An Enemy of the People
...ds the town politicians such as “big bellies”, “old badger”, “damn gang”, or even “smug cabal of old, stubborn, self-satisfied fogies,” prove to be immensely effective in swaying the reader’s perception of certain characters. Ibsen wishes to present this group of people as haughty, snobbish, ill-mannered, and even ruthless. Hovstad comments on pg. 44, “They’re all rich, all with old reputable names, and they’ve got everything in the palm of their hands.” Ibsen is able to present his thinking through his characters with such distinct, callous lines as these which can inevitably persuade the reader. “long-eared, short-tailed jackasses…make them grab at this bait,” Kiil says. Ibsen is continuously attempting to coerce the reader to view these characters as inhumane people. He even uses repetition with the word “blunder.” This small word is able to represent the repercussions of the actions which the authorities take. While Ibsen undermines the reputation of the authorities, he also scorns the townsmen for idolizing them. Some of his, own characters even comment on how pathetic it is for the men to admire those in charge. On page 34, Dr. Stockmann states, “Now you’ll see how human beings can walk around and make judgments like blind rats.” This simile evokes the author’s disgust toward the majority. He even compares society to a ship and states that every man should help navigate, and then further presents a twisted society not like this at all. Other such similes are utilized for the same purpose such as, “A party is like a sausage grinder: it mashes up clear heads, longheads, fatheads, blockheads, and what comes out? Meatheads.” This use of strong language paired with repetition emphasizes his contempt towards the community. Dr. Stockmann states furiously, “You’re trying to build a town on a morality so rotten that it will infect the country and the world.” He even refers to their actions as a “murder of freedom and truth.” By employing these hyperboles, Ibsen enhances his disgust in the town’s fickleness and pathetic condescension. Another prevailing theme is the one of the nobility of a person who bravely fights for the truth. Dr Stockmann represents the truth seeker who refuses to succumb to lies and even in the face of despair; he is willing to stand up for the truth. “So you want me to spit in my own face officially- is that it?” he says. By using a hypothetical question, he illustrates the absurdity of submitting to dishonesty. He presents such disloyalty as “…a trick, a f...