2. Analyze Dr. Stockmann's motivation in revealing the truth about the polluted springs. Selfish or unselfish motives? Explain.
When Dr. Stockmann first received the results of the chemical tests done on the water, he wanted to reveal the results to stop people from becoming sick. The residents were not the only people to go to the springs; the springs had been converted into a health resort that received visitors from distant places. Dr. Stockmann did not want people to get sick and then carry the illness back to their home, thus spreading the disease. This could have resulted in an epidemic or a plague. His reasons were wholly unselfish. In his desire to help everyone, however, he took the most direct route instead of the route most likely to succeed. He should have taken the results directly to the mayor and the board in charge of the springs and impressed upon them how important it was to fix the problem as quickly as possible so that the visitors would not spread any rumors about the spring making them sick.
Good point Mason, i totally agree with your answer and i beleive that Tom could have taken a much better route to resolve the issue at hand and failed to take the right course in making this discovery work in Tom's advantage.
ReplyDeleteMason,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, but I have to disagree that Dr. Stockmann’s motivations were “wholly” unselfish. If you can recall there was much tension between him and his brother, did you ever think maybe that might have influenced how Dr. Stockmann presented the information about the springs. With that said I do also don’t disagree that he had unselfish motives, such as saving society from a mass epidemic.