Teacher’s book

Part 1

How to use a bilingual

dictionary

Part 2

How to read a novel in English

 The Elephant Man

1. Before reading

a) Talking about the cover of the book

- What can you see on the cover?
___________________________________________________________________________
- Why do you think this man is dressed in this way?
___________________________________________________________________________
- Is this going to be...
...a ghost story ?
...a horror story ?
...a sad story ?
...a happy story ?
___________________________________________________________________________
- What do you think an ‘Elephant man’ is ?
someone who looks after elephants
 someone who knows a lot about elephants
 someone who looks like an elephant

b) Read the story introduction on the first page of the book, and
the cover. How much do you know about the Elephant Man?
Tick one box for each sentence.
YES NO

1. People laugh at him.  

2. He is very old.  
3. His mother loves him.  
4. People put him in a cage, like an animal.  
5. Children like him.  
6. A doctor wants to study him.  
7. His name is Joseph Merrick.  

c) What is going to happen in the story? Can you guess?

Tick one box for each sentence.
YES NO PERHAPS
1. The doctor helps the Elephant Man.   
2. The Elephant Man kills somebody.   
3. The Elephant Man lives to be very old.   
4. The Elephant Man finds a home.   
5. The Elephant Man finds a wife.   
6. The Elephant Man makes some friends.   
7. Somebody kills the Elephant Man.   

d) Take a letter
Chapter 1
1st Part p. 1 to 2 ( “The room was cold and dark, with a horrible
smell in it.” )

a. Anticipation (avant de lire)

Regarde les illustrations et le titre. Que penses-tu lire dans ce chapitre ?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

b. Pendant la lecture
1. Compréhension globale du chapitre entier
a) Where & when does the story take place ?
The story takes place in London in 1884.
b) How many characters are there ?
There are 3 characters in this chapter.
c) Relève toutes les informations données sur les personnages et complète
le tableau. Si l’information n’est pas donnée, note ?
name job Other information
Frederick Treves a doctor at the
London Hospital
Simon Silcock A shopkeeper *dirty man in an old
coat with a
cigarette in his
 mouth
*yellow teeth
Joseph Merrick none a horrible creature

b) How much does the doctor pay to see the Elephant Man ?
12 pence

Chapter 1
2nd Part p. 2 to 5
2. Compréhension détaillée
a) Trouve un titre à cette partie.
The first appearance of the Elephant man
The room
b) Relève les deux adjectifs qui décrivent la pièce où se trouve The
Elephant Man.
1. cold 2. dark

c) Quels objets/meubles y a-t-il dans cette pièce ?

a chair, a table, a vase, a dead flower

The Elephant Man

d) His face
- Draw his face as it is described in the text.

- Relève tous les informations qui décrivent the Elephant Man pour chaque
partie de son corps.
his head his skin his teeth his mouth & his face
nose
- very very - dirty -an - like holes in - could not
big, like an enormous the face smile or laugh
enormous red tooth or look angry
bag with a came out of or sad
lot of books his mouth, - dead face,
in it under his like an
- not much nose (like an elephant’s
hair elephant’s face
- brown, dirty tooth) (=
skin at the expressionles
back of it s face)

his arms his hands his fingers his legs his back

- the right - left hand is - fingers of - very big - a bad back

arm was beautiful, the left hand and fat
enormous, like a young were long
like a man’s woman’s and beautiful
foot
- the left arm
was beautiful
with
wonderful
skin

e) What can/can’t The Elephant Man do?

Circle the correct answer.

The Elephant Man can walk. (with a stick)

The Elephant Man can / can’t speak.
The Elephant Man can’t smile or laugh.
The Elephant Man can’t express feelings (exprimer des sentiments).
The Elephant Man can’t look happy.
The Elephant Man can’t run.

Rephrase the sentences using “to be able to”.

1. _________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________________

f) Is the Elephant Man well or badly treated? Justify your answer.

He is badly treated.
Page 3 “ Stand up!” said the shopkeeper, loudly.
Page 5 “ He hit the creature with his hand.”

g) Le suffixe –ly.
Observe.
carefully quietly loudly

- A partir de quel type de mot a-t-on formé les adverbes suivants ?

nom adjectif pronom verbe

note-les: careful quiet loud

- le suffixe –ly ajouté à un adjectif devient un adverbe de manière

(adverbe en –ment en français, ex : tendrement, doucement, etc… )

- Relève les autres adverbes de manière des pages 4 et 5 et traduis-les.

angrily = en colère
quicly = rapidement
slowly= doucement

Chapter 1
3rd Part p. 6 to 8

1. What is Dr Treves’s reaction after seeing the Elephant Man?

he is pleased he is disturbed(perturbé) he has no
reaction

Justification in the text : p.6 “Can I sit down?”/ “Would you like a
glass of water, sir? Yes, please...”

