MORTEN KIIL --IMPERSONAL
Morten kiil is first presented to us when he comes to enquire of Dr. Stockmann’s discovery in act II. Though at point, he doesn’t understand the implication the discovery would have on his tanneries, he does not believe that these ‘animals’ are harmful. He however goes on ahead to encourage Dr. Stockmann to ‘pull their legs’.

He doesn’t seem to have any sympathy for the town’s authorities and world really enjoy seeing the conflict and assuming it as a revenge for having been hounded from the town council.
    When he later comes to stage in Act V, he has fully understood that he’s partly to blame for the impurities affecting the baths. He takes the money he would have given as inheritance to Mrs. Stockmann, Petra and the children and uses it to buy shares in the baths. In doing this, he intends to arm-twist Dr. Stockmann to denounce the research he had done and remove his name from the list of those to be blamed. He says in (Pg 100) “the whole of money is invested in the baths now. And now I just want to see whether you are quite stark, running mad, Thomas! If you still make out that these animals and other nasty things f that sort come from my tannery. It will be exactly as if you were to fray broad strips of skin from Katherine’s  body and Petra’s and the boys’  and  no decent  man would do that unless be  were insane .
An impersonal person is one who can be considered lacking in human warmth and sympathy. We find such is Morten kiil who does not sympathize with Dr. Stockmann or his family but goes ahead to try to arm-twist Dr. Stockmann, and in the long run, deny his family the inheritance he would   have given them,.

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Dr. Stockmann's Character Trait: INDIVIDUALISTIC   
    One of the successful methods of characterization that Ibsen uses in an enemy of the people is through dialogue and characters own word in describing the character traits of others.
    In page 9, we find Peter Stockmann saying to his brother Dr. Stockmann: You have an ingrained tendency to take things into your own hands, at least, and, that is almost equally undoubtedly inadmissible in a well ordered community, the individual ought undoubtedly to subordinate himself or herself to the community-or to be more accurate, to the authorities who have the care of the community’s welfare. This brief outburst on peter stockmann’s part gives us an explicit picture of what dr. Stockmanns is; individualistic. He most commonly behaves with a marked independence, almost in total disregard to the community or the people in

authority.
    Dr.stockmann’s nature of being individualistic is not just confined to his past. He briskly moves on through the play against much protests and strong opposition to declare that the strongest man in the world is the man who stands most alone. It is at this point in time when he has come to terms with the traits that he completely dissociates himself from the well ordered society and this is exactly what individualism is.

Dr. Stockmann's Character Trait: IDEALISTIC.
    Idealism is a visionary outlook in life aimed at achieving the most perfect conditions. An idealistic person therefore is one who holds a perfect conception of the standards that should be met.
    Dr.stockman came up with the idea of the baths and laid down the plans for its construction. Alterations to these plans were made by the authorities and these fell below his standards. During the construction, he vehemently opposed these alterations and even wrote to the council. This is given as flashback in pg.19.
    After his discovery Dr. stockmann describes the baths as the gravest possible danger to public healthy. Asked what is proposition are, he simply puts it. To see the matter put right, naturally. This is a very high standard which be achieved which he stands on regardless of the financial or technical implication. at one point, given a compromise solution he asks his brother –and do you oppose that I will have anything to do with such a piece of trickLater, in Act ll (pg 37) he sees an ideal state where everybody should share new ideas with other citizens. The ideal is however not always achieved.

    We find that peter stockman together with other leading men in the town prevent him from sharing his ideas. To them this could be a sign of ill nature towards the town.
At the time climax of the play Dr. Stockmann is addressing the public in captain Horster’s hall, he talks of an ideal society. In such a society it is the freethinkers that will govern the majority. He is therefore proposing a revolution against the lie that the majority has the monopoly of truth.

Dr. Stockmann's Character Trait: RESOLUTE.
    A resolute person is one who stands firm and steadfast to his or her views and opinions. Such a person does not waver or get saved from his/her stand.
Throughout the play several attempts are made to make Dr. stockman change his stand. For instance peter stockmann, foreseeing the struggle that is imminent between them tries to talk to him. His attempt at logic, compromise and even threats yield no results.
Peter stockman, also resolute as his brother does not give up. he goes ahead to dislodge Dr. stockman of all the support he had from the liberal press and the compact majority. Dr. Stockmann therefore becomes so vulnerable but even then, instead of backing down he says in Act3:
    It will be made public –as long as I am a living soul! if I cant hire a hall I shall hire a drum and march through the town with it and read it at every street-corner. His resolve is formidable and he would not bend even when opposition continues to build up against him.
    His resolute nature and determination leads him to conjure up an ideal to start his own school.

