Michael Scheibel on "the enemy of the people"

"You have no conception what an amount of harm you do yourself by your impetuosity."
"But what else can such a cantankerous man as you expect?"


These are strong statements spoken from Dr. Stockman's own brother Peter but are they true accusations or just spiteful banter in the heat of argument. 


It is hard to find fabrication in what Peter Stockman says when his brother is so blind to what others are saying. 
For instance in Act III when Mr Hovstad says "Yes But doctor-" Dr. Stockman cuts him off saying  I know what you are going to say. You don't see how on earth it was any more than my duty--my obvious duty as a citizen. Of course it wasn't; I know that as well as you. But my fellow citizens, you know--! Good Lord, think of all the good souls who think so highly of me--!" For one this statement was far from the truth of what Hovstad was thinking or about to say and two it demonstrates Stockman's pigheadedness and overwhelming arrogance. 


The forth Act was where things got interesting when Dr. Stockman claims that he would like to do nothing but do for the community he loves. But he states in front of everyone at the town meeting that the current leadership is poisoned and relates them to vermin. Then if there was not enough insult to injury he goes out and states that worst of all is the liberal majority. In the end it is himself that places him against the community he says he loves rather than everyone else doing it to him.


The ending lines of the play that we will most likely talk about in class are another one of Dr. Stockmans brilliant ideas "It is this, let me tell you--that the strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone." 


Stockman is blind to reality and towards the end of the play has completely lost his mind for what he says is the strongest man in the world is a homeless beggar for they are the ones who stand most alone. For no great man in history has changed the world without the support of others. Now if Stockman had just stuck to defending his discovery of the baths being polluted then maybe he would have had the support. But it is because he turned his argument against the human society itself as a system that he know stands alone for every human must use the system to thrive, no one will follow one who wants to destroy it. But if Stockman wants to find followers then he might as well turn to actual vermin for I am sure they agree with Dr. Stockman's dislike of the human race, but even a rat or mouse may think that he is too proud for the likes of vermin. 


So I will ask two questions: the first is does it matter if the strongest main in the world is he who stands most alone. The second is if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, did the event actually happen.