2. What is the shopkeeper’s reaction ?

he is pleased he is disturbed he has no reaction

Justification in the text : p.6 “The shopkeeper smiled at me...”

3. Note down their reaction when they see the Elephant Man.
a) The police don’t like us/ get angry
b) People are afraid
c) Children run after him and hit him

4. What is “a cab”?
a fruit
a means of transport (un moyen de transport)
a piece of furniture (un meuble)

LET’S SUMMARIZE! (Résumons)

Ecris un court résumé de ce chapitre, en français!
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 2
p. 8 to 12

a. Anticipation (avant de lire)

1. Look at the illustration on page 9. Answer the questions.
- Where does the scene take place ? in a street of London
- How many people are there ? 7 people can be seen
- What are the two boys doing ? They are looking at the
Elephant man
- What is Dr Treves doing? He is going to open the door of
the cab

2. What is the name of the chapter ? « The Card »

Translate into French : « la carte de visite »

b. Pendant la lecture

1. Compréhension globale du chapitre entier

a) The place and time

The story in this chapter takes places... in the morning in the
evening
The story in this chapter takes places... in the winter in the
summer
What time does the chapter start? At 7 o’clock a.m
What time does the chapter finish? At 4 o’clock p.m

b) How many characters speak in this chapter ?

4 characters speak in this chapter:
- Dr Treves
- Merrick
- the postman
- a young boy

c) Remets dans l’ordre chronologique les lieux où se passe l’action :

at the hospital/ in the cab/ in the street

(beginning of chapter 2) (end of

chapter 2)
___________________________________________________________________________
pages 8,9,10 pages 10, 11,12 page 12
(bottom)
in the street in the cab at the
hospital

2. Compréhension détaillée
a) The Elephant Man’s clothes. What is he wearing? Tick.

  

 

Other clothes: a black hat, a grey cloth on the hat, a long black
coat, big shoes, a stick

b) Who is it ? Read the descriptions and write the name of the character
they refer to.
1. They are laughing at the Elephant Man because they think he is a fat
lady. They are not nice.
The 3 young boys in the street
2. She did not smile or talk to Merrick because she is afraid of him.
The nurse at the London Hospital
3. He had an enormous black hat on his head and a grey cloth hidding
(cachant) his face.
Merrick

c) Right (R) or Wrong (W) ? Justify from the text.

R W Justification
1. It is afternoon. X p. 8 “So next day at seven
o’clock...”/ “it was early in the
morning”
2. There are many people in X p.8 “there were not many
the street. people in the road”
3. Dr Treves is very polite with X p.10 “ Yes, I see. I’m sorry, I
Merrick. said. Let me help you”
4. The boys are naughty X p.10 “ Come and see this, boys!
(méchants). A fat lady...”/ p.11 “The boys
laughed”
5. The day after the visit at the X p.12 “ The next day I looked in
hospital, Merrick has the shop window again, but the
disappeared.
picture was not there.”
Chapter 3
p.13 to 16

a. Anticipation (avant de lire)

Regarde l’illustration et la légende sous l’image. Décris ce que tu vois (en
anglais).
There are 2 policemen with Joseph Merrick. They are standing in
front of Dr Treves. Merrick must have done somthing bad
because he is with the police. What has he done?Maybe he
killed someone, maybe he stole something, maybe he robbed
someone...

b. Pendant la lecture
1. Compréhension globale du chapitre entier

a) The time.
Re-read the beginning of chapter 1 (page 1) and read the first sentence of
chapter 3. What year is it now? 1886

b) The place.
The action takes place ... at the hospital

2. Compréhension détaillée

a) What is “The Times” ? a newspaper

b) What job is it?
1. He is the “boss” in a newspaper office.
He is an editor (in French:redacteur en chef )
2. He is the most important man in a hospital. He deals with administrative
work.
He is a chairman (in French : le président )

c) The Letter.
Complete.

Date of writing : December 4th, 1886

Writer : F.C. Carr
Introductory sentence : Dear Sir
Closing sentence : Yours faithfully
The letter is ... formal

d) Information about Merrick.

