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The Elephant Man

by Bernard Pomerance · 1979

"The Elephant Man" is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man, who has been a freak attraction in traveling side shows, is found… more

6 quotes ★ 4.10 (11,526) Classics

Quotes from the Book

He has seen enough of daily evil to be thankful for small goods that come his way.
11
Sometimes I think my head is so big because it is so full of dreams. Because it is.
8
Before I spoke with people, I did not think of all these things because there was no one to bother to think them for. Now things just come out of my mouth which are true.
5
To live with his physical hideousness, incapacitating deformities and unremiting pain is trial enough, but to be exposed to the cruelly lacerating expressions of horror and disgust by all who behold him -- is even more difficult to bear. [...] For in order to survive, Merrick forces himself to suffer these humiliations, I repeat, humiliations, in order to survive, thus he exposes himself to crowds who pay to gape and yawp at this freak of nature, the Elephant Man.
4
The artist expresses his love through his works. That is civilization.
2
TREVES: Plato believed this was all a world of illusion and that artists made illusions of illusions of heaven. MERRICK: You mean we are all just copies? Of originals? TREVES: That’s it. MERRICK: Who made the copies? TREVES: God. The Demi-urge. MERRICK (goes back to work): He should have used both hands shouldn’t he?
1

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About Bernard Pomerance

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About the book

"The Elephant Man" is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man, who has been a freak attraction in traveling side shows, is found abandoned and helpless and is admitted for observation to Whitechapel, a prestigious London hospital. Under the care of a famous young doctor, who educates him and introduces him to London society, Merrick changes from a sensational object of pity to the urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati. But his belief that he can become a man like any other is a dream never to be realized.

Book details

First published
1979
Goodreads rating
4.10 (12k ratings)
The Elephant Man The Elephant Man Bernard Pomerance Get the book
1979·★ 4.10 (12k)
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