Dr. Stockmann is a man of character, which is portrayed right from the beginning of the play. He welcomes the company of his fellow townspeople by offering food and drinks to anyone who enters the Stockmann house. He is very active in town and constantly publishes articles and pamphlets concerning various ideas he has, to improve the health or lives of his fellow citizens. He states, “it’s a necessity of life to spend time with high-spirited bold young people [in reference to the townspeople], with adventurous minds and a wealth of energy . . .”(290). This quote shows that he believes that his town and the citizens of the town are ultimately good in that they have “adventurous minds” to make their own decisions and are educated. The main reason he takes such a strong position on the issue of the baths is for the concern of the health of the public as well as his family. It is not until of the play that the issue of the bathes becomes insignificant to the whole idea that society has been corrupted by the leaders and how they tell the citizens what to believe.
Dr. Stockmann tries to educate the people by asking the press if they would publish his article and strongly believes that the people of the town will be on his side. However, when he declares that the town’s baths are actually cesspools he does not get the reaction he had hoped for. Naiveté is one of the things hindering Stockmann. When he has the aid of the independent newspaper of the town on his side it is understandable that Stockmann believes he has the power to overcome authority. However, when the paper refuses to let him print his article and the Mayor, his brother, refuses him the right to hold a citizen’s meeting in town hall, Stockmann still believes that he has the majority on his side. He believes that society will see what is true and for there own health they will listen to him and accept the changes that will have to be made for economic gain in the long run. He refuses to let people suffer from the power of authority that can override what he has to say about the truth of the bath waters. He begins to challenge society to take a stand against authority and be educated as he states, “ . . . our local leaders . . . they’re like a pack of goats in a stand of new trees –they strip off everything. They get in a free man’s way wherever he turns . . .” (354). He explains to the townspeople that the local leaders are the ones that are causing them to be against him and be blinded of what he needs to tell them for the sake of their health.
Dr. Stockmann continues his fight until the very end, refusing to leave town despite the fact that he lost his job and his home. He pulls his family together and holds on to his beliefs claiming that he will not let the truth be killed by a “conspiracy of silence”. Once he sees that the masses are too ignorant to see his position and where he stands, Dr. Stockmann describes “ . . . this is an inherited lie that culture demoralizes. No, it’s ignorance and poverty and ugliness in life that do the devil’s work!” (361). He has tried to educate the people and pull them away from this false life of the politicians and press telling them how to think. However, Dr. Stockmann being idealistic and knowledgeable does not give up. He believes strongly that there are people that are freethinkers and change this view that people in power are the ones that can manipulate how information is disclosed.
Instead of giving up and leaving, Dr. Stockmann decides to stay in town and open up a school in the very room of Captain Horster’s house where he was branded an enemy of the people. Here he will teach his children and other children the importance of being freethinkers. Even being a scientist becomes worthless if one does not know how to educate people on how they should think. He still is hopeful that there is someone else that has not conformed to society, which like himself makes them brave and heroic. Dr. Stockmann had a mission to show his discovery that the bathes were polluted, but in that found his very own society polluted of conformity. If Stockmann were truly an enemy to the people he would have been determined to destroy them, not determined to save them.
