I’d like to take the moment to talk about this woman. Most people remember the movie “The Elephant Man”, and of the bittersweet scene that took place in Treves’ home, and the interaction between Joseph and Madge Kendal. Not many would know that neither one of those interactions actually happen, at least, not with those women.
After Joseph was welcomed into the hospital, Treves noticed that Joseph seemed depressed and thought of himself as a monster. This was stemmed from Joseph’s rather upsetting run-ins with women, who were always screaming or fainting at the sight of him. So, Treves thought that if Joseph had an encounter with a woman who wasn’t afraid of him, perhaps this would help improve his self-esteem.
He first tried to ask famed actress Madge Kendal, thinking that her acting skills would help mask any revulsion that most other women would be unable to hide. But for whatever reason, sources of her reasoning is not clear, the actress wasn’t able to meet with this man.
Here is where Leila Maturin comes in.
Leila Maturin was a “a young and pretty widow”, whose husband, Dr. Leslie Maturin, had died within two months of their marriage. Treves had thought of her, as she was a close friend, and asked if she would be willing to meet this man, be able to show no disgust, shake his hand and smile at him. Without hesitation, she agreed.
She was given a fair warning of his looks, and when it came time, she had “entered with easy grace, smiling as she approached” and shook his hand.
Joseph was overcome with emotion, and burst into tears, crying for a long, making the visit cut short. He later told Treves that Leila had been the first woman ever to smile at him, the first to shake his hand. The two kept in contact, exchanging letters and gifts, as we know from a surviving letter written by Joseph, thanking Leila for a book and a brace of grouse (a pair of birds).
I want to have a post dedicated to her because she did something that no woman was ever willing to do, look at a man so severely deformed and treat him like a human being. Thanks to her, Joseph started to see himself as a human being rather than a monster, something that he was denied for most of this life.
When we think of Joseph Merrick, let us try to remember Leila Maturin, the woman who’s kindness changed one man’s sad life.
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