Gibran
Sheikh
Professor
Mandy Macklin
English
115
25
September 2012
Perfection: Why it does Not Exist
Does
a society define perfection? Is it something that is imitable? The answer to
the two questions posed is not that simple. Human beings, unique as they are,
can sometimes be deemed and labeled as certain things that society has nowadays
considered to be morally wrong. However, this has not always been the case. Take
for example nineteenth century London. Population growth and industrial
enhancements were only few of the benefits to the country, but education there
didn't hit hard until the early twentieth century, so imperfection on a single being
was not taken as seriously as it is now. What society needs to understand is
that they themselves define perfection as something that exists, when in
reality it is really just a myth.
The Elephant Man,
a play by Bernard Pomerance, takes into consideration the moral injustice of
society during the end of the nineteenth century. In the play, John Merrick, a
man with a physical defect, is ridiculed by society as imperfect and a “freak
of nature” (Pomerance 3). A victim of prejudice, Merrick has to deal with the
fact that his physical “imperfection” causes him to be avoided by those who do
not truly see him for who he is. The society Merrick has lived is what really
causes his physical defect to stand out, and that society is the cause of the
pain throughout Merrick’s life. Even though this play took place within the
late nineteenth century, the issue with prejudice still carries on today. Sure,
prejudice has not been that big of a problem as it was during Merrick’s time,
but the matter is that it indeed is still an issue. Prejudice is the ultimate
cause of “perfection”, because it judges one’s “imperfections”.
In
past times, people used to rely on the “survival of the fittest” principle of
Charles Darwin. Certain cultures and groups of people were all about physical
health and power, education was not a necessity of surviving in these
societies. Over the course of history there has been some advancements that
have led to the increase in education, but one deemed “imperfect” could still
be made the laughing stock. This Darwin rule of “survival of the fittest” does
not apply to human beings anymore. Humans may be biologically “animals”, but we
have capabilities far more advanced than those of “animals”. However, even
though human beings are far more advanced than their predecessors, some still
rely on the “imperfections” and abnormalities of others to make themselves feel
better. This is why Merrick back then, and so many people now, feel ridiculed
by how they look, what they do, or how they act; these people are just being
themselves. How they continue with their everyday lives is of their business,
and people need to understand this. They may not be “perfect”, but they are
certainly not “imperfect”.
A
society itself is defined by the people that create it. People that are corrupt
and ill-minded usually produce a society that is poor in moral standards.
People that are just and righteous usually produce a society that is high in
moral standards. In reality a society is never on the far end in terms of
morality, it is usually right in the middle, if not leaning by a small bit on
either side. This is because in reality people aren’t perfect, and that’s just
fine because no one can be perfect, no matter what people may say. A human
being is as just who they think they are, not what society dubs them to be.
They are not perfect, yet they are not imperfect they are simply human. John
Merrick, dubbed the entire play as the “Elephant Man” suffered constant harm,
which damaged him physically and emotionally, just because he was different.
Merrick, with “no hope nor expectation of relief” (Pomerance 3), is a normal person
who has to deal with the inconsiderate minds of the people that constantly
judge him for his outer appearance. Merrick was a victim of being labeled as “imperfect”,
but who can be perfect in a world of imperfections? John Merrick was just
another human being, like anyone else, but he was unique, not perfect nor
imperfect, unique.
In
the present society there is more education overall than there was before which
has helped people to understand a certain issue, like prejudice; however, not
everyone in society are as educated as others. Prejudice has been an issue that
deals with the “imperfections” of certain people and this issue is what creates
the word “imperfect”. If no one paid attention to what they saw “wrong” in a
certain person, and instead paid attention to all the “right” things, judgment
against people would not exist, therefore the word “perfect” would not be used
to define someone. For example, in a utopian society, human beings can grow up
without knowledge that they are imperfect. Going back to reality, people are
not as considerate as they should be. Returning back to the life of John
Merrick, it is shown that inconsideration of others ends up in a negative
effect on those certain people and society as a whole. Merrick’s “incapacitating
deformities and unremitting pain” (Pomerance 3) were what caused him to be in
the dark of times, and being “exposed to the cruelly lacerating expressions of
horror and disgust by all who behold him” (Pomerance 3) was ultimately the
psychological cause of his death.
Many people most likely have been a victim of prejudice,
whether it be the color of their skin or a physical defect. If certain people
took the time to just get to know someone before they started to label them,
issues like prejudice would not be a huge problem. What society needs to do is
not label, not judge, and make the world a better place to live in. What people
need to do is not compete, not differentiate, and not “hate”. If a person was
to simply live upon hatred, what benefits would accompany such a harsh life? People
must not see others for what they appear to be, they must see them for who they
are first, before any accusations can be made. As evidence is needed in the
court room, evidence is also needed before judging a person. If evidence cannot
be supplied to accuse someone of being a “fool”, or “mean”, or “ugly”, then the
accusation is of no use. This does not mean “go and find evidence”, but rather
it means to move on. People need to move on in their lives, rather than just
accuse someone of being what they are not. If people are able to comply and
follow with their own lives and not with the lives of others, then the society
these people live in would be a better place. Merrick was a victim of constant
judgment, and that was what shaped his personal view of society.
People must not judge one another based on whether they
are “perfect” or not. People must learn that nobody is “perfect”, because
perfection simply does not exist. It is a myth created by those who uneducated
and therefore cannot see someone for who they really are. Once people
understand the inexistence of “perfection” and its bad toll on society, that
society will be able to advance forward. Once society is able to see that
imperfection is not at all an issue, people will be able to advance on with
their lives without the need of diminishing the lives of others.
Works
Cited
Brown, Robert W.
"London in the 19th Century." London in the 19th Century. University
of North Carolina at Pembroke, 16 Apr. 2004. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. <http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/london_19c.html>.
Johnson, Jane.
"London History." London History. Unica Multimedia, n.d. Web. 18
Sept. 2012. <http://www.britannia.com/history/londonhistory/viclon.html>.
Pomerance, Bernard. The
Elephant Man. New York: Grove, 1979. Print.
