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The Elephant Man Analysis

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The Importance of Change in The Elephant Man Joseph Campbell once said that when, “we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness" (Campbell). This quote perfectly describes the positive transformation one can undergo, if only one is willing to try. There are ultimately only two outcomes that a character can have: either he changes, and changes his surroundings as well, or he does not and his life continues on as is, static. Due to the possibility of a continued static existence or dynamic change, filmmakers and writers incorporate static and dynamic characters in their works. In the film, The Elephant Man, David Lynch uses static and dynamic characters …show more content…

A drunken Mr. Bytes locks Merrick in the monkey cage, showing that he is an animal and is to be treated as one. If Mr. Bytes had been a more educated character, he would have also been open to new ideas. As a positive result of this, he would have helped play a part in stopping the senseless abuse towards Merrick. Similar to Mr. Bytes, the janitor at the hospital, an uneducated, static character, also abuses Merrick during his stay at the hospital. Throughout Merricks’ stay, the janitor takes advantage of the Elephant man many times. From bringing one singular girl up to his room to leading large groups from the bar to his window, the janitors behavior and attitude about the Elephant Man do not change. The janitor is stuck in his ways and there is, “nothing that can change [his] belief” (Petrovic). Due to his lack of education, the janitor cannot form any new opinions on Merrick. Going forward, he will always view Merrick as the hideous creature that can get him a few laughs, as well as a few bucks. Because he is so incredibly closed-minded towards Merrick, the viewer can deduce that the janitor has a very small view of the world and will continue to in his future endeavors. Unlike Mr. Bytes and the janitor, Doctor Frederick Treves is an educated individual, and therefore, he is open to new ways of thinking. He is considered to be a dynamic character because he, “does undergo an important change in the course of the story” (Baker). In the beginning of the film, the

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