The Elephant Man : A Study in Human Dignity

Upon seeing the movie "The Elephant man" I was immediately possessed by an overwhelming urge to know how much of the movie was true, and how much was false. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book answered every question I had, and more. Ashley Montagu has researched the subject with such a tenacity that it truly boggles my mind that he was able to collect all this informationThough I respect the reviews of others here, I have to respectfully disagree with what some have said doubting the influence of his mother, for two reasons. The first and foremost being that Mr. Montagu gives more than enough information as to allow the reader to make their own informed decision, even if they do not agree with his views. The second reason being that the idea of Joseph's father being the shining beacon in young Joseph's life is very unlikely. Joseph Merrick's father let him be sent away to work at age 12. Keep in mind, a hip injury had left him practically lame, and he had almost no use of his right arm. One day his father beat him severely when he spent too much money, which money he earned himself, on food. There is no record of him making any attempt to recover Joseph when Joseph left home for good at the age of 14. (Mr. Treves thought Joseph's mother had sent him to the workhouses, however, Mr Montegu proves this assumption wrong) I would say that Mr Montegu places such importance on Joseph's mother simply because it seems quite impossible that such an importance could be ascribed to the father given the facts.To this day, I can not fathom Joseph Merrick; by all accounts, after everything that happened to him, he should have been bitter and spiteful to the core, yet he was was instead a shining example of courage, dignity, and the human spirit. This book illuminates that undying spirit in a way that is hard to describe. I would recommend this book to everybody.

A tragic and heroic documentary of a persons ability to prevail with grace over the most horrendous birth defect imaginable. I great read, I learned a lot.

Treves' writings I would give 5 stars, but the book as a whole I give 3.I would only recommend this book for the short story that Frederick Treves wrote and for the pictures, paintings, etc., that are in this book. I believe Ashley Montagu did an extreme disservice to John Merrick (Joseph as he likes to call him and was his given name, it seems). He also did quite the disservice to Treves. Using Treves' book, only to discredit him! It looks to me that Montagu only wanted to further his own book and his beliefs on people who can't quite come to grips with what John Merrick went through. It is unbelievable how much Montagu contradicts himself --- and he doesn't even seem to notice. He was boring ... and this is not the book I thought I was buying! Treves' story of the man he knew and helped, was so beautifully written, so real, and so touching. Montagu tries through out the book to almost say, "I am right and Treves is wrong." His findings have no proof. His logic makes no sense! Either Treves is a liar and Montagu is right --- or Treves is telling the truth and Montagu is just furthering his beliefs on people and because he thinks every person has to have a loving mom to be nice, etc. Treves had no reason to lie. All he says makes sense. I believe Treves without a doubt. I just wish there was more that he had written. Montagu would have you believe that John Merrick was only maltreated severely (if that) for a few years. Treves says it was all his life. There is no way that Montagu could be correct (and most of what he says has no proof) and for John Merrick to be who he was ... i.e. react to things as he did ... to not want to talk about the past, etc. A few years just isn't going to do to a person, what your whole life would ... meaning, being treated horribly, no love, no talking, no nothing ... a nightmare. John's earliest memory is the workhouse. How, then, could it not be of his mother, if what Montagu says is true that John had her up to almost eleven years old? Because it's not true!As you read Treves beautiful story of John Merrick ... don't let Montagu ruin it for you. Read it to see how much Montagu doesn't make sense, how it doesn't add up, and how he has no proof. Even the so called "Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick" supposedly by Merrick, has no proof of authorship! His handler could have written it, or told John what to write. Then, when you're done with the book, read only Treves again, and take in what Treves was telling us. What a humble, gentle, loving, true human being John Merrick was. And realize, that yes, anything is possible through the Lord ... and I believe the Lord was with John and that John trusted in the Lord, and that he is in Heaven today.The book is worth it to buy for the Treves story and the pictures. But that's all.

I used this book with my English students as we studied Frankenstein. It is a great companion piece to show the universal theme: Man's Inhumanity to Man.

