Literary Essay – Topics and Early Research
We will be soon be working on LITERARY ESSAYS – essays designed to support a main
argument (thesis) about a piece of literature. In this case, your subject will be Ibsen’s
Enemy of the People. Your thesis will be based on one of the topics listed below.
This is the first step. Examine the list. CHOOSE ONE TOPIC from the set below. BEGIN
OUTLINING your points and COLLECTING EVIDENCE from the text to support your thesis.
1. By the end of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, do you consider the protagonist
to be a noble hero or a headstrong (pigheaded/stubborn) fool? Why do you think
so? Support your position with 3 arguments taken from the play.
2. In Enemy of the People, Ibsen, the playwrite, tries to show how a simple matter of
public health can become a major controversy, and how doing the right thing can
become complicated. His characters may represent different parts of society.
Examine the following characters:
 Thomas Stockmann (“the whistle blower”)
 Peter Stockmann (“The Politician / Established Authority”)
 Hovstadt or Aslaksen (“The Media / The Newspaper”)
For each character, explain their position on the issue of the baths, as well as their
main motivation for having this position. For each, decide whether you think their
position on the issue is valid or not. Use specific details from the play for your
answer.
3. Ibsen’s play presents us with a clear protagonist, Dr. Stockmann, and a clear
antagonist, Peter Stockmann. Though they are brothers, these two characters are
written to be oposites, both in terms of their opinions and their personalities.
Explore 3 key differences between the brothers.
OR…
Ibsen’s play presents us with a clear protagonist, Dr. Stockmann, and a clear
antagonist, Peter Stockmann. Though they very different, these two brothers share a
few key similarities. Explore 3 key similarities between the brothers.
4. Ibsen’s Enemy of the People provides a strong criticism of society. What does the
play say about Politics, the Media, and the idea of Democracy?
5. This play is full of sharply drawn characters. Choose one character that stands out,
and explain three attributes that make them a strong or compelling character. (This
might be a good chance to explore one of the less-celebrated characters, such as
Morten Kiil, Catherine, Petra, or Captain Horster. I would not suggest building an
essaya round the drunk, though…)