Henry Ibsen's 1882 play Jaws and Steven Spielberg's iconic film Jaws both deal with the same theme central: a power struggle between the needs of the individual and the needs of the majority. As Thomas attempts to persuade the city's citizens to close the spa, their economic livelihood, his argument evolves from a plea for public health to a condemnation of a stupid people, which he iconically calls "the tyranny of the majority." Jaws, based on this play, centers on Sheriff Brody, a character who, like Thomas, sympathizes with the victimized individual. Brody, however, goes through much more internal turmoil related to his decision, evolving in his resolve. In Enemy of the People, Thomas positions himself as the sole advocate for the needs of the individual, using a technical and increasingly disdainful tone to communicate his argument and express his contempt for the “tyranny of the majority.” However, this style of argument, singular in its perspective and hostile in its appeal, simply distances Thomas from his town and defeats his ultimate goal of saving those at risk. In contrast, in Jaws the champion of the individual is represented by Sheriff Martin Brody who draws his passion not from philosophical grudges, but from sympathy for the victims of shark attack and his obligation as sheriff to save them. This multifaceted, emotional and protective approach of the protagonist Brody, aggravated by the presence of real victims, actually scares and, therefore convinces, citizens of the danger of the shark. Unlike Thomas, Brody actually appeals to each individual within the majority, allowing each, as part of the mass, to prioritize their own individual safety. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As the show goes on, Thomas's language becomes increasingly technical, elitist, and accusatory, isolating him from the very people he's trying to convince and cementing his motivations, ironically, as focused less on victims and more on principle. Brody, however, speaks less than Thomas and with more hesitation, empathy, and awareness of the complexity of the debate, making his situation seem more legitimate. Starting hesitantly, Brody submits to pressure from Mayor Vaughn and his citizens, mislabeling the cause of Chrissie's death and opening the beaches. In the ferry scene, when the mayor first makes his demands, the shot is taken from Brody's point of view, depicting Vaughn's (Spielberg) sensational and literally "in your face" style of persuasion. Then, after Brody gives in, the sheriff is shot from a high angle, portraying him as weak and vulnerable (Spielberg). This cowardice seems to make Brody ineffective and, originally, it is. However, grimly admitting days later that Alex's mother was “not [wrong]” in blaming him for her son's death, this horror represents a turning point for Brody's assertiveness (17, Benchley). This linguistic evolution establishes him as a true protagonist and demonstrates his significant internal debate that gives gravity to his strong opinions. Furthermore, the presence of victims adds urgency and realism to his claims; ironically, without death he would not have the power to prevent it. This, perhaps, is the biggest obstacle to Dr. Stockman's thesis: he has no victims. Unlike the shark, the danger of the bathrooms still exists only hypothetically, making Thomas's difficult situation less impactful. However, to Thomas's discredit, he fails torecover from this ironic setback. Rather than using rhetoric to elicit the same fear of swimming that the shark naturally creates, he consistently prefers the pronouns “I” and “we” over “you” – grouping individuals separately from the masses (Ibsen). What Thomas does not understand and does not make the citizens understand, however, is that the masses and individuals are not separate. People harmed by toilets will inevitably come from the masses. Too consumed by the one-versus-many debate to recognize it, Thomas fails to appeal to people's individual fears and so his argument comes across as elitist and divided from the interests of the city. Furthermore, as Thomas states: “Let [the majority] perish! Let the People Die,” personalizes the city's reluctance to accept its findings and makes its motivations less about the victimized individual and more about one individual in particular: himself and his contempt for the People's decisions (72 , Ibsen). Essentially, he strays from his original goal of warding off the disease and supports his pipe dream of overthrowing the majority. Brody, on the other hand, keeps his focus on the shark and the victims throughout the film. He does not philosophize his argument, but reports it to the citizens. Instead of “demanding a lecture…on the facts,” Brody says little and candidly expresses his anguish as he listens solemnly to Mrs. Kintner and runs desperately to save his son (67, Ibsen; Spielburg). During both scenes, the wallah-wallah goes silent, as if Brody's sincere dedication to individuals silences the demands of the majority (Spielberg). This perceived sincerity protects him from the accusations of false motives that affect Thomas. More importantly, although Brody prioritizes the interests of the individual over the wealth of the masses, he recognizes that the masses are made up of individuals with fears as personal as his own; and his signs of genuine, personal concern (perhaps inadvertently) appeal to these very fears, reinforcing his sincere goals. Furthermore, Brody never loses sight of his purpose: the desire to save people from the shark. And by joining this cause, he legitimizes it. Thomas Stockman, in contrast, quickly turns to philosophical indictments, repudiating “popular democracy” and ultimately destroying its original goal of saving individuals (70, Ibsen). Brody begins with timid hesitation, saying "We'll try to use, uh, shark watchers on the beach" instead of closing the beaches, and progresses to assertive passion only when he witnesses more attacks (17, Benchley). Death is his motivation. Just as a shark's jaw frames the scene of Brody setting sail to finally achieve his goal of avenging his victims and protecting others, so too does the shark's jaw frame his ultimate goal: he wants to help people at risk without going too far in size larger and more hostile. propositions (Spielberg). Thomas, however, fuels his passion through contempt for the majority, not concern for individuals. He attempts to assert his elite superiority and “has earned the right to be called a [civilized] man” through his speech, rather than attempting to draw empathy or fear from the crowd (Ibsen, 69). Thomas may come to the conclusion that “he is the strongest…because he is alone,” but his goals ultimately fail (98, Ibsen). Brody doesn't, because he appeals to the majority instead of rejecting it. While we never see the city give in to closed beaches and shark hunting, Mayor Vaughn's frantic insistence “to act in the best interests of the city” suggests that he fears the people's impending criticism (28, Benchley). At this turning point, the.