![]() He worked there for three years, but his worsening hand deformity limited his dexterity, making the job increasingly difficult. So at age 13, Merrick worked at a cigar rolling shop. If he was not at school, his stepmother demanded, then he should be bringing home income. The few times he tried, his father brought him right back. Merrick later wrote, “She was the means of making my life a perfect misery.” His father withdrew affection as well, leaving the boy essentially alone. ![]() Wikimedia Commons Due to the weight of his head, Joseph Merrick had to sleep sitting up or else his neck would snap.Īs if Joseph Merrick’s life wasn’t melancholy enough, he soon encountered his very own “evil stepmother.” She arrived only 18 months after his mother’s death. But how would a boy who called his own face “…such a sight that no one could describe it,” survive in such a cruel world? Disowned By His Family And In Search Of Help The anguish Merrick felt from others’ teasing his appearance and now his mother’s absence was just too much to bear. It was around this time that he quit school. Tragically, even among all of his other troubles, he called her death “the greatest misfortune of my life.” His mother, with whom he was close, died of pneumonia when he was just 11 years old. In addition to his unusual deformities, he also injured his hip as a child and a subsequent infection made him permanently lame, so he used a cane to help himself walk. ![]() She told this story to young Joseph, explaining that this incident had caused his deformities and the pain that sprung from them. An elephant reared up and she was briefly caught underfoot, frightened for two lives. Wikimedia Commons Joseph Merrick’s mother believed that a frightening incident involving an elephant that occured during her pregnancy cause her son’s deformities.Īn unruly crowd of people pushed her into an oncoming animal parade.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |