LITERATURE ESSAY- THE ELEPHANT MAN

ESSAY 1-LESSON
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, write about an important
lesson that you have learned from the story. Provide evidence from the text to
support your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, an important lesson
that I have learned from The Elephant Man is we must not judge people by how
they look because personality is more important than physical appearance. In the
novel, this value is portrayed by several characters such as Dr Treves, his young lady
friend, and Queen Alexandra.

Dr Treves treats Merrick like a man and not a strange creature. He feels sad
after looking at him sitting alone in a dark, smelly room. He takes Merrick to the
London Hospital to examine him. Dr Treves tells the hospital chairman about
Merrick so that they could provide him a place to stay in tine hospital.

DrTreves's friend, a beautiful young lady, smiles and greets him. She
addresses him as 'Mr Merrick' and shakes his hand. She is not disgusted by his ugly
body. When Merrick cries for nearly five minutes, she puts her hand on his arm.

Queen Alexandra also does not judge Merrick by his appearance. She visits
him in the hospital. Even though she is a royalty, she smiles and greets him and
even shakes his hand. She gives him gifts such as books and flowers and even sends
a picture of herself. She regularly visits him like a true friend as she is able to
discover Merrick's true personality behind his grotesque body.

Therefore, I have learned that we must not judge people by how they look.
Every one of us is unique in our own way. We should emphasize and value the inner
beauty of people rather than just their physical appearance.

ESSAY 2- THEME

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, write about a theme that is
meaningful to you. Provide evidence from the text to support your response.
 Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, the theme of
perseverance is meaningful to me as it gives me encouragement when facing
difficulties in life.

In the novel, Merrick encounters a lot of challenges from the time he was a
child but he manages to deal with them and perseveres. However hard it may be,
he struggles and earns a living by becoming an exhibit item known as the Elephant
Man under the care of Simon Silcock. Silcock puts him in a small, dark, smelly room.
People can pay two pence to see the Elephant Man and laugh at him. Merrick has
to endure Silcock's mistreatment on a daily basis. However, Merrick perseveres in
order to earn a living.

At the hospital, the nurses treat him like a strange creature. Yet, he
maintains a gentle heart. He feels sorry for the nurse who is frightened by his
appearance instead of being angry with her.

He also reads a lot in order to learn and improve. He makes things with his
hands and gives them to the nurses.

When Silcock deserts him in Belgium after taking his earnings of £50,
Merrick does not lose hope. He returns to London by train and ship all by himself.

Therefore, it is important to persevere when facing difficulties in life and not

give up easily.

ESSAY 3- IMPORTANT EVENT

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, write about an event that
becomes a turning point in the life of a main character/an important event in the
story. Provide evidence from the text to support your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, an event that becomes
a turning point in the life of a main character in The Elephant Man is Queen
Alexandra's visit to the hospital.

The Queen treats Merrick like a gentleman. They sit and talk and become
friends. This event changes Merrick's life significantly. Merrick is overjoyed that he
sings for the first time. He also writes the first letter of his life to the Queen after
receiving her picture as a Christmas present. The picture is the first Christmas
present in his life. It is a memorable Christmas for Merrick as his memory of
Christmas with his mother is vague.

In his letter to the Queen, he mentions that he is a very happy man. He

enjoys his life as a normal person now. Merrick has a social life and his books. The
Queen's visit has also given Merrick the confidence to see the world outside the
hospital. He goes to see a play at the theatre. With the help of Mrs Kendal, Merrick
and Dr Treves enter the theatre through the Queen's door and sit in the box at the
side of the theatre to avoid the public from seeing Merrick.

He also gets the opportunity to stay in the countryside during summer for six
weeks. He enjoys nature and becomes friends with the birds, fish, and a dog. He
enjoys his new-found freedom.

However, this confidence of being treated like a human might have caused
his death. Merrick tries to sleep on his back like any other person and breaks his
neck in the process. This leads to his unfortunate death.

ESSAY 4-ENDING
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, do you like the ending of the
story? Provide evidence from the text to support your response.

I do not like the ending of The Elephant Man as it ends on a sad note. It is sad
to see Merrick die in the end when he tries to sleep on his back. I expected Merrick
to live happily till he grows old because he has started to live a normal life.

He has a place to live for the rest of his life. He does not need to earn a living
working as an exhibit item any more. He has developed his social circle, and he is
treated kindly and warmly by his friends. He is no longer lonely. He even begins to
venture out the hospital to explore the outside world. He watches a children's
Christmas play at the theatre and stays in the countryside for six weeks. It is after
this time that he thinks he is becoming more human, and that he can sleep like a
normal person, but he does not realise that he cannot do so.

It was definitely tragic to read that Merrick's strong desire to become like
one of us caused his unfortunate death. He lies on his back to sleep and dies as his
heavy head breaks his neck. This was really an unexpected twist in the ending and
I was filled with sadness. However, after reading the letter Mr Carr Gomm wrote to
the Times to announce Merrick's death, I felt happy that the money donated to
Merrick will be given to the London Hospital so that it will be put to use in a
beneficial way.

