Water For Elepahnts 3

Uncle Al, the owner of the Benzini Brothers circus, lucked into that position. In 1928, the Benzini Brothers ran out of money and couldn’t make it to the next town. The manager fled and left everything behind. The railroad company sold the entire train to Uncle Al for a very low price because they just wanted to free up their rails. At this time (the late 1920’s), before the invention of television, circus trains were very popular in America due to the entertainment factor. Where else would little Johnny Whipple who lived in the middle of Kansas see a Polar Bear or a Lion, let alone together? After the stock market crash in 1929, many circuses went down. When Uncle Al would get word that a circus was closing, he would rush to that town and pick up some pieces for pennies on the dollar. A camel here, a tiger there, some stranded performers, and of course, freaks.

            “What Uncle Al craves above all else, what Uncle Al dreams of at night, are freaks. Not made freaks…Uncle Al craves real freaks. Born freaks.” (78). There’s a freak Uncle Al is looking for, he worked on a circus that collapsed. Charles Mansfield-Livingston was a good looking man with a parasitic twin growing out of his chest. He named this infant-like twin Chaz. He dressed Chaz in mini suites and black patent shoes. This description of dressing up Chaz is disturbing, and that’s just why Uncle Al wanted him. He wanted people that the audience would cringe at, rather than someone who had learned a freaky skill or decided to tattoo their body from head to toe. He wanted the freaks of nature.

            Last month, I went to a freak show where there were both freaky performers and freaks of nature. One guy swung a bowling ball from his ears, and one midget who was about 4 feet tall had no arms, only hands growing out of his shoulders; the freak performer and the freak of nature. They called the midget The Penguin. I felt sad for this guy because his job was to be cringed at and at times, laughed at, it was all because he was born different from the rest of us. In 1929 or today, life must be very difficult for The Penguin or Charles Mansfield-Livingston. On one hand, it’s sad that their job is to be put on display and mocked, but on the other hand, life would be hard regardless, living the life of a performer, which is a pretty descent one, gives them respect, income, and a place in a world that wouldn’t accept them because they are different.