Daniel Keyes 'Flowers For Algernon'

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Response to Literature
Flowers for Algernon, a classic written by Daniel Keyes, explores the changes a medical surgery can bring to a man’s life. Keyes unfolds the story of a mentally disabled man, Charlie, who is given the ability to become intelligent after pioneering a medical surgery. Charlie, with his new-found intelligence, has to come to terms with his previous life as well as tackling with the effects of being a lab rat. The moral issues behind science altering humans is a prominent theme of the novel because it displays the author’s concern of science unnecessarily tampering with a human life.
The negative effects of human manipulation through science is first seen when Charlie begins having issues in his few relationships and begins having traumatizing flashbacks. As a child, Charlie had been required to act like …show more content…

The phrase “ I feel a lot better today” signifies that Charlie has come to terms with the memories and understands that they are a part of his past. However, by continuing the phrase by expressing anger towards them means that just because he has relived the flashbacks doesn’t mean he will accept the humiliation that he is finally realizing. Charlie before the surgery had been blissfully unaware of the memories since his mental capabilities didn’t allow him to recall moments, but now with the surgery Charlie is going to have to face the horrors of his childhood all over again. Charlie’s disability also caused befriending people to become a difficult task. Regardless, Charlie is able to form connections with people. When Charlie’s intelligence became prominent at work, he began to describe a new environment in the bakery. “People at the bakery are changing. Not only ignoring me. I

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