ESSAY 5- PLOT (HOW MUCH MERRICK’S LIFE HAD CHANGED)

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, which part of the story do
you think showed how much Merrick’s life had changed? Provide evidence from
the text to support your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, the part of the story
which I think showed how much Merrick’s life had changed started at the hospital.

One day, Dr Treves took his friend, a beautiful young woman, to Merrick's
room. She smiled at him and shook his hand. Merrick stared at her in surprise, and
then he cried for nearly five minutes. The lady sat beside him and put her hand on
his arm. She said nothing but she smiled and shook his hand again before she left.
That was the first time a woman had treated Merrick like a person.

Merrick remembered that his mother had smiled at him once many years
ago. But no women had smiled at him since then. This lady friend visited him a
couple of times. She talked to Merrick, gave him some books and even brought a
friend to visit him. Merrick was very happy.

A lot of important ladies and gentlemen visited him. Merrick liked talking to
these people and he began to forget about his ugly body. He began to feel more
like a man and less like a creature.

I think these events showed how much Merrick's life had changed.

ESSAY 6- CHARACTER
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, write about a character you
like the most from the story. Provide evidence from the text to support your
response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, a character I like
the most is Merrick. He was deformed and ugly but he was a good person. He did
not think badly of people and in his innocent, child-like way he was so touched
when people showed him simple acts of kindness. Merrick remembered his mother
fondly and was not angry with her for giving him away. He was soft and sensitive.
 Moreover, he was intelligent and could interact well with people when he
was given the opportunity. He was appreciative and thankful. He never took things
for granted and always thanked those who were kind to him. He was creative and
made small gifts for the nurses who cared for him. Even in the incident when the
new nurse ran out of his room screaming in fear, he was not angry but felt sorry for
her.

Merrick enjoyed simple pleasures like reading, talking to people, going to

the theatre and staying in the country. He loved the animals and enjoyed them
because they did not judge him or treat him badly.

He wanted so much to be like other people. Unfortunately when he tried to

sleep like other people, his neck broke and he died. I feel very sorry for Merrick
who suffered through no fault of his own.

ESSAY 7- LESSON
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, write about an important
lesson that you have learned from the story. Provide evidence from the text to
support your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, I have learnt that we
should not treat people badly just because they look different and are less
fortunate. Someone who is ugly, badly dressed or different, may not be a bad
person. We should treat people the way we want them to treat us. A person like
Merrick, who was deformed and ugly, suffered because of his deformity. People
did not realise that inside that ugly body was a man who felt the shame and pain
that we would feel if we were in his place.

I hate to think of how poor Merrick felt when he was treated badly. People
laughed at him and were afraid of him. He was miserable and thought of living in a
lighthouse or a home for blind people so that people would not see him. He thought
of himself as a creature and not a man.

However, things changed for the better when he met people who treated
him well. Merrick behaved differently. He had more confidence and enjoyed talking
with people. He made new friends and was happy. From this we can see that when
we treat people well, it brings out the best in them.
ESSAY 8- CHARACTER
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, why do you think life was
difficult for Merrick? Provide evidence from the text to support your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, life was difficult
for Merrick because he was born deformed. His head was enormous and his skin
hung down from his face and neck to his body. He could not smile or show any
expression because his skin was so tight and could not move. He looked more like
an elephant than a man. His right arm was very huge, his right hand was like a man's
foot, and a huge tooth stuck out of his mouth. He could not walk well and needed
a stick.

When Dr Treves first saw Merrick, he was badly neglected - smelly, dirty and
treated like an animal. People laughed at him and were even afraid of him.

Merrick had been given away by his mother and his owner had made use of
him and later abandoned him. He had no money, no place to stay and no one to
care for him until Dr Treves helped him. I really felt very sorry for Merrick as I read
the story.

ESSAY 9-THEME
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, write about how kindness is
shown as a major theme the story. Provide evidence from the text to support
your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, there were many acts
of kindness shown especially towards Merrick.

First and foremost, Dr Treves was very kind to Merrick and helped him to
enjoy a happy life. He found a home for Merrick at the hospital and looked after
him well. He introduced Merrick to his friends, took him to the theatre and
arranged for Merrick to spend a holiday in the country.

The nurses were also kind to Merrick and helped take care of him. Many
other important people visited Merrick and this made him happy. The Queen too
visited Merrick, wrote to him and even gave him a present. This meant a lot to
Merrick. Mrs Kendal, a kind lady from the theatre, helped to arrange for Merrick's
visit to the theatre.
 When Mr Gomm, the Hospital Chairman, heard that Merrick could not continue
to stay in the hospital, he wrote to the editor of The Times newspaper. He managed
to get the kind readers to donate enough money for Merrick to live happily in the
hospital all his life. Merrick was always thankful when someone was kind to him.