Fill in the chart with words or expression from the text.
Family name Merrick

Age 27

Residence in 1884 In a shop nera the London Hospital

Physical description Very very ugly

Other information Travelled to Belgium with Silcock. He earned

money but Silcock robbed him and left him
in Belgium alone. Merrick came back to
London by himself.
He is a good and quiet man
His mother abandonned him

What he can do... What he cannot do...

- read - go out of the hospital
- write (socialize)
- think a lot - work (have a job)
- make things with his
hands
e) Merrick’s life from 1884 to 1886.
Complete the time line with the places Merrick went to and how he
travelled.

1884 1885
1886
___________________________________________________________________________
London went to Belgium went back to London
London
by train and boat

f) Did people give money for Merrick ? yes

Find the sentence in the text to justify your answer.
p.16 “ They (the readers of the Times) gave us a lot of money.”

h) Merrick is going to live at the hospital.right

Find the sentence in the text to justify your answer.
p.16 « After a week, we had £50,000, so Merrick could live in
the hospital for all his life. »

GRAMMAR
Le prétérit (temps du passé)
1. Choose the best question-word for these questions, and then
answer them.
Why/ Who/ What

a) __________ did the police bring Merrick to the hospital?

___________________________________________________________________________
b) __________ did Mr Carr Gomm write to The Times newspaper?
___________________________________________________________________________
c) __________ did the readers of The Times do ?
___________________________________________________________________________
d) __________ did Merrick have a picture of ?
___________________________________________________________________________

A quel temps sont ces questions? Comment le vois –tu ?

______________________
Donc à la forme interrogative au _________________, le schéma d’une
question est le suivant:

MOT INTERROGATIF + _________________ + _______________ +

_____________________ ?
A la forme affirmative, je sais qu’il existe 2 sortes de verbes :
les verbes _________________ (+ED) et les verbes __________________ (à
apprendre par cœur)
Relis la page 13. Complète avec la forme au prétérit des verbes donnés
dans le tableau.

infinitif prétérit traduction courante

Be
Can
Bring
Find
Have
Put

Relève maintenant une phrase à la forme négative :

____________________________________
A la forme négative, au prétérit, le schéma est le suivant :

____________________ + ___________________ +NOT + _____________________ .

2. Imagine you are Merrick!

Lorsque la police a trouvé Merrick, ils lui ont posé des questions. Complète
la conversation. (Utilise les informations données dans le chapitre).

POLICE : Now, Mr Merrick. Where do you live, sir?

MERRICK : ________________________________________________________________

POLICE : Do you have any money, sir ?

MERRICK : ________________________________________________________________

POLICE : Why not? What happened to your money ?

MERRICK : ________________________________________________________________

POLICE : You can’t stay in prison. Where do you want to go now ?

MERRICK : ________________________________________________________________

POLICE : Why? Do you know somebody there ?

MERRICK : ________________________________________________________________

POLICE : Ah, I see. All right, sir. Let’s go and see him now.

3. Imagine you are Merrick’s mother!

Tu imagines que tu es la mère de Merrick qui lui écrit pour lui dire
pourquoi elle l’a abandonné.

Dear son,
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4
p.16 to 20

a. Anticipation (avant de lire)

Regarde l’illustration et la légende sous l’image page 17. Décris ce que tu
vois (en anglais). Pose ensuite 3 ou 4 questions sur l’image.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Questions :
1. _____________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________

b. Pendant la lecture
1. Compréhension globale du chapitre entier

This chapter deals with… Merrick’s new home

2. Compréhension détaillée

a) Merrick’s home
1. Where is it ? at the London Hospital
2. How many rooms are there ? 2 rooms
3. Draw the plan of his new home, stating the furniture there are.
b) Merrick’s hobbies.
What does he enjoy as a hobby ? Write 5 sentences using different
expressions to express ‘likes’
1. He loves reading.
2. He enjoys talking about books.
3. He likes love stories very much.
4. He is fond of reading love stories.
5. He is keen on meeting people.
How does he feel when he does this hobby? He feels happy.

c) The incident with the nurse.

