An enemy of the people

Set in a Norwegian hamlet, this adaptation of playwright Henrik Ibsen's potent drama where an idealistic physician who discovers that the town's hot springs are contaminated. But with the community relying on the spa for tourist dollars, his warning to the authorities and a hostile citizenry -- fall on deaf ears. Physician becomes “An Enemy of the people”

NICE BEGINNING

    It was a place where twelve women with mental health issues lived together under the staff supervision. That is a place Vera have been working for the longest time ever in her life. That is a mystery, because there was women staff there and Vera usually didn’t get along with women. But at the beginning the staff consisted from old age American religious ladies who respected each other and loved and really cared about clients plus a Russian woman-supervisor, who valued hard work, cared sincerely about the clients and tried to teach clients independence…discipline..Staff cared of each other as well. It was a perfect environment for Vera.

RUSSIANS CAME

    But then the situation changed. Russian woman died, old ladies started to retire. The new Manager-Russian woman came and brought Soviet rules. Slowly most of the staff became Russians and very quickly Vera existence there became ridiculously difficult. Things did not make any sense to her anymore and work turned into “fighting for a place under the Sun”

       As she worked only part time there her job consisted from weekend shifts and shifts on call. She did not notice first that her shifts on call slowly disappeared. When she realized that and asked a Manager, she answered that Vera had another job, but Inna does not and so Inna needed money more than Vera….??????? It was so ridiculous explanation to hear in America. Manager decided who needs money and who does not. Inna had a daughter. Daughter had boyfriend, who didn’t like to work. They both used Inna and money she made….Inna shared with everybody the details of her situation and everybody had pity for Inna.

WOLVES are FULL and the SHEEP are SAFE

Then Manager took some of Vera weekend hours explaining that some worker needed hours for a full time position, but she promised to compensate. Slowly she forgot her promise. According to Manager her goal was to make every staff member “ happy” as it should be in America and she uses that tactic  "волки сыты и овцы целы" redistributing means in order everybody was quiet. American workers had preference over Russians sheep Manager was afraid of wolves and sheep were afraid of her or follow the slogan “Boss is always right”. Vera  did not belong to either category and the Manager complained that she did not know what to do with Vera.
Vera as usual wanted some justice and some sense. She was the oldest worker there. It was time she taught the Manager how to work there when she came as a simple worker and helped her when she became a Manager. She became a Manager because of her flexible disposition to please people. She was soft and pleasant, but when she needed to be cruel to somebody in order to please the right person she could easily do it. With the time of management she was losing a sense of justice and equality which she had at beginning

FIGHT for INDEPENDENCE

Time came and Vera needed to claim her job back. She loved the job, she loved to help clients and she did it good. Clients loved her as well. For that she needed to be at work. As usual first she politely asked, then she insisted, then demanded, then she had to fight. First gently, then more severe-nothing helped. Then she wrote to higher authority. She wrote that situation in OHEL was similar to situation in Soviet Union in times of Stalin governing when experienced smart people were destroyed. She brought the proof of her good work compare to those the Manager favored with working hours. She asked to give her the minimum of hours but it should be permanent on the schedule and independent from Manager distribution of work. Otherwise she would leave the position. Vera was a good reliable experience worker, but that is not what was appreciated in that field. Authority loved the workers who needed money or insurance and were easily managed and controlled and dependable on Manager. Independent workers who did good job with clients usually had troubles with authorities

Higher authority was given even more than Vera asked.  Of course Manager could not reconcile with her defeat, publicly expressed it starting her own  nasty battle against Vera.

CREATING an ENEMY of the PEOPLE

A woman Inna to whom Vera working hours were given fell down when she took a walk at Boardwalk and broke her hip. She was wearing old uncomfortable shoes and everybody knew why she fell. However Manager expressed an idea that “fights make people weak” meaning that Vera fight for work made Inna weak and she felt down. Also they did not call the hospital for help because Inna did not have insurance and that made situation worse. Manager tried everything to make Inna full time position, so she could have insurance , but Vera did not give away her working  hours.
When Manager heard, that Vera called Inna  and talked to her, she was indignant " How dare she after everything...?"

More to it Manager herself had oncology problems in the past and they resumed. She put them on Vera as well. So, Vera now became official public enemy-"враг народа" exactly the idea she used (Сталин и "враги народа") which gave Vera her job back.

Interesting  information which supports Vera’s perspective
Manager complained that Inna could not be trusted in managing clients is she’d be alone on the shift, but “office politic” was more important than wellbeing of clients

 “FRIEND” VIKA

Vera however thought that she had a reliable friend Vika as Vika also had problems with Manager, working hours and the rest
She constantly complained to Vera, Vera tried to help her, but Vika ignored the suggestion to stand together for some fair rules in the working place. It came out that  Vika played on both sides “и вашим и нашим”.When  it became clear, Manager probably let her know that and Vika moved to “Sheep part of the team”.

Vera offered Manager a few times to get together and find a solution for the benefit of clients, but she Manager didn’t respond
Other things had higher priority for her. And she started a real campaign against ‘the enemy of people” And she had her reasons. Usually Vera tried to do her work well and didn’t care what other people did as it was not too bad for clients. Even in those situation she tried to fix it on her own.

FREEDOM of SPEECH

But in situations where she needed to defend herself different things became public and no managers ever liked it. Very again tried to talk to higher authorities, but probably Manager already said her word, so was said that she cannot criticize her Manager
‘ Freedom of speech? Sure we have freedom of speech in America. You can criticize the government and the President-no problem!”
The only suggestion they offer this time was “make your best to get along with the Manager”

Other workers advised not to leave the job as Manager condition with health was very bad. But to sit and wait for somebody’s death was horrible. Vera decided to leave. In a week later the Manager left the job and got to the hospital and never came back. One of Vera’s friend told her that she gave Manager a strength to fight the illness , so Vera should not leave.