This week's lessons can be found on these blog posts:
For B Block - ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30
For C Block - ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30
Today's Lesson: Book Club for An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen , Act 2. In the video above, Mr. P. provides analysis of Act1 along with "Poem of the Day" and updates. Feel free to comment on the second act in this space. Speak freely with me and each other. Invite friends and family to join! Below, you will find the full text, audiobook, and a performance. Let me know how I can help.
Audiobook
Performance Adapted and Directed by Adria C. Le Boeuf for The Catalyst Theatre Company
Hi Mr. P! Thank you so much for this breakdown of Act I! I know that right now I am the only one who has posted but hopefully that will change soon! Anyways, I really appreciate you taking the time to discuss this with us! It is so crazy to me that what is going on in the play is currently going on in our lives. It kinda just shows how weird and almost fantastical this whole thing is. We are currently so far away from the norm that it almost doesn't feel real, it feels as if we're in the twilight zone and everything is just a daze. Typically when things happen in books they see, extreme or unrealistic so the fact that we are quite literally living through this play is just absurd!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! The word from above is that we will be resuming our learning this week, so let's hope everyone comes back. I am going to continue with "An Enemy of the People." People can catch-up, as we just started. You are right about it being a strange time. It is also weird, how timely this play fits our current national dialogue.
DeleteDespite having only read the first two acts, "An Enemy of the People" is by far my favorite out of the three plays in Ibsen's triad because it is so clearly written through his voice. He is not worried about what others will say and instead of trying to sugar coat his stories, Ibsen is speaking point blank to his audience and to the world around him. Each time Doctor Stockmann speaks I am able to clearly see Ibsen and imagine him saying those exact words. The most powerful of Doctor Stockmann's lines so far in my opinion is "Very well; but in that case I shall use my pen against you. I stick to what I have said; I will show that I am right and that you are wrong". When I first heard this line I immediately thought of Ibsen and how he uses pen and paper as his weapon. He does not fight people physically but rather with the words and stories that he creates. In a sense, Ibsen does not create stories but rather retells certain events except with different names and slightly different actions of the people. Another thing that was interesting about this act was Doctor Stockmann's interactions with the other characters. He is incredibly open with everyone and does not try to hide what is going on regarding the water of the Baths. As a result Hovstad describes the baths as well as the town as "hav[ing], little by little, got[ten] into the hands of a pack of officials" and "...it is the wealthy folk, the old families in the town, that have got [the town] entirely in their hands". This reminded me of today's society because politics and power are generally controlled by the rich. Even though we live in a country with a democracy, not all people are equally represented because in order to be elected to office and gain any power you must have money. In theory, any one can get elected but in reality only those with money will succeed. Both in today's society as well as the society in this play demonstrate the corruption of politics and how people are constantly doing whatever they can to stay in power instead of doing what is right for the people they 'represent'. The relationship between Hovstad and Doctor Stockmann is also interesting because Hovstad is continously complaining about the rich and how they are in power, believing that "the idol of Authority must be shattered" to Doctor Stockmann despite Stockmann being one of the rich people in the town with power. Not to mention that the person Hovstad seems to have the greatest problem with is the mayor, Stockmann's very own brother. This encounter seems to make sense though because Thomas and Peter Stockmann have an incredibly complicated relationship in which they refer to each other as brothers when in reality they are both incredibly jealous of the other and care solely for themselves.
ReplyDeleteAn Enemy of the People not only includes Ibsen’s voice, but also the public’s reaction towards Ibsen. For example, the mayor might represent the leaders among the majority who have the center ground in the society and are accustomed to the traditions passed down through centuries. This is made exceedingly clear when the mayor states that “[Dr. Stockmann] has no right to express ... an opinion which might ... conflict with [his] superiors.” The mayor rejects new ideas and refuses to make any changes that might harm his authority or his power in the current bureaucracy. He believes in the “good, old, familiar ideas [the public] used to” instead of the bashful scientific truth. The public’s opinion and favor matter more to him than anything else.
ReplyDeleteDue to Act II’s revelation of each person’s motives, instead of mellow, vague, and courteous conversation, I like ACT 1 much more. Hovstad, instead of believing in Dr. Stockmann and working for a good cause, is ready to jump at any topic as long as he thinks it will be popular and will increase circulation. Aslaksen seeks peace and caution, as he always seeks to blend into the majority, doing everything with consideration to not offend anyone. Like a mindless creature, he blindly follows the majority to save himself from troubles. Although the Burgomaster can be seen as a practical man who believes in the power of authority, he is also working for himself. If the news of the deadly toxins in the baths spreads to the public, the Burgomaster himself will be harmed since his authority has made a mistake. As her concern is with the personal welfare of her immediate family, the matriarch, Mrs. Stockmann, can be perceived as selfish. Her mind is not on the public good or the benefit of the community. Even Dr. Stockmann, who seems the most righteous person in the play, has a potential motive to avenge his adoptive father. His father is forced to quit the council. Making the Burgomaster and the entire town council admit to a tremendous mistake is like a perfect revenge to disgrace them. Almost everyone in the play has some ulterior motive and they are all exposed in Act II.