Note down the actions of the nurse in the correct order: screamed/opened
the door of the bedroom/ran out of the room/saw Merrick/ dropped the
food on the floor

___________________________________________________________________________
1.opened the door 2. saw Merrick 3. screamed 4. dropped the
food 5. ran out

What was Dr Treves’s reaction? He was ... furious (p.18 “I was

angry”)

d) Merrick’s wish (souhait)

Where does Merrick wish to live ?in a lighthouse in a home for blind
people

Why? Nobody could see him if he lived in a lighthouse...

e) What is Merrick’s first name? Joseph

f) What is Merrick doing at the end of the chapter ? Why ? Is it new? Has
he changed?
He is laughing, which is new for him. He has changed in his way
of being. He is happier.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------
Before you read Chapters 5, 6 and 7, think about Merrick’s life. Is
it going to be different now? Some of these things are going to
happen. Can you guess which? Circle.
He never goes out. He visits a lighthouse.
He reads a lot. He goes to the theatre.
His mother visits him. A nurse wants to marry him.
The Queen visits him. He is very happy.
He makes new friends. He gets very ill.

Chapter 5

a. Anticipation (avant de lire)

* Regarde l’illustration et la légende sous l’image page 23. Décris ce que
tu vois (en anglais). Merrick a-t-il changé ? Comment vois-tu cela ?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

* Who do you think the ‘important visitor’ is ?

__________________________________

b. Pendant la lecture
1. Compréhension globale du chapitre entier

The important visitor is … the King of England the Queen of

England
In this chapter, Merrick ... sees his mother again makes
new friends
Now Merrick ... feels like an animal feels like a human
For Christmas,Merrick receives... money a picture

2. Compréhension détaillée
1st Part p. 22 & 24 (“I did not want Merrick to live by himself ...
He began to feel like a man, not a creature.”)

a) The young woman.

Complete the chart with words or expressions from the text.

Her physical description Her attitude towards

Merrick
( verbs...)
- beautiful - smiling
- young - shake hands
- wonderful - gave books
 - drink tea

b) Merrick’s attitude towards the young woman.

Relève tous les mots ou toutes les expressions qui montrent la réaction de
Merrick par rapport à la jeune femme.

Merrick’s reaction

- surprised ( merrick looked at her for

a minute with his mouth open)
- cries
- feels happy

c) how many times does the young woman visit Merrick ?

3 times

Justification from the text : p. 23 “ My young lady friend came again

the next week...” and “ the week after that...”

d) What does Merrick like doing ?

He loves talking to people.

e) Has Merrick changed his mind concerning living in a lighthouse?Yes

Justification from the text :

p.23 “ (He) said no more about living on a lighthouse.”

2nd Part p. 24 & 27 (“One wonderful day ... and put them on his
table”)
a) Relève tous les termes qui décrivent la reine Alexandra
- a very important lady
- a very famous lady
- Her Majesty, Queen alexandra, the Queen of England

b) Quels termes montrent que la reine est attentionnée envers Merrick ?

- she smiled at him
- ‘I’m very pleased to meet you.’ She said
- she took his left hand in hers

c) Merrick est impressionné par cette visite, trouve l’équivalent anglais

(tiré du texte) de ces traductions.

1. Merrick ne bougeait pas.

Merrick did not move (p.25)
2. « Oui… oui, bien-sûr » dit –il.
‘Yes… yes, of course,’ he said. (p.25)
3. Pendant presque une demi-minute, il resta debout à la regarder bouche
bée.
‘For nearly half a minute he stood and looked at her with his
mouth open.’ (p.25)

d) Why is Merrick a « happy man » now ?

because he has friends.

e) Qu’offre la reine Alexandra à Merrick ?

un livre et des fleurs rouges

3rd Part p. 27 & 28 (“He had many visits from the Queen...” end
of chapter)

1. The Queen’s letter.

Date when it was written : December 20th, 1888
Place where it was written : Windsor Castle
It is an informal letter
Why? The Queen wrote ‘dear Joseph’ and signed ‘your friend,
Alexandra’
What did she include in the letter ? a portrait of herself
Why is this letter so important for Merrick ? It is the first letter of his
life.

2. Merrick’s letter.
Date when it was written : December 23rd, 1888
Place where it was written : London Hospital
Does Merrick like the picture ?  yes
Why ? Copy the sentences that show Merrick thinks highly of his present.
p.28 “ your wonderful card and the beautiful picture.”

