Plotting Against A Lie: A Reading Of Ibsen's An Enemy Of The People

An Enemy of the People is usually not ranked among Ibsen's best works. Its leading character, Dr Stockmann, is often viewed as a mere mouthpiece for Ibsen, a hopeless idealist or a truth fanatic. The play has also been criticized for being too straightforward and psychologically shallow, a humorous interlude between Ghosts and The Wild Duck. Robert H Haraldsson reviews and rejects these claims and argues that although Dr Stockmann was not Ibsens mouthpiece, he most certainly identified with the doctor's plight, as well as his conception of truth and human nature. In this detailed and convincing study, Haraldsson exemplifies how we must approach Ibsen; not only as a playwright, but also as a philosopher.