water. For example, Mayor Peter Stockmann acts in more aggressive way, because he’s motivated financially. Doctor Thomas Stockmann attempts to uncover the truth because of his worry of the public’s well-being and because he trusts that he’s doing the correct thing. Katherine supports Doctor Stockmann because she’s inspired by family and faithfulness towards her husband. Hovstad, a political radical, yet very corrupt as he enjoys stirring up drama as long as he isn’t directly involved. Everyone’s motivated by different things that are important to them, whether they are right or wrong they’re persistent in their beliefs.
Mayor Stockmann had to disregard the reality because of money. Cash played a big role which moved Peter Stockmann to neglect the condition of the Baths therefore ending up in a battle with his brother Doctor Stockmann. Ever since the town added it, much income from the Baths, the Mayor didn’t want to uncover the truth to the public. Mayor Stockmann made the remark. “Of course it will be necessary to raise a municipal loan” (Ibsen 55), this proves that he’s being covetous and implying that at times, its most appropriate to hide the truth because individuals will get annoyed and attempt to repair the problem. Nonetheless, fixing the issue will take much finance and the Mayor’s awfully worried about money and reputation. He refused to put time and money in fixing the pipelines in the Baths so he chose to hide the truth and ...
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...Stockmann, Doctor. Thomas Stockmann, Katherine and Hovstad all trust that what they’re doing is right and they feel that they must defend their ideas. Sadly to say, but Mayor Stockmann’s motivation is solely based upon money, Dr. Thomas Stockmann’s inspiration is morally the truth, Katherine is worried about the protection of the family, and Hovstad, just want to play both sides of the fences, because he is scared to be in the minority and afraid of the Mayor. These inspirations help each person to advance and form their character and disposition as the play continues. I feel that, it was very interesting to see how people will act in order to make themselves look good to the crowd. Even if it is the truth, and there is one person standing for truth and one hundred standing for a lie, people will sacrifice and be happy to be with the lie, because it is more people.
... to those viewing the performance. The audience must focus their attention of the happenings and the words being portrayed on stage or screen or they will easily miss the double meaning Stoppard intended in each scene of the play. The human motivation is inseparably connected with the theme of life and death that runs through the play, for it is as the two are about to die that they observe that maybe they could have made a different decision, one that would let them remain alive and free they only missed their opportunity to make that choice. Stoppard wanted his play to express more meaning and different messages to his audience but he desired for them to search the play and pay close attention to the different meanings present so they could gain the most possible from the play and those who did not understand would walk away not understanding how much they missed.
It was very nice to read something that had a lot of drama and suspense. This story has a mix of everything. It has a bit of suspense, drama, and comedy; therefore, it led it to be a very nice play. The people that would most like this play, has to be people who like suspense, drama, and thriller. These people would like it, because this story has a mix of everything, so the people who like to have a mix in their stories, they will love this story. It will suit them, and will give them a pleasure of reading a nice
This whole play by Arthur Miller shows how our community will turn on each other to save ourselves no matter if it’s right or wrong and it’s true in our society today. It also shows how a good man regained his happiness and holiness by standing up for what’s right against the lies and sacrificed himself for the truth.
This is a lesson that is still relevant today. Though the acting and dialogue seem to appeal to an older audience, young viewers can still enjoy and learn from this play. Prejudice, suspicion, and thoughtlessness are as prevalent as ever. For any problem, humans will look for a scapegoat. The War on Terror seems to bring similar feelings as those around during the Cold War.
This play shows that lying is wrong and will get you nowhere. At the end, lying will come back and haunt you. Also, lying will get you known as a liar. A liar who no one will believe at the end of the day. A liar that will be hard to be trusted by others. All of this is something that you want to avoid. Never lie and always tell the truth and you will end up feeling better about yourself. That is what I ended up getting from this ten minute play. Never lie because all those lies will be stored somewhere, maybe not recorded on tape like they were for the Person but stored somewhere like ones conscious. Lies will come back soon or later to come and bite you when you least expect it.