Do you remember? Who said or wrote this and to whom?

 name to
name
1. ‘A beautiful lady smiled at me and shook my hand!’ Merrick to
Treves
2. ‘There is a new visitor to see you today.’ Treves to
Merrick
3. ‘I often read about you in the newspapers.’ The Queen to
Merrick
4. ‘I’m happy every hour of the day!’ Merrick to the
Queen
5. ‘I do like visiting you very much.’ The Queen to
Merrick
6. ‘ It is the best thing in my room, the very best...’ Merrick to the
Queen

Chapter 6

a. Anticipation (avant de lire)

* Regarde les illustrations qui accompagnent ce chapitre, et dis ce qui
selon toi va se passer. (en français)
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

b. Pendant la lecture
1. Compréhension globale du chapitre entier

In this chapter, the scene takes place … outside the hospital

In this chapter, Merrick ... travels
Merrick visits... 2 places (the theatre house/ the country
house)

2. Compréhension détaillée
1st Part p. 29 to 31 (“Merrick had a lot of friends... Merrick
thought about this for a long time.”)

Merrick and the world of the theatre.

a) How did they go to the theatre ?by taxi
b) Where did they enter into the theatre ? the back door
- Why is it called “the Queen’s door” ?
because it is the entrance used by the Queen. Nobody can see
her coming in and going out.

c) Who went to the theatre ? 3 nurses, Merrick and Treves

d) What was the play about ? a children’s Christmas play about a
young woman who marries a young
man. There is also a bad man in it.
e) how many actors were they in the play ? 3

f) Merrick is compared to a child. Pick out the words and expressions that
show this.
p.29 “ he was more like a child than a man.”/ “he thought and
played like a child”/ “ he tried to sing like the children in the
theatre. He was like a child. For him, everything in the story
was true.”/ “he was afraid”/

g) Does Merrick make the difference between reality and fiction ? yes
Justification from the text :
“For him, everything in the story was true.” P.29
+ p.30 (bottom)

2nd Part p. 31 to 34 (“Merrick thought about this for a long

time...” end of chapter)

a) The journey to the countryside.

how did they travel ? Place it on the time line.

__________________________________________________________________________
London West
Wickham
by train ______________________________________________ in a cab

b) The house
-What is the exact
location of the house ?
West Wickham,
Berkshire
Check in your English
book or on the internet
where it is and mark it on
the map below.
- What is the house like ? Pick out all the information concerning the
house.
The house
- small
- in the country
- lots of trees (a wood)
- isolated (no people lived near it)
- there’s a stream

c) Merrick’s state of mind (état d’esprit)

How does Merrick feel ? He feels well, happy (p.34)

d) How long did Merrick stay in the country ? 6 weeks

e) Merrick’s letter
- Who is he writing to ? Dr Treves
- When did he write the letter ? July 21st
- Pick out the sentences that show Merrick love animals:
“ little birds came near me (...) I gave it some bread (...) Lots of
birds are my friends now.” p.33
“ I watched thefish (...) but I couldn’t touch them.”p.34
“ I met a dog (...) gave it some bread.” p.34

f) Right or Wrong ? Justify by quoting the text.

statement R W justification
1. Merrick often went out of X
the hospital by himself
(alone).
2. Merrick thought and played X
like a man.
3. Merrick did not like staying X
in the country.
4. Merrick was very pleased X
with the bad man in the play.

Chapter 7
p. 35 to 37

1. Compréhension globale du chapitre entier

The chapter is about … Merrick’s death

Merrick died ... in his sleep
He died because ... he broke his neck
Between chapter 1 and chapter 7 6 years have passed (1884 ----- 1890)

2. Compréhension détaillée

a) Here are untrue sentences about chapter 6. Change them into true
sentences.

1. Merrick usually slept on his back.

Merrick did not usually sleep on his back.
2. Nobody was sorry when the Elephant Man died.
Everybody was sorry when the Elephant Man died.
3. Merrick had few(peu) friends.
Merrick had many friends.

b) Here is a newspaper story about the Elephant Man. Use the linking
words below to complete the story. (Use some of the words more than
once.)

but / and / because / so / when

Last night Joseph Merrick, the famous ‘Elephant Man’, died. Merrick
did not have an easy life. His mother gave him to a man called Silcock,
and Silcock took him from town to town, to make money. When Silcock
left him in Belgium, Merrick came back to England. He was not ill, but he
could not work, so the London Hospital gave him a home. There, people
were kind to him for the first time in his life, and he had many friends.
‘ He had a very ugly body’, said his friend Dr Treves, ‘ but we all
liked him because he was a good, kind man.’

