John Merrick Research Paper

John Merrick is a good man, who at times struggles with dealing with his deformities. In the movie, John is very respectful to the people in the hospital. However, he has moments where he snaps. “I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!” This is understandable, because he is going through something that none of us could imagine. Another example of this is in The Exhibition, when Treves recalls one of the somber conversations that he and Merrick had. “When I awoke, no showman. No food, no money. Nothing left. And still no Treves.” Merrick is grateful for Treves caring for him, but he still has memories of his days with the showman. He seems to have a motivation to fit in. This is shown at the end of his life,

Frederick Treves for many reasons. Dr. Treves was a surgeon at the London Hospital. In 1884, Dr. Treves first saw John Merrick being exhibited as a “freak” and from that point forward, Dr. Treves wanted to study Mr. Merrick’s diseases/deformities. Merrick was brought to the London Hospital by Dr. Treves and had a room in the upper attic that he was then able to live on. One way Dr. Treves shows that having studied Mr. Merrick is more about himself is with the first showing of John Merrick to other doctors around London. Dr. Treves shows John Merrick’s body to the people in attendance at the meeting, to show off “his findings” of Mr. Merrick's deformities. This helps Dr. Treves gain popularity throughout London and also helps him become a more well known surgeon. Another reason why “The Exhibition” is more about Dr. Treves is when Dr. Treves uses John Merrick as a showing to famous people around the London area. Dr. Treves states that “These people are your friends John, they aren’t trying to hurt you”. That statement is true, many people gave John Merrick gifts when they came to visit him, but Dr. Treves personally profited from this because it helped him meet new “famous” people and help get his name around London. A third reason why the claim “The Exhibition is more about Treves” is true, is when Dr. Treves questions himself and the actions that he is taking

From this story, I have learned that though we all may look different, have different interests, or maybe even wear different clothes, we are all human beings and all deserve to be treated equally. There's has been a few times in my life where I have judged people without knowing their story or “taking a walk in their shoes” and I regret every judgment I have made about them. One time, in 8th grade, I was on the East Coast Trip with the 2019 class. We were in New York city and I saw a homeless man sitting on the side of an alleyway. The man was asking for money for food because he didn’t have a job or a home. I turned to my friend and started laughing when I saw the homeless man and stated “Look at that homeless guy!” I thought it was funny at the time, but when we went to give the man money, we stopped to talk to him for a minute. We found out that he was a retired marine and his family wouldn’t reach out to him. I felt horrible for judging him for how he lived when I have never experienced anything like what he goes through everyday. The story “The Elephant Man” will help me change my ways of thinking before I judge anyone, because I don’t know what their life is really like, or what they have been through. Lastly, this story will help me of just saying “Hi!” to someone, because just saying one thing nice can go a long