Charlie Gordon is the main character in "Flowers for Algernon." He under goes an operation to enhance his level of intelligence preformed by two doctors, Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss. Since Charlie has an IQ that is below average and is the first patient to agree to commit to this surgery, his side affects could include loss of memory, unable to complete certain tasks, poor grammar and spelling, and even fatality. Charlie wants to proceed with the operation since he believes that he should as intelligent as normal human beings and he is sick of others making fun of him because of his disabilities. The experimental surgery that Charlie underwent to triple his intelligence had three major effects on his life. Charlie first experienced that his intelligence increased when he he could compare and contrast the natural world. He was able to disagree with Dr.Strauss and Dr. Nemur's conversation. "I …show more content…
was shocked to learn that the only ancient languages he could read were Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and that he knows almost nothing of math beyond the elementary levels of calculus of variations." (Keys 17). Once these affects were observed by Charlie's friends, they started to feel a sense of fear since knew multiple subjects that they had not. Charlie then started developing more and more "friendships." Having friends made him feel appreciated and he felt like had finally found his purpose in life. "I don't like to drink but they say I'll have lots of fun" (Keys 7). He had friends that saw him as a gullible and foolish object that had no reason to ever be hurt or feel out of place. Charlie's friends used him for their own personal pleasure. His life was unknowingly in jeopardy until he realized that they truly weren't his friends. Employment also played a great factor in Charlie's life.
Charlie worked as a janitor in a plastic box factory, unfortunately other had found out about the operation and they had begun to fear him. Since Charlie's coworkers had been brought to their attention that Charlie may have actually gotten smarter, most of them had made and signed a petition for him to quit his job. "Eighty-hundred names, everyone in the factory, except Fanny Girden" (Keys 15). Charlie then had been forced out his job which meant he couldn't pay rent or do anything fun related. Charlie's surgery to triple his intelligence had three significant events. Although certain events may have affected his life, I believe that this surgery was mandatory for Charlie. Not only did this operation help with Charlie's low IQ, but he also helped science by being their test-subject. This surgery made Charlie's life worth living and he could relate to others and share his opinion about the natural world. Charlie should be thankful for the operation and its affects, otherwise he would've lived a mediocre and meaningless
life.
In this novel, Flowers for Algernon, written by Daniel Keyes, a man named Charlie Gordon has an operation done to increase his intelligence. He started as a mentally retarded man and slowly became a genius. He seemed to soak up information like a sponge and he was able to figure out the most complex scientific formulas. The only problem with the operation is that it does not last for ever and in his remaining time he tries to figure out why it is not permanent. He will eventually lose everything he learned and become worse off than when he started, so Charlie was better off before he had the operation.
Was Charlie better off without the operation? Through Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes sends an crucial message to society that man should never tamper with human intelligence or else the outcome can be personally devastating. After Charlie's operation, he felt isolated and lonesome, change in personality made him edgy around people or (lack social skills), and suffered from traumas due to past memories.
Although Charlie was a thirty seven year-old man, his understanding and comprehension of a situation was far too low to understand such consequences that the surgery could come with. In the article, "Five Steps to Better Ethical Decision Making", it says to ask yourself if you could understand making that choice (Dobrin). The doctors in "Flowers for Algernon" did not ask themselves if they were lacking as much intelligence as Charlie, could they make the choice to have the surgery? Charlie didn't know what could happen to him if the there were side effects until it was too late. Therefore, the doctors did not act ethically when choosing Charlie as the test
And therein lies the tale. Charlie does indeed get smarter. He struggles to absorb as much knowledge as he can in whatever time he has. He suggests a new way to line up the machines at the factory, saving the owner tens of thousands of dollars a year in operating costs, and the owner gives him a $25 bonus. But when Charlie suggests to his factory friends that he could use his bonus to treat them to lunch or a drink, they have other things to do.
Before Charlie became smart, even the simplest things in life were good enough for him. As a genius, none of those things mattered to him. His mind was more complex, he needed more and he wanted more. As a result, he felt alone and buried himself in his work.
Charlie’s story began with the surgery, the biggest decision he made in his life. Although he was a guinea pig in the procedure, he wasn’t worried at all about the surgery, but rather on becoming smart as fast as he could. Supposedly these doctors were doing Charlie the greatest favor he would ever receive, and he was so eager to learn as much as he could. Soon however, Charlie would encounter challenges he never faced with the intelligence of a 6 year old. Before his surgery, Charlie had great friends in Miss Kinnian and the bakery workers. After the surgery the relationships between Charlie and everyone he knew would take a drastic turn.
