The Elephant Man

At a storefront on Whitechapel Road, Ross stands in front of an advertisement featuring an illustration of a man with the head of an elephant. Ross banters to passersby, enticing them to pay a tuppence to see John Merrick, whom he advertises as a “freak of nature, the Elephant Man” (3). Treves enters and expresses doubt as to the existence of a person who is part elephant and wants to perform an examination to determine if the Elephant Man is a fake. Enthusiastically, Ross offers to give the doctor free admission. Treves gives Ross his card and insists that he must examine Merrick at the hospital. Ross agrees, but for the price of five shillings. Treves protests that he wants to examine Merrick for the sake of science. Ross asserts that he’s taken care of Merrick since he found him at the workhouse where Merrick’s mother, horrified at his condition, had abandoned him at the age of three. Ross is Merrick’s manager, and capitalizing on audiences who pay to see Merrick is how both men make a living. Ceding, Treves pays, and Ross calls for Merrick to come out, referring to him as a “bloody donkey” (4).

Treves, having examined Merrick, delivers an academic lecture at the hospital about his findings. Throughout the lecture, Merrick strikes different poses and contortions to mimic the doctor’s slides. The script specifies that the actor playing Merrick should not use makeup or prosthetics to re-create the historical Joseph Merrick’s appearance or attempt to imitate the way Merrick’s facial condition make his speech difficult to understand. As Treves describes, Merrick has an oversized head with large bony masses on his forehead and jaw protruding from the features of his face. Merrick’s facial features make him incapable of showing emotions through facial expressions. Soft, spongy masses on his chest and the back of his neck emit a foul odor, and his skin is the rough texture of cauliflower. Merrick’s right arm and hand show similar illness and are nonfunctional.

Treves explains that initial suspicions of an elephantiasis diagnosis are incorrect. The condition impacts Merrick’s legs, and a hip injury in childhood has left him unable to walk without a walking stick. In contrast, Treves describes Merrick’s left arm as not only typical but exceptionally lovely and smooth. At Treves’s prompting, Merrick walks for the crowd as Treves laments, “He was thus denied all means of escape from his tormenters” (6). From the crowd, a voice interjects, arguing that returning Merrick to a life of exhibition is disgraceful and indecent and shouldn’t be allowed. Treves shrugs and asks what he, as a doctor, can do about it. The voice replies that he knows what needs to be done. There is silence. Then, a police officer enters.

At the Brussels Fair in Belgium, three women with microcephaly (referred to in the text by the historical descriptor “Pinheads”) stand close together. They clutch a portrait of Leopold II, the Belgian king who colonized and ruled over the Congo. A man enters and explains to the women that the “freak show” performers are all celebrating King Leopold’s fifth year in the Congo. When the women start to recite their lines without waiting for his cue, the man berates them and threatens to send them back to the asylum to have their brains removed. Exiting to solicit customers, the man announces, “Come see the Queens of the Congo!” (8) Ross enters with Merrick, promising that they can make money in Brussels without being hassled by the police because the Belgians are less uptight than the English, as evidenced by the three microcephalic women and the show. Ross exits to obtain an exhibition permit.

Merrick speaks to the three women, who only respond to each statement by saying, “Allo!” (9) He tells them that he has come to Belgium from England to make money because the police had beaten him and chased him out of the city. Merrick hopes to perform with the women, mentioning that he has saved 48 pounds, which Ross is holding for him. With sympathy, Merrick comments that the women don’t seem to understand him. The man reenters with an unseen audience. The women dance, singing a song praising King Leopold. Furious, the man orders the crowd to leave because the women aren’t prepared. Then he threatens them to learn the correct words and follows the crowd out. The women cry and Merrick tries to soothe them by asserting that they had performed well. Two policemen enter, manhandling Ross as he complains that he was supposed to receive a permit and had planned an entire tour. The officers retort that the exhibition of Merrick “is a public indecency, and it is forbidden here” (10). When Ross counters that the three microcephalic women are allowed to perform, the policemen reply, “They are ours” (10).

One officer hits Merrick. Ross protests that they might kill him, but the officer exclaims, “Be better off dead. Indecent bastard” (10). Merrick reassures the women that he is all right and they respond by chanting “indecent” (11) over and over as the policemen haul the two men away. Ross and Merrick step forward, alone in a spotlight. Ross announces that Merrick hasn’t been as profitable as he expected, so he is dumping him on a train to Liverpool. Aside from the price of Merrick’s ticket and some cash for food, Ross is keeping Merrick’s savings as payback for the time and effort he invested over the years. Ross delivers Merrick to the conductor. Merrick tries to protest that Ross has stolen his money, but although the actor articulates without affecting Merrick’s impaired speech, the conductor doesn’t understand him. Ross insists that Merrick is “an imbecile” (11) who can only say his first name. Ross disappears, and Merrick struggles as the conductor escorts him onto the train.

