• Home Page
  • Primacy In Dr. Stockman's An Enemy Of The People

Primacy In Dr. Stockman's An Enemy Of The People

Improved Essays
Show More
In the play, An enemy of the people, you can easily see the tension that can arise between the primacy of the individual and the primacy of the group. In the play the main character, Dr. Stockmann, bounces between the role of leader a follower as he tries to convince the townspeople that the water used in the spa is contaminated and that the water system needs to be redirected, so it takes in clean water. However, he is meet with stiff resistance from the town's mayor, Peter Stockmann, and is further challenged by influential townspeople pulling out their support. The situation is further burdened by the doctor and the mayor having a complicated personal relationship and the personal agendas of some of the townspeople.
One of the first scenes that depict the conflict between the group and the individual is when Dr. Stockmann first goes to the mayor to inform him of the tainted water supply. The mayor orders the doctor not to report the news to the townspeople so it can be taken care of quietly, but the doctor refuses, and the mayor accuses the doctor of being a traitor. In this scene the both characters are looking to protect the town, the mayor is looking not to alarm the townspeople and eventually fix the problem, but the doctor wants the people to know, and the problem …show more content…
While both may not be the most effective leaders, the mayor has many followers while the doctor is fighting pretty much on his own. Even though the doctor was right about the water being contaminated, he chose to fight the town, instead of working with it. Even if an individual is right, they will never be able it influence a group's actions unless they can collaborate with the group (We) or amass a great enough following within the group and force a change, neither of which Dr. Stockman was able to

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Comparing The Stage Manager In Middletown And Thornton Wilder's Our Town
    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Comparing The Stage Manager In Middletown And Thornton Wilder's Our Town

    Throughout both Will Eno’s, Middletown, and Thornton Wilder’s, Our Town, many parallels are formed due to Harold Bloom’s idea of strongly misreading text. Bloom argues that authors distort and alter prewritten texts to make a creative space for their own. Eno strongly misreads the Stage Manager in order to develop interesting yet intriguing characters of his own. First, Eno strongly misreads the Stage Manager’s desire to cover up the faults in Grover’s Corners in order to create the Cop in Middletown. Next Eno uses the Stage Manager’s willingness to reminisce about the past to create the Mechanic.…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Under The Weak Mayor-Council System
    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Under The Weak Mayor-Council System

    Under the weak mayor system, voters elect council members and a mayor with limitations on his or her powers. The mayor presides over council meetings, but council members oversee various municipal departments such as public safety, planning, finance and parks. In some cities, the mayor has sought more power by asking voters to allow him or her to do more than be the presiding council member. This could lead the way to a strong mayor-council system, but actually strong mayor was seen as a panacea for municipal corruption at the end of the 1890s. This means the voters elected council members with certain powers a strong mayor is elected who can prepare budgets, veto council votes and have a great deal of influence over various municipal departments.…

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Hamlet Ambiguity Analysis
    • 88 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Hamlet Ambiguity Analysis

    Hamlet, the first in Shakespeare's arrangement of awesome tragedies, was at first delegated an issue play when the term got to be trendy in the nineteenth century. Like Shakespeare's other issue plays - Hamlet concentrates on the inconveniences emerging from adoration, passing, and treachery, without offering the crowd a definitive and positive determination to these entanglements. This is expected to some degree to the straightforward reality that for Hamlet, there can be no complete solutions forever's most overwhelming inquiries. In fact, Hamlet's world is one of perpetual…

    • 88 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Ideal City In The Republic Socrates, Glaucon, And Adeimantus
    • 1464 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Ideal City In The Republic Socrates, Glaucon, And Adeimantus

    When a ruler rules for power or wealth, he does not look at the city as a whole and will not act for common interest, effectively disregarding the unity of the…

    • 1464 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    How Does Shakespeare Use Of Power In King Henry Iv Part 1
    • 1359 Words
    • 6 Pages

    How Does Shakespeare Use Of Power In King Henry Iv Part 1

    Powerful individuals represent themselves in manipulative ways, to create political situations that benefit them. King Henry IV Part 1, a history play by Shakespeare typifies this idea. Context has had an influential role in how shakespeare uses dramatic techniques to shape the characterisation of King Henry, Hal and Hotspur. The desired political situations manufactured by individuals in Henry IV Part 1 all stem from power, personal greed and pride. Those who seek power and obtain it through unjust means often develop paranoia, which leads them to manipulate political situations in order to maintain that power.…

    • 1359 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Loss Of Honour In Macbeth
    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On Loss Of Honour In Macbeth

