The Elephant Man

Please consider the David Lynch film, The Elephant Man, to answer the following questions.

1. (A) Is John Merrick a Monster? In your answer, consider how you could use the following Areas of Knowledge to justify your claims.
a) History- The past has many monters that can be aquainted to. John Merrick is not a monster but because he is abnormal everyone assumes that he is evil and thus a monster. However this does not make him a monsters because of what he looks like, people just assume that he is a monster.

b) Natural Science- His diformaty is the reason why people assume that he is a monster. Just because his physical features are different does not mean that he is evil. People are afriad of what they don't know or assume to know.

c) Social Science- John Merrick never talks to anyone and only "understands" basic forms of commands even though he is very intelligient and chooses to ignore what people say about him.

d) The Arts- It would be said that John is a Monster because he is not like a human. Yet he is capable of creating a miniature church and thus has the human ability of "the Arts." This is why he is human and not a monster rather than being a monster.

1. (B) What is the counter-claim for each Area of Knowledge?
a- The past shows that monsters are abnormal and clearly John is abonormal thus he is a monster.
b- Because his is diformed people assume that he is not human and as our species thrived basically by the survival of the fitest enables people to assume that he is a monster.
c-John's choice of not talking gives people the sence that he is not human and thus a monster due to his lack of communication.
d-The Arts can be a good thing for a human but people would see his arts as a way to become part of the human society and they would exile him as a monster.'

2. John Merrick claimed, "I am not an animal, I am a human being?" What does he mean? How does he know?
He is human by birth and has human blood in him. His mother was human and so was his father. Therefore he is human. Due to his physical features though buts him as an animal in other people's minds. He knows that he is human because he had a picture of his mother who is human.

3. Dr. Treves claimed, "Am I a good man, or am I a bad man?" What does he mean? How does he know?
He means that he is reminded by the other man who had John as a circus freak who only used him to gain money and fame. Dr. Treves feels the same way because he is helping John but at the same time feels like he is using John as a way to become famous, just like the circus man.

4. What role does the herd mentality play in the film? Please be specific in your answers.
It shows that animals and mankind like to stay together in groups. Everything that has a group can stay in that group and feel like they have a purpose. However John is by himselp with no group to accociate with.

5. How did the community react to the different Monsters in the film? Please explain your answer.
They liked the man who used John as a way to make a living by entering John's home and showing him off to othre people. The man who was at the circus was treated differently because some people enjoyed seeing the elephant man and some didn't. The one's that didn't were mad at the circus man for keeping John in captivity.

6. John Merrick claims, "We are afraid of what we don't understand." Do you agree? Does this statement apply to the modern world or have we learned to treat perceived Monsters with dignity? Please be specific in your answer.
Yes this is true. Mankind has a way of always wanting to find the answer and when they are givin a problem that they do not know about they become afraid and thus is the case with John. They believe his is a monster. This applies to the modern world too because its basic human nature.