Response to "The Elephant Man": analysis and interpretation

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Marginalization in The Elephant Man

David Lynch's 1980 motion picture The Elephant Man puts across an episode in nineteenth century England involving discrimination based on social class and appearance. The storyline revolves around Frederick Treves, a surgeon who had come across a curious case and who expresses particular interest in finding out more regarding it. John Merrick suffers from an intriguing medical condition and it stands as the reason for which he is harshly treated by most of the people that he interacts with. In spite of showing obvious discrepancy between social classes, the film demonstrates that lower and upper class people are united by their bizarre determination to observe and discriminate individuals displaying a visible disability.

From the very first scenes of the motion pictures viewers are presented with the difference between Treves and Bytes (the violent individual in charge of Merrick). Treves appears to be sensible to Merrick's suffering and directly contrasts Bytes, who is unable to perceive the fact that the "monster" that he exploits is actually a human being. One might be inclined to consider that social class is influential in determining how each of the two individuals acts. The fact that Bytes considers Merrick to be an imbecile while Treves wants to care for him further contributes to the belief that upper class individuals are better at understanding people and are against discrimination. Conversely, Bytes accuses Treves of wanting to steal his main attraction and emphasizes the fact that the doctor is not very different from him, as he too is interested in exploiting Merrick. As the action progresses viewers understand Treves' sincerity and come to acknowledge the fact that the doctor is simply concerned about Merrick's well-being, especially given that he takes the "monster" home to his family.

London's elegant parks and houses in the late nineteenth century were contrasted by the slums at the periphery of the city similar to how Treves' determination to assist Merrick was contrasted by Bytes' inhumanity. Treves considered that one of the best methods of helping Merrick was to introduce him to members of the upper class, as he believed that their intellectual character would assist them in seeing beyond the patient's deformity. However, it gradually becomes obvious that Merrick's fate in the hospital was not very different from his life in the streets. Although they appear concerned about the patient's condition, most of the people who come to see Merrick do so because they perceive him as a freak. His sophistication is actually ridiculed both by upper and lower class individuals, as they are unable to see the man that he really is.