Chapter 19

Chapter 19

When Treves arrives back at the hospital with John, the only thing that he lets go for is Mothershead when she yells for him. Mothershead grew more gentle towards John and this made him less nervous. Carr-Gomm was glad to see John back but he became fearful when he saw how John's condition had worsened. A little while later, John went to see a play at the theater in Alexandra's private box. He took Treves, Mothershead, and Nora along with him. He very much enjoyed the play and the night all together. After the play, the audience gave John a standing ovation because Mrs. Kendal told them that he was there. Later that night, John sat and thought about the things that had happened to him. He then decided that he would try to sleep on his back although he knew that he should not sleep like that. Soon after, he saw his mother and he knew that she had finally come for him.

I love how they take John out for the night and take him to the theater.
This truly shows how happy John is with his life in London.
I love how Mrs. Kendal has the crowd give him a standing ovation, she is a true friend to John.
I am not too sure how I feel about John's death, I feel like he knew he would be at peace if he died and that his life would never become bad again.
I am glad that he left the world at the happiest time of his life because then he will always be happy.

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

John makes his journey back to London so that he can be reunited with Treves. When he reaches London, he starts a commotion with a boy and other people at the train station. Men corner John in the bathroom and he yells at them then passes out. A policeman then helps John and he gives him a card with Treves' name on it. Another officer is sent to get Treves and when he arrives, he is glad to see John.

I like how the policeman does not degrade John like everyone else and I like how he helps him.
It made when happy to see how happy Treves was to see John at the train station.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

John is taken on a journey to another circus where he is exhibted as a freak once again. His health starts to worsen and Bytes does everything he can with John in order to make money. After a while of John not being able to perform because of his condition, Bytes puts him in the monkey cage where he is attacked. The friends that John makes at the circus help him to escape Bytes and so does Tony.

I feel that Tony has been somewhat of a friend to John all along because he helps him escape Bytes.
I like that his friends at the circus help him get away because they know he was happier in London.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Renshaw rounds up his new group of people to take to see John. He tells the crowd that there is no more room for people until a man pays him money to see him. John is having a great time imagining the life he has created for himself until it is ruined by Renshaw. He and the crowd of people torture John for a long time. After they leave, John decides that he should get some sleep but he is visited by Bytes who steals him back. Treves comes in the next moring and he cannot find John and the porter tells him that he did not see him being taken away. He quickly goes and finds Renshaw but he also tells Treves that he does not know where he is. Mothershead then tells Renshaw that he is fired and Treves tells Carr-Gomm of John's disappearance.

At this point, I really hate Renshaw because he treats John like he is nothing.
I also hate how Bytes thinks he can just steal John back.

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

John was starting to become stronger and he did not need much help medically. He and Treves talked about the books he has read. They read a poem together and then John asks if Treves will be able to cure him and he tells him that he will not be able to. Nora then comes in with more supplies for John to work on his cardboard cathedral and he and Treves talk about it. John then tells Treves that he would like a dressing case and he tells him that he will try his best to get it for him. He tells his wife about it and she says that she will get the case for him. Carr-Gomm receives a lettter that no one is to know about and when the committe members arrive once again, he brings up the subject of John staying. The members become angry and they start to argure about it when all of a sudden the door opens and Princess Alexandra walks in. She then convinces the committee that he must stay there and they agree with her. Carr-Gomm and Treves then tell John the good news and he is super happy.

I love Alexandra sticks up for John and changes the committees mind.
John deserves a place to live and she gives that to him.
I also like how Carr-Gomm had everything set up, it shows that he is sneaky.

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

An article about Mrs. Kendal was put into a magazine that many important women read. This caused more and more people to come and visit John. Mothershead was unsure if these people came to see John or if they were there to make themselves look better. Treves likes that John is starting to open up towards other people. When Mothershead tells him her thoughts, he starts to think that he is just like Bytes. When he goes home and tells his wife this, she tells him that he is not like him. She explains that he has helped John more than anything.

I understand why Mothershead feels the way she does because it seems as though the people are only using John.

"Am I a good man or am I a bad man?" Treves asks his wife this because he feels as though he is turning into another Bytes, but she knows that John admires him.

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Treves and Carr-Gomm talk about John's mother but they both are unsure what to think about her. Nora is fulfulling her duties for the day when she notices that John is making a cardboard cathedral and they start to talk about it. John realizes that Nora is a beautiful woman and after she leaves, he hopes she comes back so that he can see her again. Later in the day, Mrs. Kendal comes to meet John and she gives him a signed picture of herself and he puts it next to the picture of his mother. They talk about the theater and then they read Shakespeare together.

