An Enemy of the People
... and statements by Dr. Stockman are said in such a way to insinuate that to Dr. Stockman every breath and moment is cherished throughout all life. Consequently, some critics such as Thomas F. Van Laan believe that the play's "structure is simple and straightforward" causing the play to be shallow with lack of literary depth (Van Laan). However, this repetitive structure is commonly associated with youth and shows the differences between those who are truly individuals acting for the love of the moment and those who are merely manifestations of the general public. In distinguishing between the two through Ibsen's unique syntax, the conflicts represented in the play are given an internal voice that serves to personify and reinforce the theme throughout the play (Goodwin). Throughout the play Ibsen's theme is coupled by the symbolism of genres in society along with their inherent tendencies and interactions. Constantly the "compact majority" or the "individual" and what their role in society represents confront the audience and allow them to see the world in terms of obvious reality. The mayor of the town, Peter Stockman, condemns his brothers public haste towards authority further showing the relationship between those have power and those who must obey it. For Van Laan the straightforwardness of the play causes it to "lack complexity and ambiguity" (Van Laan). However, this literary tactic utilized by Ibsen in and of itself creates the only viewpoint in which the individual versus the compact majority can be seen. The "liberal-minded" free press in the play is even represented in such a way that when the press works against Dr. Stockman and his efforts the notion of them being liberal is dismissed as a result of the symbolism and they're branded as a part of this infamous "compact majority". This allows the reader to see how the goals of the community are subconsciously circumvented as a result of society's unwillingness to be autonomous (Archer). As a result, Ibsen's symbolism shows that society's woes are self-perpetuating and how the majority is the complacent body of people incapable of reform while the minority is genuinely unique and thus the holder of the truths within society (Shaw). A playwright that is to show the distinctions between individuals and society requires perfect timing between the climax and the details that aid in developing the plot. In An Enemy of the People ...