Part 3

How to analyse a film in

English
The Elephant Man (1980)
David Lynch
Biography of the director : David Lynch

It is a notorious fact that whenever David Lynch is asked to state

personal information, he simply indicates: 'Born January 20th,
1946. Place: Missoula, Montana. Achievements: Eagle Scout.'
Undoubtedly, this bears a striking similarity to the protagonist in
his TV series Twin Peaks, Special Agent Dale Cooper, whose own
personal childhood experiences is that of Eagle Scout Honour. By
extension, Cooper's archetypal, all-American family environment
mirrors that of Lynch, who, when often asked whether or not a
traumatic childhood has been a major influence on the dark
elements permeating his works, simply answers: "I had a very
happy childhood. I look back on it with very pleasant memories.
There's some line I read about the longing for the euphoria of
forgotten childhood dreams."
The eldest of three children, David Lynch spent most of his
childhood relocating with his entire family; his father Donald was
a research scientist for the Department of Agriculture, a job
which required frequent, lengthy travels. Consequently, by the
time Lynch was two months old, his family moved to Sandpoint,
Idaho, followed by a move two years later to Spokane,
Washington, during which time his brother John was born. Shortly
thereafter, his youngest sibling, his sister Martha, was born. By
the time he was fourteen, Lynch was living in Alexandria,
Virginia, having lived in Durham, North Carolina, and Boise,
Idaho. Whilst many would suggest such a transient history could
only have been detrimental to Lynch's social development, he
concedes "It's a shock to the system, but shocks to the system
are sometimes really good. You get a little bit more aware,
suddenly. Not like a hard hit on the head, but enough to jar some
wiring. And some little channels opens up and you become, you
know, a little bit more aware."
Always popular in high school, yet "lousy" academically, as his
first wife Peggy Reavey comments, Lynch spent a short time
studying painting at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington
D.C; the seeds of Lynch's artistic talents and expression were
beginning to find fertile ground. Following this artistic foundation,
Lynch moved to Boston in 1964, where he began a full-time art
program at the Boston Museum School; after a year, however,
Lynch relinquished his course in favour of an art trip to Europe
with Jack Fisk, whom he had shared a studio with in his high
school days and who would later star in Lynch's film Eraserhead.
Funded through a deal he struck with the parents of a group of
young girls to escort them on their flight to Europe, Lynch and
Fisk traveled to Salzburg, stopping by London on the way where
Lynch would return to film Eraserhead, in hopes of finding artistic
inspiration; unfortunately, Lynch never did. "Well, I was nineteen
and my thoughts weren't my own: they were other people's. Jack
and I made our way over to Salzburg...And in reality it was, like,
really weird. It was so unpainterly, and so clean...It smelt good -
there were pines there and I like the smell of pine - and this
castle was there, but Kokoschka [whom they were meant to
meet] wasn't. So almost the second we got there a plug was
pulled on the whole trip, and the rest was just a winding down."
Upon his return to the United States after only fifteen days in
Europe, Lynch moved in with Toby Keeler, who would become a
close friend and write a book on Lynch's work entitled 'Pretty As
A Picture: The Art of David Lynch'; Lynch accepted a job with
Keeler's uncle Bushnell, doing blueprints for an architectural firm;
contrary to Special Agent Dale Cooper, Lynch was unable to
sustain the early work schedules. Following several failed
attempts at jobs, including one at a frame shop, where he had
been fired, then rehired as a janitor, Lynch heeded the advice of
Toby Keeler, entering the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in
Philadelphia in 1965. It was at the Academy that David Lynch
began his first experiments in films, and met Peggy Reavey, a
fellow student whom he married two years later; their daughter
Jennifer, was born in April 1968.
In his new role as a father and husband, Lynch's artistic
perspective and balance began to change. As Reavey recalls,
Lynch had always been a reluctant verbalist, always reverting to
physical or audial expression: "He didn't talk the way a lot of
artists do. He would make noises, open his arms wide and make
a sound like the wind.The Alphabet was a way of expressing his
frustration with the need to be verbal. This film talks about the
hell of a person with a non-verbal nature." The Alphabet was
Lynch's first short film created at the Academy, and as he
comments, his chance to 'learn to talk'. Lynch's subsequent
interest in human expression using sight and sound found solid
ground, becoming a reoccurring theme permeating several of his
works, such as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart, and
especially Twin Peaks, both in the TV series and the film, Fire
Walk With Me. Even to this day, David Lynch has maintained an
infamous reputation within the media for hesitating to comment
