An Enemy of the People Post 2



Jerry Renault and Dr. Stockmann stand up against the pressure of conformity and stay true to their beliefs.

Having the opportunity to speak freely without the threat of political pressure to conform to the majority is a major point of analysis in An Enemy of the People.  This theme also reminds me of a similar theme in The Chocolate War in which the main character, Jerry Renault, refuses to sell despite the pressure for the school gang that is sanctioned by the school administration.  Dr. Stockmann is similar to Jerry Renault and stands up as an individual fighting for what he believes in rather than conforming to the pressure of politics and money.  I believe that telling both truth and lies have consequences.  In An Enemy of the People, there are so many types of “conflicts of interest.”  For example, the mayor serves as the chairman of the committee that manages the baths; the doctor secures his job as the “Medical Officer for the Town Baths” from his brother, the mayor; the newspaper is financially sustained by subscribers who advertise in the paper whose businesses depend on the baths; and the government is invested in the economic impact of the tourists who not only vacation at the baths but fuel other businesses in the town.  In fear of the implications that might arise from sharing the truth about the possibly poisonous nature of the spa water, the politicians, businessmen, and newspaper fight to suppress the truth in fear of the threat of financial ruin for the town’s economy and each individual’s personal financial loss. 

The politicians, businessmen, and newspaper fight to suppress the truth about the contaminated state of the water.

I admire the spirit and conviction of Dr. Stockmann who prioritizes the truth.  I think that is why I enjoy the study of mathematics. 

I enjoy the subject of mathematics, the answer can never be partially true.

The subject is literally black or white, right or wrong.  There is no compromise of conviction: there is a right answer.  For a person who can put blinders on and focus only on the truth without considering the implications of the truth, there is a personal liberation in which one can follow one’s heart, one’s passion for sharing knowledge.  To speak freely as an individual without the worry of the political pressure of the democratic majority is a right I choose to seek.