"Why, Mr. Merrick," she said in a soft voice so that only he could hear, "you're not an Elephant Man at all..."
"Oh-no?"
"Oh no, no-you are Romeo." When Mrs. Kendal says this, it shows that someone finally sees John as a man other than the elephant man.

I think Mrs.Kendal is amazing for how she treats John. 

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Treves tries his hardest to convince his wife that John should be allowed in their home for the day. He tells her that it would mean a lot to John considering he has never been in a real home and he is not quite sure what one is really like. She argues with him some, but soon she says that he can come. John gets dressed up in nice clothing and he soon departs for tea at Treves' home. When he meets Treves' wife, he start to cry because he thinks that she is a kind and beautiful woman. They soon start to have their tea and they make small talk about the pictures of their family. John then shows them a picture of his mother and Treves does not know what to think because he did not know that John had this picture.

"I'm very..." Merrick's voice wavered, "I'm very..." The next moment, to the horror of both his hosts, he had burst into violent sobs. This shows how happy John is to have Treves' wife be nice to him.

I like that she is nice to him and realizes how great he is. 

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Treves saw a great improvement in the wounds on John's body and he even noticed that his bronchitus was starting to go away. Treves' wife yelled at him one night because he left a copy of the newspaper out and their daughter read it. Treves did not see the big deal about it, but she did so he fixed the issue. While talking things over with his daughter, he asked her is John could have her copy of  Alice in Wonderland and she gladly said he could. He starts to worry that they will not get enough money to keep John at the hospital. One night when he is at dinner with his coworkers, they start to joke about John and this makes Treves angry to the point where he storms out. Treves takes John the book and he is very thankful that Treves brought it for him. Renshaw is at the pub but this time, he has a visitor who is only trying to get information from him. Tony figures out that he is taking people to see John and he goes back to tell Bytes. Treves went to the hospital early the next morning and goes to see John's new room. He realizes that there is a mirror on the wall and he quickly takes it down. He then goes to get John and when they go into the new room John is amazed and extremely happy. John asks Treves if he can go to a lighthouse the next time he is moved but he tells him that he will not be moved again.

I like how they gave John a new room because it makes him happy.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Both Treves and Carr-Gomm enter the committee meeting with a small amount of hope that the elephant man will be allowed to stay there. Their idea is quickly shot down by the committee and they try to protest. Carr-Gomm decided to write a letter to the newspaper in order to try and receive donations from the society. He knew that many important people read this newspaper and he figured they would be generous donors. One of these important people, was an actress by the name of Madge Kendal and after reading the letter, she decided she wanted to meet John Merrick, the elephant man.

"I'd very much like to meet that gentleman," she said to herself. "He sounds almost...Shakespearean." This shows that Mrs. Kendal has an interest in meeting John.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Treves is examining the elephant man's bad hip and when he asks him how he got injured, the elephant man tells him. Treves knows that it is hard for him to talk about himself, so he is glad to see that he is. They talk about the elephant man's past more and Treves learns a lot more about him. When the elephant man is done telling Treves everything, he then goes to tell Carr-Gomm everything he has learned about the elephant man. They both feel sorry for the elephant and Carr-Gomm then decides that he should be moved to a better room in the hospital and both men discuss the meeting with the committee.

"Can you imagine what his life has been like?" he said.
"Yes, I think I can."
Carr-Gomm swung round. "No, you can't!" he said with quiet savagery. "You can't begin to know. No one can." This shows where Carr-Gomm starts to feel more sympathetic towards the elephant man. 

