What's in a Name? The Soul of an Animal

In a pivotal scene in David Lynch’s film, The Elephant Man, the main character turns on those who are cruelly taunting him and declares “I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man.” The crowd disperses. Ever since the first time I saw this movie, I’ve had the same reaction. As a sympathetic viewer, I’m relieved that Merrick decries his abusers, but in making a claim for the dignity he deserves as a man, the implication is that the abuse would be acceptable if he were “an animal.” And yet, human and non-human, we are all animals. We are all made of the same stuff, evident even in the word “animal,” whose root word means “soul.” Supporters make this podcast possible, and they receive written transcripts of each and every episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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What's in a Name? The Soul of an Animal is an episode from Animalogy \ The Animals in Our Everyday Words & Phrases by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

This episode is 37:24 long.

This episode was published on Jul 7, 2017.

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