Such a school has been foreshadowed by peter in Act one and would be run on very different lines. It would make liberal and high-minded men who would continue the struggle he had started .these men are according to him drive out all wolves from the country.

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Character Trait:  MANIPULATIVE.
Aslaksen, the man who prints The People’s Messenger also gives them other financial favors. He therefore, by his privileged financial position takes controls, of the paper. In fact some people in the town consider that the people’s messenger is owned by Aslaksen,
When Hovstad and Billing consider getting rid of Aslaksen, who apparently would impede the printing of Dr. Stockmann’s paper, they find out that there isn’t anybody in the town who would offer them the privileges. Aslaksen points out to Hovstad: ‘Mr. Stensgaard was your predecessor at that editorial desk. He used to be sheriff.’ This, even said with a smile is threat enough to warn Hovstad of the consequences of rebelling against him.
Aslaksen, therefore manipulates Hovstad’s reaction to Dr, Stockmann and Peter Stockmann’s views. His manipulative ability is enhanced by his financial position while it is being motivated by some personal interest he is protecting of which he says: “When a man has solid interests of his own to protect, he cannot think of everything.”
Aslaksen does not manipulate the people’s messenger only, we find him skillfully manipulating the crowd that attends Dr. Stockmann’s meeting. Before the lecture started, we find him saying: I suggest we elect a chairman first. This is in the pretence that the lecture may read to divergent opinions.

In the ensuing discussion at the lecture, Aslaksen turns the public against Dr. Stockmann making it almost impossible for him to give the lecture peacefully.
In another dimension, Aslaksen is trusted by the householders association. He therefore uses this trust to pit them against Dr. Stockmann. He is able to make all of them refuse to house Dr. Stockmann or even give any kind of work.

Character Trait: INCONSISTENT
As is the case with Hovstad and Billings, Aslaksen is a very inconsistent character. He is quoted in (pg 28 to have said “Oh, it may be very desirable, all the same. I know our local authorities so well, they are never over anxious to adopt suggestions that come from, other people.  That is why I think it would not be at all a miss if we organize a little demonstration” This he says to Dr. Stockmann. About the same local authorities, he says in (Pg 50) “My heart is still with the people, but I don’t deny that I have a certain bias towards the authorities the local ones, I mean.” Asked if he would support Dr. Stockmann in (pg 64) Aslaksen says “Not me, Doctor”
Up, to that point, we are not surprised that Aslaksen has changed his opinion about the baths. Probably he had not understood it all. But the audience is quite taken aback when he declares in (pg 103). Well, the fact is that, now we know things as they really are, we think we might venture to put the people’s messenger at your disposal. This clearly changes the opinion about Aslaksen. He is just like any animal that must fight for survival and get its food whenever it can.

Aslaksen’s support for either party in the struggle between Dr. Stockmann and Peter Stockmann is not on principle basis.  He does it on purpose, either preserving his interest or finding new grounds for exploitation.  His inconsistency is cleverly covered up in h is cry for moderation. He even wants Dr. Stockmann to be moderate while forcing him out of his compound!.

Character Trait:TIMID / FEARFUL
The dictionary meaning of timid is: easily frightened. Fear in the same vein is defined as distress or alarm caused by impending danger or pain. An Enemy of the People is in one level a conflict between this brothers Peter and Thomas Stockmann, and in another level, a conflict between their different ideologies. Conflicts commonly defined as disagreements, struggles or fights have instilled such distress in the affected people like Aslaksen.
A brief exchange of words between Hovstad and Dr. Stockmann throws some fight in Aslaksen’s character IN (pg 30) we find them saying:
Hovstad: Well, what do you think of that, Doctor? Don’t you think it is high time we stirred a little life into all this slackness and vacillation and cowardice?
Dr. Stockmann : Are you referring to Aslaksen ?
Hovstad: Yes, I am. He is one of those who are floundering in a swamp decent enough fellows he may   be otherwise. And most of the people here are just like that. See sawing and edging first to one side and then to another so overcome with caution and scruple that they never take any proper step forward
 Hovstad’s statement, which is a perfect foreshadow of what happens to himself and Billing also describes Aslaksen as coward. 

Considering that Hovstad may have interacted with Aslaksen in the past, his statements may be considered to carry weight and his analysis of Aslaksen’s behavior as authoritative.
A more direct analysis of Aslaksen timidity is signaled by Billing who say to Aslaksen in (Pg 49) You are you are so infernally timid, Aslaksen!
It   is however not until when we meet Aslaken in act 5 that we see his cowardice. Threatened by Dr. Stockman with an umbrella, Aslaksen calls out for help frightened and sneaks out.
Aslaksen’s timidity is somehow covered by his insistence on moderation. He therefore portrays himself as a highly principled person and this gives him headway to become a leader in the temperance society and the householders’ association.