ESSAY 10- CHANGE PLOT/ENDING

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, if you could change any part
of this story, which part would it be? Provide evidence from the text to support
your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, I would like to change
the ending of the story where Merrick dies. I think it would be a happy ending if Dr
Treves or some kind person who read about Merrick in the newspapers, could find
a cure for Merrick. Maybe some surgeon could volunteer to do surgery, part by
part, on Merrick so that he would look normal.

If this seems too unrealistic, I would like Merrick's mother to get in touch
with Merrick somehow. Perhaps she would hear about him from the newspapers
or from someone, and call up the hospital to say who she was. A meeting could be
easily arranged and Merrick would be so very happy. His mother too would be
happy as she would have never stopped wondering where her son was and how he
was doing.

ESSAY 11- RECOMMENDATION

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, would you recommend this
book to your friends? Provide reasons and evidence from the text to support your
response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, I would like to
recommend this book to my friends because it is an interesting story. The language
is simple and the story is easy to understand.

It is a story about a man called Merrick who was born very, very ugly
and had a sad life until a good person made a difference. Merrick was treated badly,
not cared for and really miserable. Dr Treves was a kind doctor who managed to
give Merrick a home in the hospital where he was comfortable and happy. Dr
Treves arranged for friends to visit Merrick. They gave him books to read and he
enjoyed chatting with them. It was the first time people were kind to him and
treated him well.
 When I read this book I realised how important it is to be kind to
others, especially to those who are less fortunate than us. This book has changed
me and I think my friends will be positively influenced by it as well.

ESSAY 12- CHARACTER

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, write about how Merrick
felt throughout the story. Provide evidence from the text to support your
response.

At first we see Merrick as a very unhappy man. His owner used him like a
showpiece. People paid to see him and laugh at him. He was dirty, smelly and
uncared for. He could not go out because people laughed at him and many were
even afraid of him. Even when he was first taken to the hospital, no one smiled him
or talked with him except Dr Treves. Merrick was miserable and lonely and felt
more like a creature than a man!

Dr Treves took an interest in Merrick and with Mr Gomm's help they got kind
donors to contribute enough money so Merrick could stay in the hospital all his life.
Dr Treves arranged for his friend, a beautiful young woman, to visit Merrick. She
smiled at him, shook his hand, sat beside him and put her hand on his arm. That
was the first time a woman had treated him like a person. She visited him a couple
of times, gave him some books and even brought a friend to visit him. Merrick was
very happy. A lot of important ladies and gentlemen visited him. Merrick liked
talking to these people and he began to forget about his ugly body.

I think this made the most difference in Merrick's life. He began to feel more
like a man and less like a creature.

ESSAY 13-OPINION
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, in your opinion, write about
what could have been done to make Merrick’s life better. Provide evidence from
the text to support your response.

Merrick was very happy in the hospital. He was a very interesting man who
was always appreciative of the kindness shown to him. Merrick met many
important people, including the Queen of England. He had many new friends and
enjoyed their visits. He went to the theatre and spent six weeks in the country
during the summer. However, he must still have felt lonely as he was very different
from other people.
 During his holiday in the country he seemed to enjoy the animals and even
made friends with a big dog. The animals did not view him as ugly or different. And
he loved nature and the greenery. I think he would have enjoyed having a pet. A
puppy, a kitten, some fish or birds would have been good company for Merrick.

Also since he loved flowers, he could have been encouraged to grow some
plants. He would have enjoyed watching the flowers bloom and feeling good that
he had contributed to their growth. He may even have been able to do some
painting since he was quite creative and made gifts for the nurses. I think Merrick
would have enjoyed having a pet, having some plants and doing some art.

ESSAY 14-PLOT
Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, do you think Merrick’s
holiday in the country was important to him? Provide evidence from the text to
support your response.

Based on the novel The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary, I think Merrick wanted
to go to the country. He had read about it in books but he had never been there. A
friend said Merrick could stay in a small house she had in the country. No people
lived near the house. A countryman brought food to the house daily but no people
came near it.

At night, it was dark and quiet. But in the morning there were birds singing
and everything looked green. Merrick loved it and walked around singing his
strange, happy song. Dr Treves returned to London but Merrick stayed there for six
weeks.

Merrick was very happy and every week he sent Dr Treves a letter describing
what he saw and did every day. He wrote about the stream and the beautiful noise
it made. Lots of birds went near him and he enjoyed feeding them. They soon
became his friends. He found the fish exciting because they moved so fast. He put
his hand in the water but could not touch them. He was not afraid of a big dog that
made a loud noise. The dog smelt his hand and he gave it some bread. Merrick felt
that the dog liked him. All this was very important for Merrick.

When Merrick returned to London, he looked well and his skin had improved.
He talked about the country a lot but he was happy to see his friends and his books
again. Merrick really benefited from his visit to the country.