Charlie Gordon is a thirty-two year old man who is diagnosed mentally challenged but, is very eager to be smart. In order for this to happen Charlie will have to have surgery. There will be two doctors assisting Charlie; Dr.Strauss and Dr.Nemur. In the novel the two doctors are to totally different in how they motivated Charlie, treatment for Charlie and their reasoning for helping him.
...nce thought. Charlie’s greatest leap towards intellectual growth occurred in an argument with Prof Nemur after the cocktail party. Nemur says “We had no control over … your personality… you’ve developed from a likable, retarded young man into an arrogant, self-centered, antisocial bastard” (Keyes, 247) these points that Prof Nemur makes are potent enough to alter Charlie’s perception completely. In fact Charlie realizes the he doesn’t have to be arrogant or inconsiderate to grow intellectually.
Firstly, Charlie's operation turns him into an extremely intelligent person. Charlie becomes much smarter as the novel unfolds. A little after his operation Charlie's IQ slowly starts to increase. He finally beats Algernon after losing to him in a race repeatedly. After the victory Charlie says, " I beet Algernon. I dint even know I beet him until Burt Selden told me…But after I beet him 8 more times. I must be getting smart to beat a smart mouse like Algernon."(Keyes 30). Algernon is a smart mouse, who has undergone the same operation as Charlie. Charlie victory shows his increase of knowledgeable. This also shows that his brain is developing. Charlie then gains more knowledge. After writing a few more progress reports one can see a huge change in Charlie's writing, especially in his grammar. While having a conversation with Joe, Charlie says, "Everybody on the floor came around and they were laff laughing…you been here long enuff enough."(Keyes 34). By correcting his own mistakes, Charlie shows that he is progressing towards a more educate...
With all of his heart Charlie wants to be smart. In the story “flowers for Algernon” Charlie is the main character. He is a thirty seven year old man who wants an operation to become smart. The story was written by Daniel Keyes. I think that he should not have the operation.
Strauss says, with three times my IQ of 68, then maybe I'll be like everyone else and people will like me and be friendly.” (Progress report 11) This proves that Charlie wanted to be smart because the people around him didn't like him. These people would make fun of him because he wasn't as smart as they were. That ended up pushing Charlie to want to become intelligent and change who he already was. Charlie also faced other forms of discrimination and acceptance even after he gained his intelligence. After Charlie became smart people were too scared to talk to him because of how smart and how fast he had gained it. A second quote from the story that proves this theme is when Charlie said, “Once again now I have the feeling of shame burning inside me. This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I once knew and loved. Before, they laughed at me and despised me for my ignorance and dullness; now, they hate me for my knowledge and understanding. What in God's name do they want of me?” (Progress Report 12) That shows how at first the people didn't like Charlie because of how low his IQ was but now even after he is a genius they still don't like him. They are making Charlie start to regret his decision about having the surgery and are making him start to have doubts about who he is as a person. Through Charlie's co-workers making fun of him and not accepting him at first they have pushed him to want to be smart just like them. And now they have gotten him fired from his job because of how smart he is. Now you can clearly tell that the theme that appears in the story as by not accepting someone you may end up pushing them to change and do something they may regret later.But that's not the only time the other showed this theme in his
In the story Flowers for Algernon a man named Charlie Gordon has an IQ of 68 and his friends were bullying him and he eventually found out and he gets angry and he feels like he is dumb. Charlie was happier when he did not know that his friends were bullying him but when he does find out he is wary of who real friends are like people that are trying to help him and bullies people that he is trying to avoid that want to hurt him.
Have you ever had something about yourself you wanted to change? The story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is about a man named charlie who is 37 years and old has a low IQ. People make fun of him for not being as smart as they are. He does a operation to triple his IQ. After a couple months the operation wheres off. Charlie gets really disappointed and then runs away from New York. The story was both suspenseful and sad.
Charlie at first gains knowledge after the experiment, but his knowledge declines over time. He does a few things that embarrass him, and the more he thinks about them the more worthless he feels. He starts to think less of himself and is back to his old ways, he catches himself emotionally getting
After Charlie took the surgery, he gradually became more intelligent and ultimity more aware of the world around him. Thus, he began to understand the cruel actions of his friends. As his so called