e to experience them. Merrick's disease was once thought to be a result of his mother being attacked by an elephant when she was pregnant, thus he received the name Elephant Man. Merrick was sent away to a factory to work as a very young child. There he was treated horribly and abused. Later a man took him in and brought him to a carnival were he was a side freak show. People payed money to look at him and be frightened. There he was also abused. He was treated as if he was an animal, but this was the only way of life he new and understood. Towards the end of Merrick's life he was befriended by a well respected doctor, Frederick Treves. With the help of the police Dr. Treves took Merrick out of the carnival and gave him a home in a hospital in London. Because the hospital was caring for such a person, they received large contributions. Many believe this is the only reason they helped Merrick. At first they had trouble because no one could care for Merrick because everyone was horrified of him, but they eventually found an actress who could do it. As they cleaned Merrick up he proved to be a highly intelligent, and sensitiva man. He was introduced to many people during his stay at the hospital. He met actors, doctors, and even some royalty. As Merrick grew more and more to be like the rest of society, he grew weaker and weaker. All John Merrick ever wanted was to be like everyone else, but in the end this was said to be the disease that killed him.Part of what makes the play so great is that it functions on theatrical, emotional, literary, and metaphorical levels. Because the actor who plays Merrick's character uses no costume the play becomes very theatrical. The actor has to express himself through his actions deeply in order for the audience to understand the severeness of hid deformities. The story behind Merrick and the way people treated him simply because of the way he looked causes the play to become very e...
