The Elephant Man

Main Characters:

Joseph Carey Merrick: main character of the work. He had got lumps all over his body and suffers deformities back, arms and neck. His dream is to be a normal person, and nobody saw him be afraid.

Tom Norman: he is director of Freak’s Show. A person who tries to win the most money possible caging strange people in cages, to show them on shows.

Dr Treves: a doctor who isimpressed with the life of Joseph Merrick. Treves gives the attic of the London Hospital, and cares for 4 years. He is kind and gentle with everyone.

Dr Gomm: the chief of the London Hospital. He refuses to Mr Merrick is housed in the attic of the hospital.

Nurse Hartley: nurse who cares for Merrick in the attic London hospital,


Secondary Characters:

- The Siamese twins.
- Thebearded women.
- The midgets of the Norman Show.
- People ill of the waiting room of the London Hospital.
- The nurse Wellington.
- The tattooed man.


Summary of the work:

Joseph Carey Merrick, a man born with terrible deformities in most of his body. He was known as "The Elephant Man". At the age of 12 was killed his mother. He worked in a circus, when The Elephant Man had theage of 22 or 23 years around. Later went to find work in another place. Mr Merrick had worked in a circus where of people most had a strange life , and was looking a job to earn a living as an ordinary person. Giving his quest for failed ended up in the London Hospital, where he lived for 4 years in the attic. Unfortunately, the 11th April, 1890 Joseph Carey Merrick was killed for trying to fulfilla dream. The dream was trying to live like a normal person.








Books questions:


Chapter 1:

1. Describe the physical changes that happened to John Merrick from the age of three.

Merrick had his head became grew long, and hid right hand deformed. He had bumps, tumour and fungus, and his spine bent.


2. What happened to Merrick when he was 12 years old?His mother died and threw home. His mother remarried, but the new woman in his father did not want to raise him.

3. Why did Merrick have to sleep sitting up?

Because he can’t breathe when he lie down.

4. Whose photo did Merrick keep in his pocket?

He carried a photograph of his mother in his pocket.


Chapter 2:




1. Describewhat happened after the sick people in the waiting room gathered around Merrick.

The sick people gather around him and they started to pull at his coat and push him around.


2. How did Dr Treves treat Merrick in the examination room?

Dr. Treves treated Merrick very well. He asked the nurse that she gets a tray of food to Merrick.


3. What was Dr Treves’ diagnosisof Merrick and did Dr Gomm agree with it?

The Dr. Treves’s diagnosis was that that was the worst case of elephantiasis




4. Why was Dr Treves furious with Dr Gomm?

Because Dr. Gomm said that Merrick was disgusting and he couldn’t possibly be cured.

5. Why had the Elephant Man wanted to stay in the hospital?

Because the room was so clean and the foodwas so good. It would be incredible to have a simple room where nobody look at him or be frightened by him


Chapter 3:

1. Explain why some people were against freak shows.


Because the crowd refused to allow such shows to be violent. One woman added that these souls were not animals or entertainment, they were human beings.


2. What did theelephant Man and his friends see as they drove through the poor neighbourhood?


Elephant Man and his friends were deep in mud and rats running through the streets. People ask for money to eat, and the faces of people were covered with dust and his feet were bare.


3. Why did Sam Roper think the Elephant Man should go to Belgium?

Sam Merrick Roper told him to...