Dame Madge Kendal

Madge Robinson was part of a famous theatrical family, who had been involved with the theatre for 200 years. The youngest of twenty two children her first stage appearance was in 1854 as Marie, in The Orphan of the Frozen Sea.  She went on to become one of the greatest Victorian actresses. 

In 1869 she married W Kendal and they performed mostly as a couple following their marriage. In 1879 they went into theatrical management working at the St James’s theatre and the Court theatre. The couple insisted on a strict moral code being adhered to both on and off the stage and were responsible for bringing respectability back to Victorian theatre. In 1899 the couple embarked on their first tour of the United States, it was a great success and they continued to tour there for several seasons.  The couple retired in 1908, although Mrs Kendal appeared in a gala performance in 1911.  The couple had five children together.  Mrs Kendal was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1926.

Madge Kendal’s husband W H Kendal is said to have met Joseph Merrick but it is highly unlikely that she would have met him.   The chapter on The Elephant Man contains no indication that the two met and her description of Merrick is taken from Treves published account.

Mrs Kendal did a large amount of charitable work and claimed that she had anonymously launched the fund that enabled Joseph to remain at the London Hospital.

Mrs Kendal was however the starting point of a social network of visitors for Merrick who each enriched his life in some way.  It is known that Mrs Kendal corresponded with Merrick and sent him gifts (eg a gramophone), photographs of herself (which supports the suggestion that they never met), when he expressed and interest in basket work it was Mrs Kendal who arranged for him to receive instruction and provided him with the use of a private box so he could see a production at the Theatre Royal in 1887.  In return Merrick sent her his first basket, the model of a gothic church he constructed and they corresponded on a number of occasions.

Mrs Kendal - in The Elephant Man

The Mrs Kendal that Pomerance created is an actress engaged by Treves to visit Merrick.  He thinks that as she is an actress (and used to disguising her own emotions and express artificial ones) she will be able to meet Merrick without showing any outward signs of revulsion.

She is an important character in the play because Pomerance uses her to show Merrick genuine compassion.  Gomm and Treves talk of compassion but both exploit Merrick for money and status either for themselves of for the hospital.  Neither is particularly interested in Merrick’s humanity in contrast to Mrs Kendal who illustrates Merrick’s true humanity.  She seems genuinely impressed with his views on Romeo and Juliet in contrast to Treves preoccupation with writing Merrick up for a medical journal.

Her visits show the audience that Merrick is intellectual and charming.  She provides a contrast to Merrick in appearance but in the end her humanity is her greatest asset and she recognises Merrick’s internal beauty.

When she allows Merrick to see her naked she is showing herself to be a true friend.

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F C Carr Gomm

Carr Gomm was the Chairman of the London Hospital Management Committee.  On 4 December 1886 he wrote a letter to The Times launching an appeal for Merrick, emphasising his moral character for in Victorian times to be deserving of charity you had to be virtuous.

By this letter he ensured sufficient funds were available to allow Merrick to live out his life at the London Hospital.

Gomm wrote another letter to The Times on Merrick’s death, giving their readers a picture of his life emphasising his virtues, his religious live and that he remained grateful and deserving.

Carr Gomm - in The Elephant Man

Pomerance’s character of Gomm illustrates two of The Elephant Man’s themes – money and illusion verses reality. 

Gomm’s care of Merrick appears to be self-serving.  On his death he donates the money given for Merrick’s care to the hospital.  His final words ‘it’s done’ seem to suggest that everything has been bought to a successful conclusion as far as he is concerned ie that extra funds have been found for the hospital.

Gomm only sees Merrick as a commodity, one that brings both money and prestige (through Merrick’s high society visitors) to himself and the hospital.  When Treves begins to question the morality of their actions Gomm reminds him that he should be happy as his association with Merrick has bought him success.

Gomm even gets Merrick’s name wrong in this concluding letter to ‘The Times’ which suggests that he hasn’t seen Merrick as a human being but as an object to manipulate for his own ends.

Gomm illustrates the theme of illusion verses reality by his failure to see Merrick as a human being and to recognise the illusion for what it is and therefore he is unable to grasp the reality of the situation.

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Dr William Walsham How

Dr William Walsham How, a country parson from Shropshire was a very practical Christian with a strong gift for the written and spoken word; he was a scholar in natural history and biology.

Dr How choose to live in London as he felt there was work to be done in the East End where people lived desperate and deprived lives.  He saw himself as the unofficial bishop of the East End and worked endlessly to raise fund to help the people living there.

The London Hospital was situated in one of his parishes.  He had met Merrick and had no reservations about confirming him in the hospital chapel.

The Bishop - in The Elephant Man

The Bishop offers Merrick spiritual guidance.  He believes he is doing his ‘Christian duty’ but fails to see that Merrick has other needs beyond religion.

As with all of Pomerance’s characters the Bishop sees in Merrick characteristics that he sees in himself – Pomerance uses this to highlight Treves moral decline and Merrick’s visitors’ inability to see someone who has needs and desires.  His response to the Bishops enthusiasm for his meetings with Merrick and Merrick’s wish to be confirmed shows that Treves is beginning to realise that while he and others are happy to see qualities in Merrick they aspire to or admire in themselves none are prepared to accept that Merrick life is still a freak show – he is confined to his hospital room and by their preconceptions.

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