An Enemy of the People.
An Enemy of the People Truth is something that should be sought for by all; or at least that is what one would think. In actuality, sometimes in politics and in public matters the truth is kept a secret, or is evaded whenever it becomes inconvenient. In Henrik Ibsen’s play this is exactly the case. When Dr. Stockman tries to deliver the truth to the public he faces many troubles that raise questions as to what a man’s duty is to his community, family and self. The truth found by Dr. Stockman in the play, that the baths were polluted, is something he believed the community needed to know. He was simply trying to hold up his part and give the knowledge that the community could be in danger. He was trying to pay his duty to the community. Dr. Stockman was really looking out for the good of the people. He wasn’t looking for fame or recognition. The mayor knew very well that the Doctor was correct in his findings; he knew that the water was polluted and potentially dangerous, but he pretended not to believe it. He didn’t want to look bad and he didn’t want the whole community to go into economic suffering due to the pollution. Instead of giving the truth to the people as a true mayor or any politician should do. He actually hid it and he schemed against the doctor, even though it was his own brother. It should be the main goal of a politician to help and look out for the citizens, but the mayor was more worried about looking out for himself. This is a true problem that has shown through public figures multiple times throughout history. Not only did the mayor go against the truth he manipulated the press and other prominent members of society to not agree with Dr. Stockman either. Instead they went against him and made him look like the bad guy. As our society tends to do, most of the townspeople believed the press and the politicians and joined the majority in branding Dr. Stockman an “enemy of the people.” Once a person is said to be against the community it is