Unintended Consequences: A Review of 'Flowers for Algernon'

Around fifty percent of the world has an IQ of less than one hundred, but this does not stop many of them from being happy and prosperous. Charlie Gordan is a great example of that fifty percent. In “Flowers for Algernon” Charlie, a mentally retarded man, becomes the first person to ever have intelligence increasing surgery. Throughout Charlie’s struggles, Miss Kinnian, his teacher, supports and encourages any and all of his endeavors. Even with his doctors, Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss, constantly butting heads, Charlie manages to remain optimistic. Unfortunately, as Charlie’s mind deteriorates, it is clear that Charlie should not have been selected for the operation. Charlie should not have had the operation because he was poorly uninformed about what he faces by committing to the surgery. The doctors are supposed to give

Up until Algernon’s [a lab mouse] death, Charlie had no reason to believe that he would die. Suddenly it seems as if “it is definitely [going to happen] (Daniel Keyes 205). Charlie was not prepared to learn of the fate that awaited him. As his mind begins to deteriorate, his awareness of the dangers decrease and he stops comprehending what is occurring what is occurring. He starts to get “awful headaches and even aspirin doesn’t help much [and he is confused]” (Daniel Keyes 208). He does not know what is happening and is mentally incapable of understanding at this point. Others may think that Charlie’s last moments were happy because he gained friends at the factory, but they could not have been more wrong. Even though his intelligence level decreased, his emotional level did not. He realized they were kind to him because they pitied him. Charlie leaves for New York because he “doesn’t want everybody to feel sorry for him” (Daniel Keyes 209). Charlie is incredibly unhappy at the end of his life. Charlie would not have died if he had not agreed to the