Nicole and Alice. Thank you for the amazing responses. You are both becoming scholars of Ibsen (whether you like it or not - wink). You both make good points about the parallels between the political and personal aspects of the play. This fits into real life, doesn't it. Every political figure has a story, and that story informs the decisions they make in their professional lives. So often, a person's greatness can be connected to hardships or in the case of Ibsen's characters - their flaws, too. I will post some more insights on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteToday, I will be posting an update on our classwork. We will be resuming classes on the blog. Hopefully, everyone will come back. Get the word out.
For whatever reason, Aslaksen seems like he cannot be trusted. It is doubtful that he really believes in the cause, even if he does cast his lot with Dr. Stockmann. Since Aslaksen represents the House Holder’s Association, property prices would collapse if it came out that the bathes were poisonous. However, Aslaksen does warn Dr. Stockmann to “‘proceed with moderation, or you will do nothing with them’” (Ibsen). For the doctor, such a strategy would prove difficult, for these is obvious issues, which cannot be taken lightly. Just like Ibsen, the house is on fire yet nobody cares. Moderation has it’s uses, but in times of great trouble is has to be eschewed in favor of radical change, for restraint would change few opinions, as it omits necessary details of the broader picture. Aslaksen’s shady persona is also mentioned by Hovstad, who found that the printer “‘is is one of those who are floundering in a bog—decent enough fellow though he may be, otherwise. And most of the people here are in just the same case—see-sawing and edging first to one side and then to the other, so overcome with caution and scruple that they never dare to take any decided step’” (Ibsen). Political figures and those high up in society rely on maintaining order though astronomically sluggish change, even making grand promises that are never met. Aslaksen would fill this role, even with his profession, for he is still liable to be fired by an angry government. Giving Dr. Stockmann false hope, going behind his back or even letting his story quietly cool down would be beneficial to those in power.
ReplyDeleteIn Act II, there is a certain emphasis on the role of journalism and printer. Since Dr. Stockmann represents neither of these professions, his findings have to be distributed through the mouth pieces of others. Consequently, he is depended upon journalists and printers to tell all. Hovstad is one of the ‘good’ editors, for he believes that “‘a journalist incurs a heavy responsibility if he neglects a favourable opportunity of emancipating the masses—the humble and oppressed. I know well enough that in exalted circles I shall be called an agitator, and all that sort of thing; but they may call what they like’” (Ibsen). Again, part of Ibsen’s character is represented though Hovstad. Both call for the liberation of the oppressed, and the duty that those in the entertainment or news industry have to get the facts to all. Certainly, those at the peak of society sought to undermine these two individuals, to assign to them a negative connotation. Despite this punishment or reaction, the journalist or author must step forward to do what is right.
Many key events unfold during this crucial Actin the play, Act II. Dr Stockmann is visited by Aslaksen who tries to convince him not to give away whatever information he has on the baths. He says to the doctor, “this matter of the water supply is of the greatest importance to us small tradesmen. The Baths promise to be a regular gold-mine for the town. We shall all make our living out of them, especially those of us who are householders. That is why we will back up the project as strongly as possible. And as I am at present Chairman of the Householders' Association.” I discerned that Aslaken must have been bought off by Peter Stockmann or the Muncipal office to try to sway Dr. Stockmann. I came to this conclusion after reading what Hovstad has to say about him:
ReplyDelete“He is one of those who are floundering in a bog—decent enough fellow though he may be, otherwise. And most of the people here are in just the same case—see-sawing and edging first to one side and then to the other, so overcome with caution and scruple that they never dare to take any decided step.”
The doctor and Hovstad have a discussion on exposing the baths through the “People’s Messenger.” Hovstad seems to want the truth to come out:
“Hovstad. That shall be recognised ungrudgingly, But a journalist of my democratic tendencies cannot let such an opportunity as this slip. The bubble of official infallibility must be pricked. This superstition must be destroyed, like any other.
Dr. Stockmann. I am whole-heartedly with you in that, Mr. Hovstad; if it is a superstition, away with it!”
But there is are doubts about his true intentions that linger in the back of my mind. He has the letter, the evidence that he got from Dr. Stockmann and if he is bought off like Aslaksen was, then there might be no hope for the doctor.
Later, Peter and Doctor Stockmann have a dramatic argument about the baths and whether the doctor should expose the damning information he has learnt. Peter wants his brother to make a public statement in support of the baths and pretends that it is for the better of society.
“If I perhaps guard my reputation somewhat anxiously, it is in the interests of the town. Without moral authority I am powerless to direct public affairs as seems, to my judgment, to be best for the common good. And on that account—and for various other reasons too—it appears to me to be a matter of importance that your report should not be delivered to the Committee. In the interests of the public, you must withhold it. Then, later on, I will raise the question and we will do our best, privately; but nothing of this unfortunate affair not a single word of it—must come to the ears of the public.”
