An Enemy of the People
by Henrik Ibsen
Buy on AmazonAn Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen that explores the conflict between personal integrity and societal norms. The play centers on Dr. Thomas Stockmann, who discovers a serious contamination issue in his town's new spas, endangering public health. His courageous decision to expose this truth brings severe backlash from local leaders, including his brother Peter Stockmann, who is a powerful political figure in the town.
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"An Enemy of the People is set in a small town which has decided to build baths (spas) to bring prosperity to the community. It turns out that the baths are contaminated with pollution and there is a risk that the tourists who come and use the baths will get ill. The protagonist of the play identifies this problem and also identifies a solution, which would have a negative impact on the publicity for the town and which would cost a lot. As a consequence, the town turns against him – the people cannot deal with this crisis. Ibsen uses this situation to make quite a scathing attack on how people think and how governments think and how public opinion can be swayed. The relationship to disaster diplomacy is that the town is not equipped to deal with this conflict. They miss the opportunity to build a long-term solution, trying to cover up the crisis rather than develop from it. Ibsen’s point is quite perceptive about the way that people deal with crisis and risk and importantly how societal structures deal (and do not deal) with crisis and risk. This relates to my work 120 years later, in that people fail for similar reasons to deal with these disasters waiting to happen."
Disaster Diplomacy · fivebooks.com
"I'd be Thomas Stockmann, the medical doctor in the 1882 Henrik Ibsen play "An Enemy of the People.""
By the Book: Neil deGrasse Tyson · nytimes.com