Democracy and Mobocracy in Henry Ibsen's 'An Enemy of the People'

‘An Enemy of the People’ is a brilliant play written by Henrik Ibsen in 1882. This play was written in an era where the literature mainly threw light upon the hypocrisy and double standards of society. It humored and mocked various aspects of society from gender discrimination to materialism and including superficiality. 

This play mocks the idea of democracy, showcasing that democracy is often guilty of idealism. It shows how people are usually blind to the actual truth and are more often than not are carried away by the lies that lie around them. This could be the influence of the people in power, the press, or just plain blind belief. The aspect of the citizens being brainwashed to not believe the truth is dangerous for the society and the people themselves. 

This is very cleverly showcased by Henrik Ibsen in this play. The play is set in a small Norwegian town where the public baths that were being set up were supposed to be ‘the pulse of the town’. However, the protagonist, Dr. Thomas Stockmann made a discovery that these ‘mighty, magnificent, belauded Baths’ were nothing but a ‘pestiferous hole’. He discovered that the whole place is noxious to the highest degree and the Baths are highly contaminated, this being ‘absolutely pernicious to health, whether used internally or externally.’ 

However soon after putting the results of his discovery out to the press, the people in authority see nothing but a loss in making this public. The Burgomaster, although being Dr. Stockmann’s brother, takes the selfish path to continue the making of the Baths, as every person in power does. 

Burgomaster is one of the characters that Henrik Ibsen uses to draw a picture of the corrupt people in power. Burgomaster is a character that is extremely selfish of this power and authority and would go to any extent to treasure this. He uses his high status and right to exercise his power for nothing but his own benefit. This character perfectly mocks every corrupt person in power who wouldn’t hesitate to turn their back at any person to keep their money and have a high status in society. 

The Burgomaster uses his power conveniently to alter the news such that Dr. Stockmann is seen as the enemy. He is showcased to be against the growth of the town. The politics, the media, and the people in power successfully manage to make the people of the town believe that Dr. Stockmann is true ‘An Enemy of the People.’

The reader/audience can clearly see how although the town is supposed to be a democracy, it is usually run and influenced by the people in power (politicians) and the educated class (the media). 

Democracy is simply defined as ‘the rule of the people by the people for the people.’ However, Ibsen presents to us an image that makes us question who the people we vote for elect actually work for? Do they work for the people as one in a democracy should or do they work for keeping their position and status safe?

Ibsen exposes that democracy can too easily sink too when one’s self-interest and motive come into the picture. He uses this play as a tool to mock every aspect of the idea of democracy with is, in reality, the true case of democracy in many parts of the world. 

‘A rule that is by the people’ is scorn upon when the Burgomaster (person in power) and Billing and Aslaksen (the elite, educated class) have mastered the skill to fool the innocent public to believe the lie that is around them. Are the people actually ruled by the people who consider themselves one among the crowd?

‘A rule that is for the people’ is also quizzical as the people in power care about none but themselves and them alone. 

The play ties ones’ political and personal motives and shows the flaws in the idealist democratic mentality.

Ibsen also goes ahead to question the majority rule on which modern democracy is based on. 

As Petra through the course of the play realizes, the newspaper and media are not as good and just as it is supposed to be, one needs to objectively eye the flaws of a democratic system. It can turn out to be for the best in an idealist, and completely selfless world. However, unfortunately, one’s personal agenda, greed, and other factors play a role in destroying the ideal image of democracy thus causing more harm than good. 

Dr. Stockmann is the perfect personification of democracy. He is extremely idealistic and in reality, naïve and a little foolish. His idealism made him be ‘An Enemy of the People’. Ibsen through this play shows his disbelief in majoritarian politics and in the idea that democracy is the most effective and just rule, at least not without projections against the unfair, cruel control of the majority. Thus, making democracy a mobocracy instigating mob violence and senselessness.