Social Rejection in the Film The Elephant Man

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The Elephant Man is a moving film, based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, a man born with a prevalent deformity and dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this film, John Merrick is initially portrayed as an imbecile and is consequently placed in a circus freak show, where he is ridiculed as a result of his deformity and is abused by his manager. However, his life takes a turn for the better when he becomes acquainted with Dr. Treves and is introduced to a new lifestyle, dissimilar to what he had endured throughout his life. He commences the construction of a model church and develops a close friendship with Dr. Treves, who introduces him to kindness, love, and companionship. After being tortured and taken from the hospital by his former manager, Merrick is reminded of the terrible life which he had lived, prior to meeting Treves. He overcomes many obstacles in returning to the hospital, where he dies from trying to conform to being a normal person. One of the key themes in this film is societal rejection, which John Merrick is subjected to, and with the help of Treves, is able to surpass. The bag that Merrick wears over his head in public, the church model which he builds, and the nature of his death are all interrelated symbols of the overall theme of societal rejection. When out in public, Merrick is subjected to wearing a bag over his head, in order to prevent him from frightening people. This bag symbolizes societal rejection because the confinement of Merrick inside the small vicinity of the bag shows that he is isolated and excluded from society. The fact that he cannot show his face in public demonstrates that he is unaccepted in society and is segregated from being a part of everyone else, thus fosteri... ... middle of paper ... ... own feelings towards himself. Some of the symbols in the movie that are interrelated to the theme of societal rejection are the church model that Merrick builds in the hospital, the bag that he is required to wear over his head in public, and the event of his death, in which he died trying to fit into society. The phase of completion that the church model is in correlates the degree of happiness that Merrick has in his life at certain points throughout the movie. The bag that he is forced to wear over his head symbolizes confinement and societal rejection that Merrick faces when among society. His death is a symbol of longing to feel included; as he recognizes that he is different and tries to assimilate in order to overcome societal rejection. These three major symbols depict the central theme of societal rejection that Merrick is subjected to throughout the film.

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