At the Liverpool train station, the conductor and a police officer usher Merrick into a locked room and away from the violent attack of an angry mob that can be heard yelling outside. The policeman asks Merrick for money. Merrick tries to say that he had been robbed, but the conductor interjects that Merrick is “an imbecile” (13) who can’t speak words and suggests that the officer search Merrick’s coat for money. Merrick tries to say the word “Jesus” (14), but neither of the men understand him. They find a business card for Treves in Merrick’s pocket, and the conductor leaves to fetch Treves. Treves enters with the conductor, indignant at the presence of the mob and the lack of decency. Treves recognizes his card and is surprised to see Merrick, exclaiming, “What has happened to you?” (15) Merrick pleads, “Help me!” (15).

At the London Hospital, Merrick is taking a bath. In the next room, Treves greets Nurse Sandwich. Treves asks Sandwich about her experience working in missionary hospitals in the Niger and Ceylon. He needs a nurse and caretaker for Merrick, and the nuns at the hospital refuse because they can’t be in Merrick’s presence without becoming afraid. Sandwich assures Treves that she has seen many diseases and doesn’t shy away from “dreadful scourges,” nor is she so superstitious as to imagine that Merrick has done something to bring about the condition as punishment. Certain that she can do the job, Sandwich offers to carry Merrick’s dinner tray into the room to meet him and Treves comments that Merrick is bathing to rectify his odor issue. But before Treves can complete his introductions, Sandwich reacts with horror to Merrick and runs from the room. Following, Treves chides Sandwich for giving such a poor response even after seeing photos of Merrick. Sandwich exclaims that the photos weren’t enough to prepare her and that there is no one who will agree to do this job. She exits and Treves states, “Yes. Well. This is not helping him” (18).

Still in the London Hospital, Merrick sits in the bathtub and reads. Treves converses with Bishop Walsham How in the next room. Bishop How speaks admirably of Merrick, having learned to understand his speech, and discovered that Merrick is a Christian, likely having learned about the Bible while growing up in a workhouse. Ironically, Merrick finds the story of Job unrelatable because he doesn’t understand why a fair god would cause so much pain and suffering, although Merrick doesn’t harbor anger toward God because he is certain that Jesus will eventually save him. In fact, Bishop How plans to preach about Merrick this week. Gomm enters and informs Treves and the bishop that the letter Gomm had written to the Times garnered a wave of charity from the people of England, raising enough money to provide for Merrick for the rest of his life.

Bishop How praises the English people and Gomm adds sardonic praise of the English for failing to tear Merrick apart at the train station. The bishop states that he had been reluctant to come to the hospital, since religion is often rejected by science, but is pleased that Treves is also a Christian. Bishop How gives a speech arguing that all of England’s colonization of other countries had been inspired by the spiritual desire to spread ideals, not by science. He promises to visit Merrick every week and exits. Gomm wonders how Treves will proceed now that Merrick is fully financed, and Treves explains that he plans to make Merrick’s life as typical as possible. Gomm questions, “So he will be like us? Ah.” Treves replies, “Is something wrong, Mr. Gomm? With us?” (21)

Merrick, in the bathtub, speaks to Treves and Gomm about the news of the money and the promise that Merrick can remain in the hospital as long as he wants. Merrick suggests that he might like to go to a school for the visually impaired when it’s time to leave. Treves is perplexed, but Merrick explains that it’s because there would be no one to stare at him. Gomm and Treves promise that no one will stare at him at the hospital, but then two hospital employees, Porter and Snork, sneak in to look at Merrick. Treves chastises the men, explaining that they have been warned and won’t do it again. But Gomm points out that they have been warned before and threatened with—as Porter helpfully explains—firing. Gomm promptly fires the two men, uninterested when Porter pleads that he needs the job to support his ailing wife, his children, and his sister who takes care of his wife and children. Urged to respond, Merrick comments, “If all that’d stared at me’d been sacked—there’d be whole towns out of work” (24).

