The Elephant Walk

Treves, a surgeon at the London Hospital, discovers the disfigured and seemingly mute John Merrick in a Victorian freak show. He decides to pursue a medical examination that could bring him notoriety and hires Mr. Bytes to transport Merrick to the hospital, doing so discreetly under a hood. This encounter sets the stage for Merrick's life inside the medical world.

Treves presents Merrick to his medical colleagues, directing attention to Merrick's pronounced deformities. Bytes cruelly beats Merrick after the lecture, and Merrick is sent back to the hospital. The incident underscores the tension between curiosity and cruelty in Victorian society.

Treves and staff initially suspect Merrick has only a limited mental capacity that could not be helped. To prove otherwise, Treves trains him to say basic sentences and part of the 23rd Psalm, and Merrick unexpectedly recites the entire Psalm from memory, demonstrating reading and comprehension. Carr Gomm then allows Merrick to stay, recognizing his humanity.

Treves provides Merrick with materials to build a model of the nearby St Philip's Church, broadening his daily life. He invites Merrick to tea with his wife Ann, and they share photos from their families. Merrick expresses longing for his mother's pride, bringing emotional vulnerability to the fore.

Merrick attracts attention from fashionable society and actress Madge Kendal gives him a copy of Romeo and Juliet. The two perform a romantic dialogue from the play, culminating in a kiss, which deepens Merrick's fascination with theatre. His world expands beyond medical care into social and artistic circles.

Queen Victoria and Princess Alexandra arrange for Merrick to be permanently admitted to the hospital. Yet other society guests treat him with disgust, and Mrs. Mothershead grows to respect him while criticizing the performative charity of Victorian society. Treves is unsettled by the contrast between medical care and the freak-show mentality.

Jim, a hospital employee, begins selling tickets to gawkers who torment Merrick. Bytes buys a ticket and spirits Merrick away to a Belgian freak show, turning Merrick into a spectacle for profit and cruelty.

Merrick's health deteriorates rapidly during the Belgian show and he collapses in front of the audience. Bytes cages him with monkeys to punish him, but the boy and other attractions help him break free and make his way back to England.

In Liverpool Street Station, three boys harass Merrick and a mob pursues him after he accidentally knocks down a girl. Defenseless, he cries out his humanity—'I am not an elephant! I am a human being! I am a man!'—and faints before the police bring him back to the hospital.

Treves and the hospital crew realize Merrick is dying and strive to make his final days comfortable. Merrick thanks Treves for his kindness and says he feels fulfilled; Treves acknowledges that Merrick has helped him as well.

Princess Alexandra invites Merrick to the royal box for a pantomime, marking his first experience of live performance. Kendal dedicates the show to him, and Treves prompts Merrick to reveal his face to the crowd, receiving a standing ovation.

Back at the hospital, Merrick completes his church model, lies down to sleep, and dies peacefully. He envisions his mother, who quotes Lord Tennyson's 'Nothing Will Die' as a final blessing.