Ibsen’s characteristics and ideas stand out through Dr. Stockmann, with his brother as his antithesis who representative of society. Mr. Stockmann says, “Oh, the public doesn't require any new ideas. The public is best served by the good, old established ideas it already has.” Ibsen’s play, “Ghosts” was immediately brought to mind where old ideologies are the ghosts that whisk around that Dr. Stockmann wants to get rid of, just like Ibsen but the conversation that the doctor has with his wife worries me the most.
“Dr. Stockmann. Peter? No, but I have had a long talk with Hovstad. He is quite excited about my discovery, I find it has a much wider bearing than I at first imagined. And he has put his paper at my disposal if necessity should arise.
Mrs. Stockmann. Do you think it will?
Dr. Stockmann. Not for a moment. But at all events it makes me feel proud to know that I have the liberal-minded independent press on my side. Yes, and just imagine—I have had a visit from the Chairman of the Householders' Association!”
Additionally, his family is shown to be insupportable of the truth and his moral ideals despite societal pressures throughout his argument with his brother. He is so self-assured that justice will be served but his naïveté leads me to believe that Ibsen is employing dramatic irony and that Dr. Stockmann’s efforts will be futile.
The following quote is one that stood out to me immediately as Ibsen’s voice speaking to authority:
ReplyDeleteDr. Stockmann. Well, but is it not the duty of a citizen to let the public share in any new ideas he may have?
Peter Stockmann. Oh, the public doesn't require any new ideas. The public is best served by the good, old established ideas it already has.
Dr. Stockmann, symbolizing Ibsen, feels convicted to introduce new ideas to the public, while Peter does not want new ideas to interfere with tradition, or in other words, ghosts. So clearly, Peter is not a freethinker like he claimed he was in Act I. When Ibsen wrote about Nora abandoning her family, authorities were outraged and forced him to change the ending because they did not want these new ideas getting into people’s heads. They did not see anything wrong with their current society, which is also why they did not appreciate the next generation of idealists. When Peter sees the test results of the water, he chooses not to believe that the water is as bad as Dr. Stockmann is making it sound. His primary concern is the economy, so obviously he doesn’t want people to find out about the impurities in the water because then no one will not want to go to the bathhouses. So, he tells Dr. Stockmann to lie to the public about the condition of the water, just like how Ibsen was told to lie about his true thoughts on “A Doll House.” To get Dr. Stockmann to do what he wants, Peter lists off everything he has done for his brother including getting him his job as a medical officer at the baths. Dr. Stockmann says he will never bow down to the mayor because he has the press and Aslaksen on his side. However, Aslaksen seems very shady. It was strange that he was so supportive of Dr. Stockmann, and then after he left, Hovstad calls him a coward without a real explanation. I think that the doctor is so focused on getting supporters that he is not really thinking about Aslaksen’s motives or suspicious behavior.
After reading Act II it has become much clearer for me to understand Stockmann’s role as the voice of the people in similarity with Ibsen’s role as a writer. Stockmann feels it is necessary to inform the public, which is comprised of so many people, a lot of them uneducated, about “new ideas”. This vague term it seems he uses quite frequently in conversations between characters because it stands for so much. When Stockmann says he feels it is his right and his duty to inform the public of new ideas he is basically saying that the public should be just as informed as the top 1%, which includes Peter and the media. Peter disagrees, because by providing the public with knowledge of new ideas Stockmann is going to make revolutionaries out of them. This is all very reminiscent of “1984” and the hierarchy seen in that novel. The top 1% recognized the power of the proletariat who, if made to realize how poor their lives were, would have easily revolted against and defeated their tyrannical government due to their sheer numbers and out of pure anger. Peter, being a part of the upper class, assumes that he and his colleagues may be targeted if the public receives news of a threat that was dealt with insufficiently. He believes it is best to keep everything the way it is so that the lower class may live in a perpetual state of obliviousness and the upper class can thrive off of their poverty and ignorance. By spreading ideas you are also spreading change, because ideas come from a change in mindset. With so many people suddenly hearing about new ideas, there would automatically be revolution. That is what the upper class assumes, and that is why they are scared of the public.
ReplyDeleteWhat interests me most about Dr Stockmann is his attempt to avoid conflict at all cost. He refuses to rebel against the town leadership, but he also seeks change. It is clear that he is only attempting to do good, and yet he is being punished for it. The revolutionaries do not like him because he will not aid them, and the mayor is against him because he poses to create public panic. This of course infuriates Dr Stockmann because he wants to part in a conflict that he is being dragged into. He is merely reporting the facts, and yet he is somehow caught between two sides of a battle. This is probably how Ibsen saw himself. He was only a messenger to society that points out the flaws of society, and he was cast out for it. Dr Stockmann has no covert political agenda; he simply wants the best for the people. This creates a problem for Dr Stockmann, because the people of the town are not acting on logic. They are acting on emotion, and there is no middle ground in emotion. If this is a metaphor for the public response to A Dollhouse and Ghosts. Ibsen is telling the public that they are thinking emotionally, not logically as he himself is.
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