Treves clarifies that he was prompting Merrick to thank Gomm, which Merrick does. Treves explains that saying “thank you” is part of Merrick learning “normalcy,” which Merrick badly wants. Treves comments that Merrick’s existence in the hospital—regular baths that have fixed his odor problem, meals, shelter—are creating a new experience for Merrick. For the first time, he has a home. Treves insists that Merrick repeat the statement, “I have a home” (25). He does. Treves goes on to prompt Merrick to echo the statement that he can have a home for as long as he wants it if he follows the rules and that “rules make us happy because they are for our own good” (26). Treves, who is writing a paper about Merrick, asks him to talk about his childhood.

Merrick describes the workhouse, where he did endless chores and received beatings, “boom boom” (26), no matter what he did. Merrick questions suddenly, “Will the children go to the workhouse?” (27) Merrick clarifies that he is talking about the fired man’s children. Treves states that yes, they will need to go to the workhouse to help support the family, but he reminds Merrick that he should be grateful that Gomm had shown mercy by firing the two employees so they couldn’t stare. Merrick asks, “If your mercy is so cruel, what do you have for justice?” and Treves responds, “I am sorry. It is just the way things are” (27). Merrick replies, “Boom boom. Boom boom. Boom boom” (27).

Merrick is asleep, and Treves enters with Mrs. Kendal. She has seen pictures of Merrick, quippingly comparing him to an audience she once performed for: “All huge grim head and grimace and utterly unable to clap” (28). Treves explains that in his quest to give Merrick a typical life, he is trying to ease Merrick’s fear of others by acclimating him. For instance, Treves had invited Merrick to his house so Merrick could experience a regular home for the first time. Treves has found that women are most appalled and upset by Merrick’s appearance even though Merrick wants very badly to interact with them. But because women have always run away from him, he sees them as if they are mythical creatures. Because she is an actress, Treves hopes that Mrs. Kendal can conceal her true reactions and feelings.

Treves wants Mrs. Kendal to introduce herself to Merrick, and she rehearses her introductory line several times. Thrilled, Treves beams, “Merrick will be so pleased. It will be the day he becomes a man like other men” (29). Carefully, Mrs. Kendal asks for permission to pose an impolite question. Hedging, she alludes to the parts of Merrick that have illness and Treves immediately understands. Treves launches into an explanation, fumbling to conclude that the body part in question is “unlikely to be afflicted” (30). Treves admits that he is embarrassed and Mrs. Kendal replies, “Are you? Then he must be lonely indeed” (30).

Treves and Mrs. Kendal find Merrick drawing, sketching St. Phillip’s church because he hopes to eventually build a model. Treves excuses himself and exits. Merrick compliments Mrs. Kendal’s beauty, and she tells him that he is charming, although he admits that the line hadn’t been spontaneous. Merrick goes on to explain that he doesn’t know where his appearance came from as his mother had been very beautiful. However, he speculates that his condition might have begun when his pregnant mother had been knocked to the ground by a circus elephant. Or, he suggests, “But sometimes I think my head is so big because it is so full of dreams. Because it is. Do you know what happens when dreams cannot get out?” (32) Mrs. Kendal admits that she doesn’t, and Merrick agrees that he doesn’t either. Merrick compares himself to Mrs. Kendal because she is a well-known actress and he was once exhibited and displayed for audiences.

Mrs. Kendal disagrees because she was always performing roles. She was an illusion unlike now, when she is being herself. Merrick replies, “This is myself too” (32). Mrs. Kendal mentions literature because Treves has told her that Merrick enjoys reading. Merrick brings up Romeo and Juliet, asserting that if he had been Romeo, he wouldn’t have used a mirror to check if she was breathing and then simply killed himself. If Romeo had loved Juliet, he contends, Romeo would have done more to make sure she was really dead. Merrick states, “Looking in a mirror and seeing nothing. That is not love. It was all an illusion. When the illusion ended he had to kill himself” (33). Mrs. Kendal is taken aback, and Merrick explains that now that he spends time interacting with other people, he thinks more deeply about things and finds that he sometimes says things that are very insightful.

Treves reenters and announces that his paper about Merrick has been mentioned in the papers, making Merrick famous. Mrs. Kendal tells Treves that Merrick needs even more social interaction, promising to reach out to her friends and make this her mission. Treves is grateful and pleased. To Merrick, Mrs. Kendal promises to come back and bring her friend Dorothy, Lady Neville. Merrick agrees. Before leaving, Mrs. Kendal extends her hand. Treves prompts Merrick to take it. Walking Mrs. Kendal out, Treves expresses pleasure at the successful meeting, adding that Merrick had never before shaken a woman’s hand. Alone, Merrick starts to weep silently and uncontrollably.