upon his own works, or providing answers to questions, often
suggesting the viewer to interpret his works within themselves;
by extension, introspection and the interior is featured heavily in
his works, not only metaphorically, but symbolically. As with Blue
Velvet and Twin Peaks, Lynch forces the viewer to glance at the
interior, sub-surfaces of the innocent, all-American towns which
provide the focus of the films. The reoccurent theme in Twin
Peaks of audial perception, as well as visual perception (Gordon
Cole, The Log Lady, the deaf senile waiter vs. the sensoral
presence of the Giant, Diane the tape recorder, Laura's tapes, the
method of speech in the Black Lodge, the MFAP's indian chant,
the theme of music prevalent throughout the film, 'there's always
music in the air', the singer in the Black Lodge vs. Julee Cruise in
the Roadhouse, James, Donna & Maddy's recording session, Bob's
face seen only in mirrors or by select few, the countless
occurences of disguises by Catherine Martell, Denise/Denis
Bryson, the One-Eyed Jacks police stakeout, Maddy as Laura, etc)
presents a perfect picture of Lynch's toying with the idea of
sensory perception.
His first films at the Academy were financed by various sources;
The Alphabet, a four-minute long film combining animation and
live action, was funded by H. Barton Wasserman, a wealthy
patron Lynch had met who was also the producer. Shortly
thereafter, Lynch began working on his next project, a thirty-four
minute long film which bore a similar combination of techniques
as The Alphabet, funded by the American Film Institute; it was
called The Grandmother, and Lynch recalls: "George Stevens
Junior and Tony Velani - the head honchos at the American Film
Institute - had me on the phone. They said they wanted to give
me this grant. And they said: 'You have a budget of $7, 200...' -
no, $7,119 dollars, I think it was - and 'can you do it for $5,000?'
Like I'm gonna say no! I said 'Yes!' And I'm floating, you know,
and, like, so pressed to the ceiling with happiness! Everyone
should have that feeling! And the only way you really appreciate
it is to be so desperately down." On technical terms, The
Grandmother was much richer than The Alphabet, despite the
fact that Lynch had no formal film school training; his focus on
sound was vast, casting himself, as he would do in all of his films,
as the sound designer. Both films, although shot in colour, are
drenched in black, the dark element flourishing in full; they were
shot in Lynch's house, the interior of which he painted entirely
black to enable the filming. On a social level, The Grandmother
conjured up several questions, particularly in the media with a
focus on Lynch himself; in particular, many wondered whether or
not Lynch's parent's had somehow traumatised him, given the
 unpleasant role the parents play in The Grandmother. Lynch
again dismisses the possibility, commenting: "Because it's [the
behaviour of the parents in the film] very foreign to my actual
upbringing. But the whole thing is that we get an awful lotta stuff
outside the home. Ideas are the strangest things, because they
suddenly enter into your conscious mind and you don't know
really where they come from - where they existed before they
were introduced to you."
The method by which David Lynch chose the cast for his first
short films would set a precedent for the future; instead of
casting the coveted actors of the moment, Lynch would often
choose close friends and members of his family, or individuals he
encountered from everyday walks of life. Regardless of their
origin, it would become a tradition that Lynch's films featured
actors who had been present in most of his works; this small,
close-knit collection of actors affectionately became labelled 'The
Lynch Mob', and include Kyle McLachlan, Jack Nance, Isabella
Rossellini, Laura Dern, Dean Stockwell, Harry Dean Stanton,
Everett McGill, Frances Bay, Grace Zabriskie, Sheryl Lee, Chris
Isaak (Lynch directed Isaak's video 'Wicked Game' in 1990); the
Lynch Mob also spanned the technical side of Lynch's films,
including Alan Splet, Duwayne Dunham, Angelo Badalamenti,
Fredrick Elmes, Mark Frost, Robert Engels, and Mary Sweeney.
Originally, the presence of BOB in Twin Peaks wasn't even
contemplated, until Lynch spotted Frank Silva working as the set
dresser, coincidentally moving the set of drawers in Laura
Palmer's bedroom, and immediately cast him as BOB, despite not
knowing what kind of character he should be. Lynch remembers:
"And, BINGO! This thing comes in my head and I said, 'Frank, are
you an actor?' and he said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'Do you want to be in
this movie?' He said, 'Yes!' And I said, 'You're in this movie!' Then
he says, 'What am I going to do?' And I says, 'I don't know, but
you're in this movie." Similarly, Harry Goaz, who plays Deputy
Andy Brennan, was working as a driver in the car Lynch hired to
go to a Roy Orbison Tribute in Los Angeles. It was his vibrant and
caring personality which struck Lynch, who immediately asked
Johanna Ray to cast him for the series, joking: "It's so cool when
suddenly there the person is [for the part]."

