Question

Explain the use of the following property in the development of the play.

Stick

Answer 1

The stick refers to the official staff (stick) of the Mayor. In order to avoid being seen by his brother (Dr. Stockmann), the Mayor hides in a separate room but leaves his hat and stick in plain sight. Dr. Stockmann notices the hat first followed by the stick. He quickly concludes that the stick must belong to the Mayor because it is the official staff. When Aslaksen tries to convince him that the Mayor has left, Dr. Stockmann remains doubtful because the Mayor would not leave without his stick. This leads to the final scene of the act, which results in a conflict between the two brothers and reveals the corrupt nature of the majority (the Mayor, the newspapermen) and the bravery of Dr. Stockmann.