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................................................................................................. 1  \nd In Context ..................................................................................................... 1  \na Author Biography ..................................................................................... 2  \nh Characters .................................................................................................. 3  \nk Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 6  \nc Act Summaries ......................................................................................... 11  \ng Quotes ......................................................................................................... 18  \nl Symbols ..................................................................................................... 20  \nm Themes ........................................................................................................ 21  \ne Suggested Reading .............................................................................. 22  \nj Book Basics  \nAUTHOR  \nHenrik Ibsen  \nYEAR PUBLISHED  \n1882  \nGENRE  \nDrama  \nABOUT THE TITLE  \nThe main character of An Enemy of the People, Dr. Stockmann, speaks some unpleasant truths to the people of his town, and as a result, they declare him \"an enemy of the people.\"  \nd In Context  \nRealism in Theater  \nTo a modern audience Henrik Ibsen's plays seem formal and traditional, but for his time, they were groundbreaking works of realism. Most theatrical works in the early 19th century were highly dramatized and bore little resemblance to reality. Popular works often included melodramas with stock, predictable characters—the evil villain, the beautiful and innocent young maiden—and excessively emotional but simplistic plots. Mythological tales and even fairy tales were also popular. Costumes were elaborate, and sets were not intended to look realistic. Acting looked nothing like what a modern audience would expect: actors would often strike a dramatic pose and recite a speech.  \nEven the more widely praised playwrights of the day often followed the formula of the \"well-made play.\" The well-made play was tightly constructed and followed a predictable system: a complex and usually unrealistic plot, further complications to add suspense, a grand climactic scene, and a happy resolution. French playwright Eugène Scribe was one of the foremost proponents of the well-made play. Ibsen borrowed some concepts from the well-made play, but he bent the formula to suit the psychological truths and realistic situations he wanted to explore. Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud was doing his early work on psychology in the late 19th century, and Ibsen, like his Russian contemporary playwright Anton Chekhov, wanted to explore fully developed, psychologically plausible characters onstage, not formulaic\"types\" or stock characters out of melodrama.  \nIbsen also pushed for realism in the sets, costumes, and acting styles of his productions. His sets looked like actual rooms in a house. His actors wore costumes like the clothes the audience was wearing. They also reacted and interacted more naturally,  \ninterrupting each other and avoiding lengthy poetic speeches.  \nA Doll's House, Ghosts, and An Enemy of the People  \nA Doll's House (1879) was Ibsen's first play to tackle social issues, specifically feminism. He rejected the predictable formula of the well-made play, having his protagonist, Nora, choose to leave her family to find her identity as an independent woman. This choice shocked many in the audience. Irritated by the reaction, Ibsen decided to explore what happened when a woman stayed trapped in a bad marriage. The result was Ghosts (1881). Rather than back away from controversial topics, Ibsen went further, discussing sexually transmitted disease,","cbCaiiPWIDMXeFA5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiPWIDMXeFA5","pdf",230990,22,"English","# Book Basics\n## In Context\n### Realism in Theater\n### A Doll's House, Ghosts, and An Enemy of the People\n### Scientific Understanding in the 19th Century\n# Characters\n# Plot Summary\n# Act Summaries\n# Quotes\n# Symbols\n# Themes\n# Suggested Reading","[{\"question\":\"Why is Dr. Stockmann called “an enemy of the people”?\",\"answer\":\"Dr. Stockmann speaks unpleasant truths to his town, and people declare him “an enemy of the people” after reacting negatively to what he reveals.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Ibsen’s realism differ from earlier theatrical traditions?\",\"answer\":\"The guide contrasts melodramatic, unrealistic plots and stock characters with Ibsen’s psychologically plausible characters and more authentic staging, including sets, costumes, and acting that look and behave like real life.\"},{\"question\":\"What scientific idea relevant to the play was poorly understood in the 19th century?\",\"answer\":\"The guide explains that many characters do not believe bacteria can pollute water, reflecting the era’s limited common scientific knowledge about bacteria.\"}]","An Enemy of the People - Study Guide | PDF",1789940984,34]