Reading activities
a. Read those internet comments. Check vocabulary in a
dictionary if necessary.

comments for Elephant Man, The (1980)

Stephen
Hertfordshire, England/ Date: 22 June 2004
Summary: I am not an animal...I am a great film!

The Elephant Man is a classic film. Its great acting stands out extremely, David
Lynch's direction is a marvel.. John Hurt's wonderful performance in the title role
is indescribable. Anthony Hopkins' classy acting fits perfectly with the character,
along with talents of Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller and Hannah
Gordon.

I was touched by the film because of its storyline of drama, brilliant script, acting
and music. The sorrowful and suffering life of John Merrick and the grand end of
his life brings out the sadness in us all. At the end of the film, the music, Barber's
'Adagio for Strings', is a masterpiece, it fitted perfectly into the upsetting grand
finale. I mostly enjoy 'true' films, when the plot actually happened.

Overall, I suggest the film to be one of the best movie in history. It brought out
the best in John Hurt, and the joy within us. With its outstanding cast, subtle and
touching script, The Elephant Man proves to be David Lynch's best film.

Cyndie
Leeds, England, UK/ Date: 6 December 2003
Summary: Who was the monster?

Well...what can I possibly say of the Elephant Man? A fantastic movie, very
touching and heartfelt showing in the real world who are the monsters and who
are the beauties and of course how appearances can deceive. Hopkins gave a 5-
star performance.
Don't miss it

Harry
Fort Worth, Texas

Date: 9 November 2003

Summary: A sore disappointment

Perhaps this movie was ripe with artistic value, and maybe it was meaningful and
delivered a strong message. That's all fine and good, nothing wrong with any of
that. But for pure entertainment value, I gave this movie a 2...I just wasn't
entertained. Call me shallow if you will, but I don't look to Hollywood to teach me
the meaning of life or reinforce my moral values. I look to Hollywood to entertain
me, and they failed miserably in that aspect with this atrocity.

John

Date: 11 August 2003

Summary: The Elephant Man, David Lynch, 1980

This is the true story of John Merrick, a horribly deformed and mistreated circus
freak in Victorian England brought into the care of a hospital doctor, where it is
discovered that he is an intelligent and sensitive man. Lynch's direction is
masterful, and the shots of the dark London streets are magnificent. Fantastic
performances from everyone, especially Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt. One of
the most moving films of all time, the final scene, set to Adagio for Strings, is one
of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

Kerry

Date: 30 January 2002

Summary: Too bleak, without hope. 6/10

And the most depressing film ever made award goes to The Elephant Man. The
film is very well done, with excellent performances all around, but the film is just
too much of a downer. Not enjoyable in the slightest, shows mankind and their
worst, and their cruelty to the unfortunate.

b. Now say if they liked/disliked the film and why.

name Why?
Stephen

Cyndie

Harry

John

Kerry

Part 4

Listening Activities
LISTENING ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING –
THE ELEPHANT MAN (Oxford Bookworm Library)
CHAPTER 1
1. Before reading
1.1 Listening for main ideas
The purpose is for student to understand the gist or a general idea of the
text, or key information, rather than to aim for more complete
understanding.

Identifying the situation(Worksheet 1)

Exploitation of the early sequence (from page 1 to page 3) from the book
which sets the scene for the story, identifies the main characters and the
problem facing them.

1. Ask students to look at the Worksheet and read the questions.

2. Play the tape a couple of times while students write answers in note form to
questions 1-2 on the Worksheet
3. Put them in pairs to compare their answers.
4. Finally, discuss answers to all the questions with the whole class.

1. Where/ When does the story begin?

2. Who is in the story? Give the names.
3. What problem do the characters have? List any problems or difficult
situations.

1.2. Listening for key words

To help with the pre-teaching or practising of key vocabulary in the written
text.

Identifying the characters(Worksheet 2)

Make a list of words or phrases from the book describing character traits,
physical features or other important facts about the characters. Play short
sections of the tape and ask students to match the sets of words with each
character. Students write the words in the bubbles.

2. While reading
3. After reading (Worksheet )
Students listen to some pieces of dialogues or single quotations from the
part of the text which they have read. Ask them who is talking to whom,
about what, where, why, etc...

Name: _________________________________

Date: __________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

WORKSHEET 1

1. Where and when does the story begin?

Place: _____________________________

Year: __________
 2. Who is in the story? Give the names.

- _________________________________

- _________________________________

- _________________________________

3. What is the problem ?

Name: _________________________________

Date: __________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

WORKSHEET 2