Firstly let us consider conflict. In each act of the play, we see the overpowering desire to belong leading to a climax of conflict amongst the characters, which has the consequence of exclusion. Conflict is a successful literary technique, as it engages the audience and focuses our attention on the issue of conflict and exclusion, brought about by the characters’ desires to be accepted by their community.
In a play, the audience should be intrigued and ready for what is to come next. It is a play that works by understanding. It has the audience on their seat to make them be part of the play. Susan Glaspell wrote a play based on an actual murder. “In the process of completing research for a biography of Susan Glaspell, [she] discovered the historical source upon which Trifles ...Glaspell covered the case and the subsequent trial when she was a reporter for the Des Moines Daily News”(Ben-Zvi 143). In the early nineteen-hundreds women were seen as weak. They were females knew the understanding of every clue that was leading to the case and the reasoning behind it.
... integrity are among the most important things. He also uses Proctor to demonstrate what an unjust system can do to an individual with good intents. The play is a parallel to the anti-Communist McCarthy era. Through John Proctor we see the ludicrous nature of mass hysteria that exists when society has gone awry.
In Enemy of the People, we see that science and technology are at the mercy of those who hold power, in this case, political power. Dr. Stockmann has discovered, through the use of science, that there is a problem with the economic center of the town-the baths. It is not Dr. Stockmann's use of science that questions the compatibility of science and human values, but his bother, Peter Stockmann's use of technology. Peter is able to control the newspaper, and therefore popular opinion, away from Dr. Stockmann (Act 3). The newspaper is a form of technology that allows news of many events to reach the common person. However, this holds a lot of responsibility with it. Whoever is in charge of what goes in the paper has the ability to shape public opi...
Reputation in this play is what drives people to act in certain ways. Miller uses this theme in such a way that is seems to control certain characters like Danforth, Parris and Abigail thus portraying them in a negative and insincere light. They go to lengths to never have no contradict themselves or appear to be mendacious and deceitful whereas other characters such as John Proctor, Sarah Good and Giles, are driven by the will to protect their integrity. The protection of either integrity or reputation is what differ...
The same idea applies in the play as well. Power and authority are always changing hands. Let’s look at this from the perspective of the main character, Walter. In the beginning of the play, we see Walter being bossed around by his wife and mother. They are always telling him what to do and how to do it. Walter puts up with it, only because he has a plan. When the $1...
An Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen, is the story of a man named Dr. Thomas Stockman, who becomes a deviant to society. After discovering that the waters in the town’s baths are polluted, Dr. Stockman tries to spread the news and have the baths shut down. He assumes that the townspeople will be happy to hear his news, since the water is what has been making everyone sick. However, many people in the town aren’t very happy to hear such news, and before Dr, Stockman realizes it, the entire town has turned against him. Stockman criticizes the townspeople for this, and even refers to them as “street curs.” What made the town turn against him? Did they honestly all disagree with the doctor’s opinion? Did they fall to group pressure? Or, was it his brother the mayor’s influence?
The Mayor in the play had to ignore the truth because of money. Money played a big role in which motivated the Mayor to ignore the situation of the Baths and also ending up in a conflict with Doctor Stockmann. Since the town gained it major income from the Baths, the Mayor didn’t want to expose the public of the truth. When he says, “Oh, the public has no need for new ideas. The public gets on best with the good old recognized ideas it already has” (Ibsen, 94), he’s being very greedy and saying that it’s better to hide the truth because the people will get mad and try to fix the problem. However, fixing the problem costs a lot of money and the Mayor’s extremely concerned with money and reputation. He didn’t want to put time and money in fixing the pipe in the Baths so he just chose to hide the truth and threaten the public with the increase of tax. Therefore, since the Mayor’s position is a leading, responsible one, he buries the truth in order to protect the success of the Baths.
...to make opinions and observations about them. It also makes us as readers and viewers think about true love and what it means. I found this play to be incredibly interesting, insightful, and an overall wonderful text to read and analyze.
story and lasting throughout the play with the constant themes of deception and doing evil in the