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CHARACTERIZATION -- PETER STOCKMANN is PESSIMISTIC
Pessimism is commonly defined as the tendency to focus on what is bad rather than good. It is a negative outlook in life that always expects the worst.
Pessimism and the pessimistic mood that underlie, An Enemy of the People is more profoundly seen through the main antagonist, Peter Stockmann, From the outset, Dr. Stockmann’s discovery of the dangerous bacteria in the baths is met with rejection and a feeling that Dr. Stockmann had nothing but ruin for the town. In an attempt to explain his bad mood,  Dr. Stockmann first cites peter  Stockmann’s stomach illnesses and later his lack of comfort  at home. Ibsen’s sense of realism does not take anything to chance, but attempts to offer explanation for every action as realistically as possible.
     Even before Peter Stockmann understands what Dr. Stockmann had found out on the baths, he goes a head to imagine awful things and even threatens his brother.  He says in pg 7
“I must say it all sounds most mysterious is there something going on them I am not supposed to know? I should have imagined that I  as chairman of the governing body of the baths….  It is even more unexpected when Peter thinks of Dr. Stockmann as extravagant for furnishing his house exquisitely and for offering his guests a sumptuous dinner.
 The pessimist that Peter Stockman is leads him to manipulating Dr. Stockmann’s lecture. He does not want the public to hear any divergent opinions, ‘otherwise it would lead to disorder or other bad occurrences in the town!’.

He had influenced other people in the town to reject Dr. Stockmann’s plea to rent a hall to address the public.
 Characterizaion of Peter Stockmann

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When one tries to take stock of Horster in the play An Enemy of the People, it is quite easy to form a low opinion of him. He is one of the characters who are seen least on stage, and even when on stage he speaks very few words. He is presented to us at the start of the play only to disappear until towards the end. This may derail us to think that he is unimportant. That however is inaccurate. A close scrutiny of the role he plays reveals how much value Ibsen has invested in him.
     To start with, Captain Horster enhances Ibsen’s style. He is used first of all symbolically to represent a section of the society that is consistent, resolute and which values truth and personal affections above material possessions. This fact is clearly seen when Horster, unlike many other characters, hold on to Dr.Stockmann even at the risk of losing his job. He therefore signifies that there are people in the society who would rather die for the truth. Another style that he enhances in the play is contrast. He is juxtaposed with such other characters as Hovstad, Billing and Aslaksen.
    Horster can also be credited for enabling effective characterization. This is because much of characterization is brought out through contrast. It is therefore easy to recognize for instance Billings’ inconsistency in the light of Horster’s consistent character. The materialistic character of such others as Hovstad and Peter Stoickmann are also shown clearly in light of Horster’s character.
    In addition, it is in Horster that the resolution of the play is built. Ibsen finds it necessary to include Horster in order to save the situation.

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Highlight the character of the pressmen and show how it has impacted on Dr. Stockmann’s mission.

Introduction:
In an enemy of the people, the men of the press include Hovstad, Billing and Aslaksen who run .  the people’s Messenger.  Dr. Stockman is a medical officer who discovers that the town’s water supply is contaminated hence is on a mission to correct the situation.  However, the pressman prove to be a stumbling block to the doctor due to their negative character.
i)    Hypocritical/Liars;
In the beginning, all three congratulate the doctor on his discovery.  They even toast to his health Pg. 20.  They pledge their support pg 48 and Aslaksen and Billing call Dr. Stokmann a friend of the people.  Aslaksen assures him of the support of the Householders’ association.
They press refuse to publish Dr. Stockmann’s article and instead publishes the mayor’s. The effect is that the doctor loses his arsenal, the people’s Messenger, and the compact majority.  He is denied a venue for the meeting and is branded an enemy of the people.
ii)    Opportunistic/selfish
Hovstad uses Petra to translate the English story for his own selfish interests.  Billing thinks of approaching Dr.  Stockman to finance the paper because he’s bound to come by money from Morten Kiil Pg. 50. Aslaksen and Hovstad return to convince the Dr. to take over The people’s Messenger because they think he now has money from the Bath’s shares.  Give that Hovstad correctly observes that the press is supposed to liberate the masses; this selfish/opportunistic nature hinders the doctor’s mission.  They do not believe in his mission and are ready to jump ship as long as it suits them.