    Struggle to restore honour and certainty Greed, ambition, paranoia. All these are factors that can lead to a person's defeat. Often times people of great honour will choose others over themselves but in time of weakness and greed individuals might decide that their needs are superior over others later causing struggle to restore that honour. In the play “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare develops the idea that when influenced by questionable people ambition and peer pressure can influence a person to make irrational decisions that result in paranoia, leading to loss of honour and certainty.…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Pact Sparknotes
    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Pact Sparknotes

    In the novel it displays the communities the three doctors had to live in during their upbringing. They talk about the harsh conditions they all lived under where it was hard to get out of that community, how they were always involved with gangs, thugs, and how all that negativity would then transfer to their schools. As George stated in the story, “ I don't remember the dentist’s name, but I never forgot what he did for me. He gave me a dream. And there was no greater gift for a smart kid growing up in a place where dreams were snatched away all the time.”…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Examples Of Fear In The Crucible
    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Fear In The Crucible

    Between the months of February 1692 and and May 1693 in Massachusetts there was a up bringing of rumors of witchcraft in the small town of Salem. In “ The Crucible “ by Arthur Miller revenge is shown through characters, fear is shown through plot , and hysteria is shown through theme. Fear is shown through plot by the lie that has gone too far and is ruining people's lives on telling the truth. In one instance John Proctor is taking Mary Warren to court to confess she lied about everything and so the girls. “ I cannot lie no more.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Theme Of Authority In John Steinbeck's The Moon Is Down
    • 1603 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Theme Of Authority In John Steinbeck's The Moon Is Down

    Imagine a town in which the people are free and given the rights to work without being forced to, bear arms to protect themselves, and eat the food they choose to every day. Then all of a sudden, those rights are taken from them. Their town is invaded by soldiers who disarm all of the people and round up the guns. The soldiers know who have weapons because a local storekeeper, a man once everyone in the town’s friend, provided them a list. They tell the mayor that they are now in control, and they expect the people to do what they are ordered to.…

    • 1603 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Leadership Is The Most Important Theme In The Tragedy Of Macbeth
    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Leadership Is The Most Important Theme In The Tragedy Of Macbeth

    Leadership is the most important theme in The Tragedy of Macbeth. Leadership Is the most important theme in The Tragedy of Macbeth, because it is a key to the development of the play. Instead of doing his duty or honoring the king Macbeth Kills duncan, so he can have the crown. Macbeth did not want to kill the king and the only reason he killed the king was ambition and desire for power. Macbeth seemed to be living a great life, he was a great warrior and was even named the thane of Cawdor and thane of Fife If Macbeth would have just accepted being thane instead of killing the killing the king he would have most likely lived a longer and better life.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Leadership And Authority In Lord Of The Flies
    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Leadership And Authority In Lord Of The Flies

    A lack of leadership and authority will cause a competition for power. These competitions consist of individuals trying to obtain the power that allows them to influence and direct the actions of others. Those who are seeking power must choose how they will obtain the leadership role and the control that comes with the position. Lord of the Flies explores the struggle for power between characters that use different approaches to gain control. Power was achieved in Lord of the Flies through respect, through persuasion, and through violence.…

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Human Evil In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson
    • 1021 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Human Evil In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson

    “The Lottery” Analysis Following traditions that have been in effect for even the longest times are not always the right thing to do as society evolves, and can even be quite dangerous especially due to the inherent evil of human nature. This way of thinking is very clear in the short story, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Humans are extremely capable of committing violent acts when they are accepted by society and practiced by tradition. Being this story was written in the post-World War II era, this event was still fresh in Shirley Jacksons mind in the composition of this story.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Moral Corruption Of Family In William Shakespeare's Hamlet
    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Moral Corruption Of Family In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the moral corruption that occurs between family members causes animosity that results in their downfall, and eventually their ultimate demise. More specifically, the tainted view of an individual in a family may result in the downfall of the other family members involved. Evidence of tainted view of a family member causing undue harm can be found in the relationship between Hamlet and Claudius, Hamlet and Gertrude, and Hamlet and Old King Hamlet. The relationship between Hamlet and Claudius is problematic, largely due to the fact that they both wish death upon the other.…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Container By Clare Bayley Analysis
    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Container By Clare Bayley Analysis

    You can feel the anger of the main gentlemen in charge yet he is exactly like them. He screams “Shut up” several times to the loud mother and daughter who are tired, afraid and hungry. He yells at the “rich” stingy old man and doesn’t trust the woman who is sick because she is with…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Importance Of The Truth In Shakespeare's Hamlet
    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Importance Of The Truth In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    To create a persona or to stay sane, what a difficult decision! In Hamlet, there are many themes that go back to telling the truth. The two main ones being hiding and twisting the truth as well as creating a persona to avoid suspicions. During the play, many characters take on the challenge and try to save their face and hide from the truth. By changing the roles that they play, the audience becomes anxious to find out what will happen next.…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings