Elizabeth Groz's Argumentative Essay On Freaks

Elizabeth Grozs states that “grotesque” disabilities; siamese twins, rubber man, dwarfs, giants, etc, have to live their lives as “freaks.” Which in other terms, to be commercialized for entertainment, thus creating an explanation of the need to understand the human body of what is considered “normal.” Grozs, however, puts out a disclaimer before she explains her argument; the term “freak” is a political label that is targeted specifically towards a group of disabled people. It is a tricky term, it excludes some disabilities as it focuses more on those who are seen as “simultaneously and compulsively fascinating and repulsive, enticing and sickening” (56). Genetics, heredity, embryology, histology, medical, and sometimes conscious effort are all factors of the “freaks.” Aside from the

The two was bought to Europe and America to be exhibited for entertainment, far before they were even professionally examined by doctors. The twins later married to two English sisters, and it was said that between the twins, they had a total of twenty-two children. Overtime they have been examined by doctors multiple time, however, they were kept conjoined as studies shown that separating them would endanger both the twins. Siamese twins, are rare, and in today’s society either they are surgically separated or they are socially marginalized if they are kept together. Siamese twins are heavily compared with hermaphrodites as they both exhibited sexual ambiguity. In conclusion, Grozs, explains that many of us strive more off of voyeurism than to research the history and science behind these so called “freaks,” because they are not freaks, they are humans with disabilities that are used as entertainment, as objects, something that society would usually marginalized but has somehow became this fascination of fetishizing the