iii)    Cowards/fearful
Aslaksen hides under his principle of moderation when in actual fact he fears the authorities. Hovstad lies to the Mayor that he knows nothing about the bath report and behaves in a fearful manner when he sees the Mayor pg. 55. Dr.Stockmann says Hovstad has never had the courage to admit in public that he is a free thinker.  This trait in the pressman inhibits the doctor’s mission.  They know the truth but chose to kill it due to their fear of the Mayor.  Hovstad refuses to back the doctor yet he’s a freethinker lie Dr. Stockman. The result is that the baths are not fixed due to cowardice.

iv)    Ruthless/callous/unreliable
These three are frequent visitors to the doctor’s house.  When the play opens, Billing is seen having roast beef.  Pg. 1 Hovstad too pg.5 Aslaksen comes to pledge his support for the doctor having heard from billing that the Dr. would bring about a new water supply.  Their true nature however is soon revealed.  The three quickly side with the Mayor without verifying the fact of the time to e take and the costs involved.  Consequently the doctor is barred from addressing the issue of the baths at the meeting.  It is Aslaksen who proposes that the meeting declare Dr. Decree Stockmann an enemy of the people.  Billing’s lies about the doctor pg. 85. Further turn the people away from Dr. Stockmann.  This culminates in the doctor being roughed up and his house. Stoned.

Conclusion
The press has the important function of disseminating information to the public. The press should never be partisan or take sides.  They therefore have a duty/obligation to inform the public about the baths but they fail due to their negative character of hypocrisy, opportunism, cowardice and cruelty. The doctor is denied an opportunity to correct a health issue due to a negative press.

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Highlight the character of the pressmen and show how it has impacted on Dr. Stockmann’s mission.

Introduction:
In an enemy of the people, the men of the press include Hovstad, Billing and Aslaksen who run .  the people’s Messenger.  Dr. Stockman is a medical officer who discovers that the town’s water supply is contaminated hence is on a mission to correct the situation.  However, the pressman prove to be a stumbling block to the doctor due to their negative character.

i)    Hypocritical/Liars;
In the beginning, all three congratulate the doctor on his discovery.  They even toast to his health Pg. 20.  They pledge their support pg 48 and Aslaksen and Billing call Dr. Stokmann a friend of the people.  Aslaksen assures him of the support of the Householders’ association.
They press refuse to publish Dr. Stockmann’s article and instead publishes the mayor’s. The effect is that the doctor loses his arsenal, the people’s Messenger, and the compact majority.  He is denied a venue for the meeting and is branded an enemy of the people
.
ii)    Opportunistic/selfish
Hovstad uses Petra to translate the English story for his own selfish interests.  Billing thinks of approaching Dr.  Stockman to finance the paper because he’s bound to come by money from Morten Kiil Pg. 50. Aslaksen and Hovstad return to convince the Dr. to take over The people’s Messenger because they think he now has money from the Bath’s shares.  Give that Hovstad correctly observes that the press is supposed to liberate the masses; this selfish/opportunistic nature hinders the doctor’s mission.  They do not believe in his mission and are ready to jump ship as long as it suits them.

iii)    Cowards/fearful
Aslaksen hides under his principle of moderation when in actual fact he fears the authorities. Hovstad lies to the Mayor that he knows nothing about the bath report and behaves in a fearful manner when he sees the Mayor pg. 55. Dr.Stockmann says Hovstad has never had the courage to admit in public that he is a free thinker.  This trait in the pressman inhibits the doctor’s mission.  They know the truth but chose to kill it due to their fear of the Mayor.  Hovstad refuses to back the doctor yet he’s a freethinker lie Dr. Stockman. The result is that the baths are not fixed due to cowardice.

iv)    Ruthless/callous/unreliable
These three are frequent visitors to the doctor’s house.  When the play opens, Billing is seen having roast beef.  Pg. 1 Hovstad too pg.5 Aslaksen comes to pledge his support for the doctor having heard from billing that the Dr. would bring about a new water supply.  Their true nature however is soon revealed.  The three quickly side with the Mayor without verifying the fact of the time to e take and the costs involved.  Consequently the doctor is barred from addressing the issue of the baths at the meeting.  It is Aslaksen who proposes that the meeting declare Dr. Decree Stockmann an enemy of the people.  Billing’s lies about the doctor pg. 85. Further turn the people away from Dr. Stockmann.  This culminates in the doctor being roughed up and his house. Stoned.

Conclusion
The press has the important function of disseminating information to the public. The press should never be partisan or take sides.  They therefore have a duty/obligation to inform the public about the baths but they fail due to their negative character of hypocrisy, opportunism, cowardice and cruelty. The doctor is denied an opportunity to correct a health issue due to a negative press.

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