The Elephant Man

“Ignore the squalor of Whitechapel, the general dinginess, neglect and poverty without, and you will find a continual medical richesse in the London Hospital. We study and treat the widest range of diseases and disorders, and are certainly the greatest institution of our kind in the world. The Empire provides unparalleled opportunities for our studies, as places cruel to life are the most revealing scientifically.”

As Gomm welcomes Treves to the hospital, the former demonstrates the pessimism of treating science as purely an arena of study, divorced from the messiness of humanity and human dignity. Gomm expresses his anti-imperialist views more than once, but he is also an opportunist, seeing human suffering as fodder for scientific experimentation and learning.

“See Mother Nature uncorseted and in malignant rage! Tuppence.” 

Ross attempts to entice crowds to pay a fee to stare at Merrick. He sells Merrick as more animal than human, unrestrained by anything as civilized and human-made as a corset. Perhaps part of Merrick’s performance requires the simulation of animalistic rage, but of course, he proves to be extremely gentle with no temper or tendency to lose control. This dehumanization was typical for advertising “freak-show” acts, often characterizing features like extra hairiness or unusual size as proof that the person was part animal.

“Mr. Treves, you have shown a profound and unknown disorder to us. You have said when he leaves here it is for his exhibition again. I do not think it ought to be permitted. It is a disgrace. It is a pity and a disgrace. It is an indecency in fact. It may be a danger in ways we do not know. Something ought to be done about it.” 

The voice in the crowd at the medical lecture expresses an outrage that he can’t quite articulate. At first, it seems that he is a voice of reason, calling out exploitation as indecent. But the next scene reveals that Merrick himself was arrested and run out of the city. This person voices the violent rage that leads crowds to become bloodthirsty upon seeing Merrick.