The people who exploited the Elephant Man in the freak show are also characters in a sense. They represent the cruel and unethical side of society. They only saw Merrick as a source of profit and entertainment, without any regard for his feelings or humanity.
One of the main themes is the cruelty of society towards those who are different. The Elephant Man was shunned and exploited because of his appearance.
In 'the elephant man short story', the Elephant Man is key. He has a unique and pitiable existence. There are the showmen who initially display him like a freak. They are important as they introduce the situation he is in at the start. Additionally, there are the visitors who come to see him. Some are curious, some are sympathetic, and they all contribute to the different interactions and emotions in the story.
The themes include the power of friendship. The few friends that the Elephant Man has play a crucial role in his life. Also, the theme of loneliness is present. Because of his appearance, he is often isolated, and this loneliness is a strong undercurrent throughout the story.
The moral is that different people may have different perspectives on the same thing. Just like the blind men in the story, each of them touched a different part of the elephant and thought the elephant was like what they felt. So we should consider multiple viewpoints.
The story of the Elephant Man is based on real events and a real person, but it might have some dramatization and artistic liberties taken for storytelling purposes.