The Elefant Man

THE ELEFANT MAN

As some people are going to read the above mentioned book, (stage one -OXFORD BOOKWORMS LIBRARY) I would like to summarize it briefly.

The main character is called „The Elefant Man“ because he is so deformed  and very different from normal people, or very elefantlike. He is owned and abused for freakshows by a man  called Silcock, who makes money by showing him to visitors. Silcock even steals Merrick’s money and leaves him alone in Belgium. When he returnes alone to England he is laughed at by everyone on the train and the ship.

One day Dr Treves, who works at the nearby hospital, sees his picture displayed in a window.  At first he is interested in him and would also like to take advantage of the handicapped, but then he feels disgusted and wants to see him. The dirty man in the shop, of course, wants some money before he lets Dr Treves see the creature behind the cloth. The doctor decides to help him and succeeds in taking the creature or Mr. Merrick to the hospital. The doctor understands, however, only later that the Elefant Man is not an imbecile but a man with his own personality. Treves also takes him to the country so that he can enjoy the sound of the birds and water in the stream.

Mr Carr Gomm, the chairman of the London Hospital, writes a letter to The Times in order to find some money for the man in need for help.

In the hospital he is looked after, fed well and can read and write. He even entertains well-to-dos of society, such as (in the book) Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, The Queen of England, or the famous actress Mrs Kendal, who helps Dr Treves so that Mr Merrick can go to the theatre.

LISTEN TO THE SUMMARY

more about “The Elefant Man /summary“, posted with vodpod

Here is the trailer of the film by David Lynch.

more about “THE ELEFANT MAN“, posted with vodpod

It is a beautiful plot, even though it is sentimental, but how could the audience possibly not feel sorry for a man with such deformities.