2. The Elephant Man
Joseph Merrick, a 19
th century sideshow performer, was the victim of a condition beyond words. While many sideshow entertainers retain the ability to speak, smile, or look half-way normal in the face (or at least some part of their body), Elephant Man Joseph Merrick, the British runaway and lifelong carnie, was deformed beyond human identification. Although he may have appeared to have both arms and legs, Merrick’s rampant congenital disorder caused abnormal growths to occur all over his body. In the end, judging by the numerous pictures available online, Merrick is more
disfigured than human-figured. He was never able to live anything close to a normal human life, and his emotional state and mental abilities vary from report to report.