An Enemy of the People Society and Class Quotes

Here the Mayor points out how the Baths unite the town. Having a common interest brings all the levels of society together. Ibsen is cleverly setting up in a seemingly conversational way just what will be put in danger later on when Doctor Stockmann discovers that the Baths are contaminated.

This is the first example we see of class divisions in the play. The Mayor is basically saying Hovstad is a redneck. (You can take the boy off the farm, but…) It's interesting that this comment comes just on the heels of the Mayor talking about how well all the different segments of society are getting along.

This is the basic principle that the entire play attacks. The Mayor thinks that individual citizens should submit themselves to common public opinion. He's basically a big fan of the status quo. Dr. Stockmann ends up believing that this sort of attitude is corrupting the whole of society and leading the nation into horrible stagnant mediocrity.

Hovstad styles himself as the hero of the working class. He wants to use the Doctor's discovery to instigate class warfare in the town. Early on it seems that his motivations are sincere, though later in the play it's revealed that when it comes down to it, he's more concerned with himself than with the "humble and oppressed."

Billing constantly echoes Hovstad's beliefs. He seems to share Hovstad's animosity towards the upper class. Just like his buddy Hovstad, however, he turns out to be a hypocrite. The Mayor manages to win him over without much effort.

Throughout the play Ibsen uses the ship as a metaphor for society. It makes sense, right? On a boat you've got a captain, crew, and passengers. A ship is like a society in miniature, a microcosm, you could say. This quote isn't the only example. Keep your eyes open as you read the script.

In Act 4, the Doctor delivers his giant speech blatantly attacking the leaders of the town. Though he's been warned time and again to chill out, he uses his strongest language to mercilessly assault them. He viciously attacks his brother and the other upper-class conservatives who run the town.

Not only does Dr. Stockmann attack the conservatives of society, but he also goes after the liberals. In fact, he spends most of his time in his big Act 4 speech sticking it to the liberal majority. This is a big change from earlier in the play where he championed them.

What do you think about this statement? The Doctor is basically saying that the majority of people in society are fools, therefore they have no right to govern themselves. He proposes that the few well-educated, forward-thinking intellectuals are the smartest and therefore have the right to lead. This statement attacks the very foundation of democracy, which is based on the idea of majority rule. Does he have a good point, or is he a dictator in the making?

In the end, the Doctor decides that the only solution for his polluted society is to reeducate from the bottom up. He decides to take the poor kids in the town, the ones on the fringes of society, and educate them. It's interesting how Dr. Stockmann can call these children names like "curs," yet still think that some of them have potential. He seems to look down on the lower classes, while at the same time, having respect for them.