Pre Reading Questions

							The Elephant Man
Pre-Reading Questions

  1. Who is Bernard Pomerance? When and where was he born?

  2. How did Bernard first get into theatre? What are the names of two more plays?

  3. Where and when did The Elephant Man first play? Who wrote the original novel?

  4. What are two themes you expect to see in this play? How does one of these
     themes connect to a piece of literature we have already covered this semester?

  5. Match the following descriptions to the correct character:

        a.   Bishop            _____ Three woman with pointy heads, in the freak show
        b.   Duchess           _____ Runs from the room when she looks at Merrick
        c.   Carr Gomm         _____ Involved in some shady financial dealings
        d.   Lord John         _____ Porter who brings food to Merrick
        e.   Mrs. Kendal       _____ Brings Merrick Christmas gifts
        f.   Pinheads          _____ Forgets about Merrick’s needs beyond his religion
        g.   Ross              _____ Introduces Merrick to society
        h.   Miss Sandwich     _____ Steals from Merrick and sends him on his way
        i.   Snork             _____ His life is changed by Merrick
        j.   Fredrick Treves   _____ Writes the final epitaph for Merrick and donates
                                     money

  6. Where is The Elephant Man set? Why is this an important factor?

  7. What was a social problem that London was experiencing in the nineteenth
     century?

  8. What was released in 1859? Why was this important?

  9. What happened in 1867? What was ignited from this new movement?

  10.        How might the Prince of Wales play a role in this story?

  11.        Who was Joseph Merrick? What condition did he have?

  12.        What are the clinical features of this syndrome?

  13.        When would these features develop? Is there a cure for this syndrome?