The book shows the tragedy in the life of Joseph Merrick, carrying all his live, the deformities caused by the multiple neurofibromatosis. I'm looking for this book of Ashley Montagu, for more than 20 years.

this is what a was looking to reas for my researchYou expedite it in a record timeThank you

Excellent

El antropólogo Ashley Montagu editó en 1971 este libro en dónde nos dio por primera vez un vistazo a la vida real de la figura de Joseph Carey Merrick, mejor conocido en el sideshow victoriano como "El Hombre Elefante"."The Elephant Man: A Study In Human Dignity" es junto a "The Elephant Man And Other Reminiscenses" de Sir Trederick Treves, una de las bases para la película dirigida por David Lynch en 1980 e incluso, la obra de teatro de Bernard Pomerance, así como muchos otros relatos y homenajes en torno a la figura de Merrick.Ashley Montagu se preguntaba como es que un ser humano que ha sido vejado y maltratado desde la infancia puede conservar ese carácter amable, y seguir siendo una persona sin odio, e incluso mostrar bondad y gratitud hacia esa sociedad que lo ha humillado y segregado durante toda su existencia. En ello se centra esta obra. Recordemos que entonces aún no se editaba el libro de Michael Howell y Peter Ford "The True History Of The Elephant Man", que hasta entonces era la fuente de investigación más completa y confiable respecto a la verdadera historia de Joseph Merrick (esta obra se edito en 1980, es muy recomendable e incluso dejé una reseña del producto si lo buscan en la página de Amazon o en mi perfil).Montagu reivindica la figura de la madre de Joseph, Mary Jane Merrick (Potterton cuando soltera), de quien no se sabía nada al parecer, ya que según el relato biográfico de Sir Frederick Treves, su madre lo abandono desde niño en una de las llamadas workhouses en Leicester (su lugar de origen), y de como Treves la concebía como una mala y desnaturalizada mujer, y de como Joseph idealizaba el recuerdo de su madre como una abnegada y heroica mujer (Treves atribuía esto a la imaginación de Merrick ya que era un lector ávido de novelas románticas) de la cual conservaba un retrato de bolsillo (Treves también creía que era un objeto que Joseph habría encontrado por ahí y que adopto como suyo). En realidad, si tomamos en cuenta el relato de Sir Frederick Treves, es demasiado romántico al plasmar la vida de Merrick, aunque, no deja de ser excelso, aunque en ocasiones, poco objetivo debido a lo poco que hablo con Joseph acerca de sus primeros años, antes de vivir en la Workhouse o incluso de su vida como curiosidad ambulante (Joseph al parecer se negaba a contar demasiados detalles según el propio Treves, pero sin duda alguna, su amistad fue sólida a partir de aquel momento en que salvó su vida y se convirtió en su protector). Por cierto, se incluye en su totalidad el relato "The Elephant Man" de Sir Frederick Treves (capítulo 4).Regresando al punto principal, la teoría de Montagu acerca de como el amor maternal recibido desde la infancia puede hacernos conservar nuestra humanidad sin importar cuanto nos lastimen o nos vejen, es la figura central de su estudio. Por ello se dedica a reivindicar la figura materna de Mary Jane Merrick en uno de los capítulos. Sin duda, es una teoría muy interesante, y Montagu la expone de una manera muy completa.En está tercera edición (en realidad una de las numerosas reimpresiones de la tercera edición del año 1996), se agregan varios detalles que no estaban incluidos en la primera y segunda edición del mismo, como por ejemplo, los detalles de la enfermedad que sufría Joseph o bien, los cinco apéndices que se incluyen al final: "The Autobiography Of Joseph Carey Merrick" (escrita por él mismo, para venderla durante su exhibición), "Mrs. Kendal Account Of Joseph Merrick" (el fragmento incluido en la autobiografía de Madge Kendal, actriz de teatro británica y figura importante en la vida de Joseph), "Victor Hugo, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame And Multiple Neurofibromathosis" (un ensayo y comparativa entre el protagonista de dicha obra y el Hombre Elefante, así como el posible mal que afecto a ambos), "The Nature Of The Elephant Man Disorder" (Un estudio acerca de las posibles enfermedades que padeció Merrick, desde la elefantiasis, hasta el síndrome de Proteo) y "Death Of The Elephant Man" (Una carta enviada por el director del Hospital De Londres, Francis Car Gomm a The Times cuando falleció Joseph).Sin duda, una obra que quedó muy relegada una ves que se editó la obra de Howell y Ford, pero que aún es punto de referencia para conocer la realidad histórica de Joseph Carey Merrick, y como ya lo mencionaba, su importancia radica en como su nombre lo indica, ser un estudio en la dignidad humana.El único pero que le pondría al libro, es que es demasiado frágil, ya que se nota en la calidad de la encuadernación, así que tengan cuidado al leerlo... Afortunadamente, mi copia está intacta todavía. ¡¡¡Le doy 5 estrellas de calificación al producto!!!¡¡¡Producto 100 % recomendable para quienes estén interesados en El Hombre Elefante, la Inglaterra Victoriana y sus personajes!!!