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Treves is at home and his wife is trying to get his attention. He is not paying attention to her because he is focused on the progress he made with the elephant man. He then tells her all about what they had done that say and what he had taught the elephant man. She is not too sure how she feels about the work he is doing with the elephant man and they have a conversation about it. Renshaw takes his first person to see the elephant man and he scares the woman. When the elephant man tries to hide under the bed Renshaw laughs. Treves' wife wakes up to find him gone because he left early for work. When he gets to the hospital, he starts by teaching the elephant man a verse from the Bible. After that, they practice the things Treves had taught him the day before and they prepare for Carr-Gomm's visit. When Carr-Gomm arrives, he and the elephant man have a conversation but he is not fully impressed. After he leaves the room, he hears the elephant saying the Bible verse and Treves says that he did not teach him that part. Carr-Gomm is shocked and both men reenter the room then start to ask the elephant man questions about his past to which he replies. Treves and Carr-Gomm then have a conversation about the elephant man and the things they did not know about him. Mothershead then goes into the elephant man's room and she asks him to recite the verse to her. When the elephant is alone in his room, he sits and thinks about the women he has seen working in the hospital and he thinks about how beautiful they are. That night, he takes out the picture he has of his mother and he admires it like always. After a short time, Renshaw bursts into his room and tortures him once again.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Treves heads to the hospital early and stops to grab breakfast before going to see the elephant man. When he enters the room, he notices that the elephant man is nowhere to be seen but then he notices that he is trying to hide by the bed. Treves tries to get him off the floor but the elephant man quickly returns himself to this spot. Mothershead then comes in and takes charge because the elephant man will listen to her more than Treves. Treves and Mothershead then have a conversation about how much time he should spend working with the elephant man. After she leaves, Treves decides to work with the elephant man on his talking and they make progress. He allows Mothershead to see the progress they made and then he decides that the committee needs to see him because they might allow him to stay at the hospital. He then goes to talk to Carr-Gomm about the situation but he is sure that the committe will not allow him to stay. When Treves leaves Carr-Gomm's office, he notices Bytes coming towards him and they start to have an argument over the elephant man and who he belongs to. Once the argument starts to go too far, Carr-Gomm steps in and tells Bytes that the elephant man is no longer his and then he leaves. After the confrontation, Carr-Gomm agrees to meet the elephant man the next day.

I like how Carr-Gomm changes his mind about the elephant man after seeing how evil is owner was.
I think it is fantastic that Treves takes his time to teach the elephant man how to talk.
I feel as if the elephant will start to open up more. 

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jim Renshaw is a man who likes to drink and enjoys having the company of woman. He drinks at the bar before he goes to work at the hospital. He picks on his coworker because he likes to have a good laugh. His coworker tells him about the elephant man and Renshaw becomes curious. He checks to make sure no one is in the hospital and then he starts to make his rounds. He stops in the women's ward and finds a beautiful girl. He then takes advantage of her being in some metal apparatus and rapes her. When he is done with her, he makes his way to the isolation ward to find the elephant man. When he sees the elephant man he is shocked but then he realizes what he could do with the elephant man and this changes his outlook.

Renshaw is a disgusting man who takes things for granted.
I feel as if he is going to use the elephant man in order to entertain himself and others and also to make money. 

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nurse Nora Ireland is doing her best to avoid Mrs. Mothershead as she completes her tasks of the morning. She knows that Mothershead does not like her, but she is not too sure why. Nora spots Treves coming down the hallway with the elephant man but she does not think much of it. After delivering food trays to patients, she wonders what could be wrong with the man who was with Treves. Treves takes the elephant man to the isolation ward in the attic of the hospital so that no one will disturb him there. He then goes to the cafeteria and gets breakfast for the elephant man because he feels that he should a better meal than potatoes and water. Soon after, he is stopped by the chairman of the hospital Mr. Carr-Gomm, who makes small talk with him. Treves then asks Nora to take breakfast to the elephant and tells her not to be afraid of him. Mr. Carr-Gomm's history is talked about and then Treves tells Carr-Gomm about how he admitted the elephant man into the hospital. Treves and Carr-Gomm talk about the elephant man some more before they are interrupted by a high-pitched scream from Nora and Treves takes off towards the isolation ward. He then asks Nora to get Mothershead and to have her knock before she can come in the room. Treves tries to have another small conversation with the elephant man but he gets no response yet again. Mothershead then comes up and Treves introduces her to the elephant man. Nora brings up another breakfast tray to replace the one she had dropped on the floor when she was scared by the elephant man and Mothershead asks her to bring up supplies so she can give the elephant man a bath. Mothershead then feeds and bathes the elephant man with as little trouble as possible. While bathing him, Treves and Mothershead talk about the elephant man and Treves examines him some more.

I feel as though Nora is scared of the elephant man because she will warm up to him later.
Mothershead will always tell Nora what to do no matter how much closer they become.
Carr-Gomm seems like the type of man who will stand up for what he believes in. 

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mr. Bytes and his helper Tony are talking about Treves. Tony explains that he was given two shillings because Treves would be keeping the elephant man longer than he usually does. Bytes is afraid that Treves will no longer want to see the elephant man and this means no more money for him. The elephant man is eating his meal of water and potatoes and Bytes does not like the sounds he is making due to the fact that he cannot close his mouth. This makes Bytes angry and he starts to beat the elephant man. When he is done, he tells Tony to go get Treves. When Treves arrives, Bytes accuses him of causing the elephant man pain and suffering but Treves knows what really happened. Treves then tells Bytes that the elephant man belongs in the hospital but he tries to protest. Treves then makes it clear that the elephant no longer belongs to Bytes and he takes him with him.

