Last week I got hold of this DVD of "An Enemy of the People," a wonderful drama in three acts by Ibsen. I had watched Hedda Gabler - but don't remember liking it much. This one, however, I found marvelous, a classic! Arthur Miller sure did choose a perfect drama to adapt to English. Salute!
Subject? The topic? This is a story of a doctor who finds toxic effects of a local bath (spring is perhaps a better word) that the City is using as tourist attraction, a means to overcome poverty. Thinking of the discovery as a triumph, the doctor takes the route of publishing in a 'liberal' newspaper, effectively going against the high-flying Mayor: his own brother. As he finds out, standing by Truth, and convincing people to take side of the Truth is not easy. The liberals, are no more liberals and are hypocrites actually. The Mayor will not allow this devastating discovery to become a hurdle in economic growth of the town (only a handful powerful people, effectively). The two brothers turn enemies, and over time, entire town declares the doctor an enemy of the people. He stands alone in this battle.
Dr. Stockmann. Yes. (Gathers them round him, and says confidentially:) It is this, let me tell you--that the strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.
You may replace the context of poisoned springs with corruption or even the issue of global warming - it's generic.
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