The Elephant Man
• Setting
•19th Century, London
• Most of story takes place in the
London Hospital
• Characters
• John Merrick “Elephant Man”
• Dr. Frederick Treves
• Carr Gomm
• Mrs. Kendal (Actress)
• Mothershead
• Bytes (Freak handler)
• Night Porter
• Plot
• Surgeon saves a disfigured man from
mistreatment and being presented as a
freak show prize. Man is revealed to be
quite intelligent and kind.
John Merrick or “The Elephant Man”
• A 21 year old English man
• Suffers from Chronic Bronchitis
• Keeps photo of mother
• Was found by Dr. Frederick Treves at a
Circus Freak Show exhibit
• Taken to London Hospital to be
observed and studied
• Looked down upon by all who don’t
know him as stupid and a monster
• Thought to either have suffered from
Neurofibromatosis type 1 or Proteus
Syndrome
• Limitations
• Unable to use right arm
• Limp
• Heavy head
• Unable to sleep lying down
• Problems with sight
John Merrick
• Adjustments
• Begins to speak, write, and read
• Tells how he is feeling
• Takes off clothes that hide his disability
• Makes model with one arm
• Wears a suit
• Meets lots of new people
• Social Interaction
• Positive
•Meets new people
• Is polite, kind, happy
• Goes to the theater
• Makes new friends
• Negative
• Freak show
• Yelled at by viewers
• Wears hiding clothes
sometimes in public
Neurofibromatosis Type 1
• Facts
• A genetic disorder
• Caused by germline mutations in neurofibromin
• A tumor disorder caused by mutation of
chromosome 17, which controls cell division
• Causes tumors along the nervous system
• Symptoms
• Tumors, Scoliosis, learning difficulties, eye
problems, and epilepsy
• Treatment
• Depends on age range, occurrence
percentage, and time of diagnosis
• Treat separate parts of symptoms
Proteus Syndrome
• Facts
• A congenital disorder
• Progressive disorder
• Does not cause learning disabilities itself
• Causes
• over growth of skin, bones, muscles,
fatty tissues, and blood and lymphatic
vessels
• Treatment
• Still being researched
• Rapamycin in research
Contributions of John
• Inspired all with his kind words
and selfless behavior
• Showed everyone that people
with disabilities/disorders could
function in society and were
intelligent
•Art
• John made this replica of
the Mainz cathedral
Treatment
• John was treated like
everyone else by only Dr.
Treves at first
• Followed eventually
by
• Carr Gomm
• Mrs. Kendal (Actress)
• Mothershead
• Nurses
• High Society Folk
• Mistreated by Bytes who beat and
starved him as well as presented
him as a freak
• Laughed at by society
• Thought as stupid/dumb
• Paraded again as freak by Night
Porter for his own profit gain
Cap and Hood
Treatment Cont.
• Prejudice/Unfair Treatment
• Made to live in tower by
himself until the board of the
hospital approved his move to a
nicer wing of the hospital
• Thought of as only a freak by
many
• Made to dance/drink/kiss with
Night Porters customers
• Things were broken
• Starved and beaten by Bytes
Hospital/Dr. Treves
• Hospital
• Staff were hesitant at first do
to his appearance
• Tower room at first
• Fresh sheets and meals were
prepared daily by hospital staff
• Bigger room provided
• Dr. Treves
• Talked with him and
introduced him to many people
and his home
• Looked out for John
• Introduced him to Mrs.
Kendal and other high society
folk
• What could have been
provided
• Actual counseling
• Speech therapy
• Schooling
• Muscle coordination
• Muscle training
• Physical Therapy
IDEA/504/ADA
• IDEA
• John did not receive the education he
should have according to the laws of IDEA
• John’s mother died when he was young
and he was presented in freak shows
• According to my research, John left
school at age 13
• ADA/504
• John was definitely looked on upon biased by
many
• Unfortunately the movie does not show his
employment, except that of freak show
• When in the care of Dr. Treves and the London
hospital, John defiantly received access to
anything that he wanted or needed
• But in the case of ADA/504 college and
university settings does not apply to John as he
never made it that far in his education