Response to the Elephant Man: film analysis and interpretation

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Jack Merrick's suicide

Jack Merrick, the central character in David Lynch's "The Elephant Man," is meant to express a series of feelings, most of them related to marginalization and seclusion. Merrick's principal role in nineteenth century London was that of entertaining people by allowing them to see his physical disabilities. It is not difficult to understand society made him feel about himself, considering that mostly everyone perceived him as a freak of nature. John Hurt, the actor playing Merrick, managed to present viewers with an astonishing performance, particularly considering the fact that he had to wear a mask while acting. The general plot of the film introduces the audience with the concept of hopelessness, despite Treves' determination to prove otherwise. Merrick's suicide is an act of liberation and viewers are most likely to sympathize with the gesture because the protagonist deserves it and because it is the only way for him to escape society's prejudice.

Society typically excludes people because of their failure to resemble the majority. Whether if it is part of the natural selection process or whether the general public simply wants people to have as little flaws as possible, individuals who are different are not respected. Disabled people have trouble integrating, and, depending on the severity of their condition, they are more or less likely to be appreciated for who they really are. It only seems natural for employers, for example, to want their employees to be perfectly healthy, as this increases production. Jack Merrick is the ideal example of a disabled individual who is marginalized as a result of his physical appearance. Most people that he interacts with, ranging from Bytes to the night porter at the hospital, see him as a freak of nature and are unhesitant about exploiting him any way that they can.

Suicide is generally regarded as being an extreme act and people who commit it are considered to be irrational. While it is difficult to determine whether or not suicide is justified in some cases, one can easily understand Merrick's strength of mind when he decided to end his life. It is because of his fate that he came to the conclusion that it was not safe for him to live anymore. The surrounding environment, society, and his physical appearance all made it impossible for him to experience pleasant feelings. Even if he came close to feeling as if he had a family when Treves asked him to join him and his family to the afternoon tea, his later experiences were essential in influencing him to consider that it was very important for him to put an end to his life. In addition to doing something that would benefit himself by ending his life, Merrick also benefited society by doing so, as this was virtually the fruit of the marginalization process that he was subjected to. This was what the world wanted from him and from others like him -- to leave society in order to make room for individuals who had little to no defects. Society's position in regard to Merrick practically defines the concept of discrimination, as people did not appreciate him as a result of his physical handicap and were unwilling to accept him as a bona fide member of society.