The Elephant Man Group at eNotes

The song is also titled "Adagio for Strings",Opus 11 by the...

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:03:00 PST

The song is also titled "Adagio for Strings",Opus 11 by the American composer Samuel Barber. It was also used in the Oliver Stone film "Platoon". If you go to iTunes and search for "Adagio for Strings" you will see many versions of this piece. It's also known as "Barber's Adagio.

The song is just called the Elephant Man Theme and it can be found on...

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:50:48 PST

The song is just called the Elephant Man Theme and it can be found on the soundtrack to the movie which is available at Amazon.com. The link is below:

I love the theme tune from the movie "The Elephant Man". What...

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:44:23 PST

I love the theme tune from the movie "The Elephant Man". What is it?

If we focus on John Merritt and ask ourselves what kind of person he is,...

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:11:30 PST

If we focus on John Merritt and ask ourselves what kind of person he is, we are asking what he is like inside: his values, beliefs, hopes and fears. The cliche that comes to mind as one of the play's main themes is "Beauty is skin deep." As with all cliches, there is much truth in it, and certainly it pertains to The Elephant Man. What Merritt teaches us throughout the play is that underneath his hideousness, he is someone who cares...

The theme of The Elephant Man is man's inhumanity to man. Any difference...

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:47:07 PST

The theme of The Elephant Man is man's inhumanity to man. Any difference in appearance, actions, or intellect appears to some to be carte blanche for treating the person inhumanely. In some cases, this is because a person may have been born without the capacity for empathy. In others, the mistreatment comes from fear, not of the person as an individual, but of the fact that all human beings are susceptible to differences whether by birth,...

Thanks to Jamie for reminding us just how often our loved ones can...

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:21:06 PST

Thanks to Jamie for reminding us just how often our loved ones can surprise us!I agree with everyone that from the 1800s to today, freaks are common topic of the public's curiosity. I would argue that we have gotten exceptionally good at exploring psychological freaks just as much as physical ones. Today's cop shows and many of the reality tv programs seek to highlight the "weird" in behavior ... just think of Jerry Springer, who...

Each person who reads this book can find something different in it. One...

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:14:31 PST

Each person who reads this book can find something different in it. One of the themes that stands out is the notion that beauty is only skin deep. Although his physical appearance can be called grotesque, John Merritt has a kind and gentle soul. He is treated horribly by people; yet he is still able to place trust in a few. Ironically, the person he trusts most, Treves, is primarily interested in the attention John can bring to him.Another...

What is the theme of "The Elephant Man"?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:08:18 PST

What is the theme of "The Elephant Man"?

Although "The Elephant Man" is based on a true story, it is...

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 15:07:50 PST

Although "The Elephant Man" is based on a true story, it is classified as a melodrama. A melodrama is a writing where there is a conflict between two characters who act as the personification of good and evil. Most of the time they end happily and utilize sensationalism. There is also an alienation effect in the book, which makes the reader keep at a distance from the main character, while at the same time strangely...

"The Elephant Man is classified as a melodrama, which are plays in...

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 12:07:02 PST

"The Elephant Man is classified as a melodrama, which are plays in which the plot offers a conflict between two characters who personify extremes of good and evil."Merrick is the extreme of good and Ross, the manager of the freak show the representation of evil. For a complete explanation of the literary devices used click on the link below.

Literary Techniques in "The Elephant Man"?

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 08:46:10 PST

What are some literary techniques in The Elephant Man?ex.irony,suspense, symbolism, etc.

The central character of The Elephant Man is John Merrick. He suffers...

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 15:46:35 PST

The central character of The Elephant Man is John Merrick. He suffers from a condition called Proteus Syndrome and he is hideous to behold with large growths growing out of his head. John is intelligent and sensitive which is demonstrated in his ability to appreciate and discuss Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Despite his deformity, Merrick has compassion, understanding, and depth.The other major character in the play is Dr. Treves who...

Who are the main characters in "The Elephant Man?"

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 14:14:52 PST

Who are the main characters in "The Elephant Man?"

John Merrick, a victim of Proteus Syndrome, is considered a freak of...

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 21:57:53 PST

John Merrick, a victim of Proteus Syndrome, is considered a freak of nature. He is being exhibited byRoss, a carnival manager when he is rescued by Fredrick Treves, who pays to study Merrick's condition. Treves then exploits Merrick himself, using him as a model while he shows slides of his deformities at a lecture. Merrick is abandoned in Brussels by Ross when he becomes a liability. Alone in London, he is found by a policeman who...

What is the summary of "The Elephant Man?"

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 09:53:30 PST

What is the summary of "The Elephant Man?"

Like Linda's example, mine isn't exactly Merrick-worthy, but I am 6 ft...

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 15:40:13 PST

Like Linda's example, mine isn't exactly Merrick-worthy, but I am 6 ft tall, unusual for a woman. I don't think too much about it, but I still get asked quite often how tall I am. Sometimes I reply, "Six feet. How much do you weigh?" That shuts them up. My daughter is eleven and (as many of you know) has autism. A while back we were in Target and she saw a little person. As she usually says exactly what she thinks,...

Society is still very much obsessed with the abnormal, the absurd, the...

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 11:17:48 PST

Society is still very much obsessed with the abnormal, the absurd, the different. Another example of this is with circuses and traveling shows that were very popular. Often, these included "freakish" people, like "The Bearded Lady," etc., that attracted lots of attention. These displays were degrading, yes. I don't think the fascination with this type of thing will ever wane.

I agree. My sister has a cluster of freckles that cover half of her...

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 10:18:05 PST

I agree. My sister has a cluster of freckles that cover half of her forehead. That's nothing at all like what John Merrick or people with the same disease have to deal with. But people have stared at it so long and asked so many questions about it that she is extremely self-conscious. For years she used a special makeup that covers "imperfections." Now she always covers it with her bangs.

I agree with you, Linda. My students always say as we read...

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 10:12:24 PST

I agree with you, Linda. My students always say as we read Frankenstein that they would befriend him and the novel wouldn't have ended so violently, but I don't agree. I think we would be just a scared of him and react just as brutally toward him...think of SHREK..."Grab your pitchforks!"...or Edward Scissorhands. It hasn't changed much, has it? We fear what we don't understand, but we have a morbid curiosity about it.

No, we're not any different. Just last month the National Geographic...

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 06:46:30 PST

No, we're not any different. Just last month the National Geographic Channel (of all places!) had a show called "The Girl with 8 Limbs." I think it is curiosity more than sympathy that makes us want to see people who are different.