Petra Stockmann Quotes in An Enemy of the People
Petra: There is so much falsehood both at home and at school. At home one must not speak, and at school we have to stand and tell lies to the children.
Katherine: Oh yes, right—right. What is the use of having right on your side if you have not got might?
Petra: Oh, mother!—how can you say such a thing!
Dr. Stockmann: Do you imagine that in a free country it is no use having right on your side? You are absurd, Katherine. Besides, haven’t I got the liberal-minded, independent press to lead the way, and the compact majority behind me? That is might enough, I should think!
Hovstad. You are perfectly right; but an editor cannot always act as he would prefer. He is often obliged to bow to the wishes of the public in unimportant matters. Politics are the most important thing in life—for a newspaper, anyway; and if I want to carry my public with me on the path that leads to liberty and progress, I must not frighten them away. If they find a moral tale of this sort in the serial at the bottom of the page, they will be all the more ready to read what is printed above it; they feel more secure, as it were.
Petra. For shame! You would never go and set a snare like that for your readers; you are not a spider!
Petra Stockmann Quotes in An Enemy of the People
Petra: There is so much falsehood both at home and at school. At home one must not speak, and at school we have to stand and tell lies to the children.
Katherine: Oh yes, right—right. What is the use of having right on your side if you have not got might?
Petra: Oh, mother!—how can you say such a thing!
Dr. Stockmann: Do you imagine that in a free country it is no use having right on your side? You are absurd, Katherine. Besides, haven’t I got the liberal-minded, independent press to lead the way, and the compact majority behind me? That is might enough, I should think!
Hovstad. You are perfectly right; but an editor cannot always act as he would prefer. He is often obliged to bow to the wishes of the public in unimportant matters. Politics are the most important thing in life—for a newspaper, anyway; and if I want to carry my public with me on the path that leads to liberty and progress, I must not frighten them away. If they find a moral tale of this sort in the serial at the bottom of the page, they will be all the more ready to read what is printed above it; they feel more secure, as it were.
Petra. For shame! You would never go and set a snare like that for your readers; you are not a spider!