I like how Treves basically tells Bytes that he does not deserve to have the elephant man.
I am worried that Bytes might try and hurt the elephant after Treves takes him.
"Gently he took the massive head in his hands and drew in backwards." This shows that Treves will always be gentle and kind towards the elephant man. 

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mrs. Mothershead is a nurse at the London Hospital and she taught most of the other nurses that worked under her order. She is a strict woman who tries her hardest to keep her mind on her work and away from the commotion of the hospital. Mrs. Mothershead is the first of the hospital staff to see the elephant man and his smell is the only quality that disturbs her due to the fact that she can not see what he really looks like. The cabman that has brought the elephant man tells her that he is there to see Dr. Treves and she quickly goes to get him. Treves comes out and thanks to cabman and then asks the elephant man to come with him but he does not respond to Treves in any way. Mothershead then uses her commanding voice in order to get him to go with Treves. Both men climb the stairs to Treves' office and it takes them a while because the elephant cannot move too well. After getting settled in the office, Treves tries to talk to the elephant man but does not get any response. He is soon interrupted by one of his coworkers and they talk about the elephant man but Treves tells him to keep quiet about him. He then examines the elephant man and takes more notice to the disfigurations of his body. He continues to have these meetings with elephant man for several days and then he talks about him at a conference. After the conference, he receives his congratulations from many people and then he sends the elephant man back to Bytes. Treves then returns home for the night and talks to his wife about the evening he had.

Mothershead is strict and hard working.
I feel as though Mothershead will be a big help with the elephant man.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Dr. Treves is performing an operation at the London Hospital where he works as a surgeon. He is working on his patient and talking with his colleagues when the boy from the fun-fair interrupts. He informs Treves that he has found the exhibit. He quickly asks the boy where he found him, pays him, and takes off towards his destination. When he gets to the shop where the creature is being kept, he asks a boy where its owner his and the boy goes to get him. The boy soon comes back with the man and the man asks Treves what he wants. Treves explains that he only wants to his this exhibit and that he would give him a good amount of money in order to see it. After talking with the man who is called Bytes, Treves is finally able to go inside and see the creature. The two men and the boy make their way into the basement of the shop and Bytes gives his speech about the exhibit before allowing Treves to see. When he pulls back the curtain, Treves sees that the only normal part on the creature is its left arm and he tries to take a better look. The elephant man does not seem to listen to its owner when he tells it what to do until he uses force. Treves notices the growths on the elephant man and also notices the disfigurations of his skull. Treves then tells Bytes that he has seen all he could in the basement and this somewhat confuses Bytes. He then explains that he would like to borrow the elephant man in order to examine him more closely and tells Bytes that he will pay him. Treves says that he would like to see the elephant man the next day and Bytes tells him that he will have him ready and at the hospital.

Bytes is a money hungry guy who is willing to do anything for money.
It angers me that Bytes treat the elephant man the way that he does.
"Life is full of surprises. Ladies and gentlemen, consider the fate of this creature's poor mother. In the fourth month of her maternal condition, she was struck down by a wile elephant." Bytes leered. "Struck down, if you take my meaning, on an uncharted African isle. The result is plain to see, ladies and gentlemen-the terrible Elephant Man." This shows that Bytes will say anything in order to get people interested in the elephant man. He is only interested in the money he will receive and nothing else.

Chaper 1

Chapter 1

The first chapter of this novel starts off with Dr. Frederick Treves. Dr. Treves is at the fun-fair with his family and he wonders into the freak tent. He soon realizes that most of the exhibits are fakes until a man makes him aware of another exhibit that is terrifying. Treves makes his way into the crowd so that he can see this appalling creature. He fights to get in between other people who are running away from the horrific scene but he cannot get a full view of what this "thing" truly is due to the policemen in the way. He catches a glimpse of the creature as the curtain is pulled down and he wishes to see more of it but he cannot. He notices a boy staring at the poster of this so-called Elephant Man and he gives the boy money to find the creature for him. Treves soon meets with his wife and daughters and the one daughter asks to go in the freak tent and both parents say she is not allowed. After arguing with his daughter, his wife asks him if he has found what he has been looking for and he tells her that he is not sure but he will find it soon.

I feel that Dr. Treves can be described curious at this point in the story.
His wife Anne can be seen as a protective mother.
At first I was unsure as to why the exhibitor did not want to close his exhibit but then I learned that it is his livelihood.
I also did not understand how some creature could be so frightening, but after reading Treves' description I understand.
I feel that Treves will find the elephant man.