Plotting against a Lie

"An Ememy 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 criticised for being too straightforward and psychologically shallow, a humourous interlude between "Ghosts" and "The Wild Duck". Robert H Haraldsson reviews and rejects these claims and argues that although Dr. Stockmann was not Ibsen's 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.