Charlie Gordon's Flowers For Algernon

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“It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” The short story “Flowers for Algernon” is about a man by the name of Charlie Gordon. Charlie has a learning disability, so he enters a program and has surgery to make him smarter. Unfortunately, the effects of the surgery do not last forever. Due to the events of the story, it can be assumed that the theme in “Flowers for Algernon” is people bullying others to make themselves feel better. The theme is first illustrated when Charlie is leaving a restaurant after having dinner and a busboy, who seems to have the same issues as Charlie, drops plates on the ground, saying, “How strange it is that people of honest feelings and sensibility, who would not take advantage of a man born without arms, legs, or eyes—how such people think nothing of abusing a man with low intelligence.” (slide 49). Another quote from the same situation that also portrays the theme is, “Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me.” (slide 50). Charlie seems to be very disappointed with the people at the restaurant and with the people who treated him horribly. …show more content…

A quote that shows this is "I never knew before that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around just to make fun of me. Now I know what they mean when they say "to pull a Charlie Gordon". I'm ashamed of myself." slide 32. Another quote from the same situation that also portrays the theme is, “I didn't know what to do or where to turn. Everyone was looking at me and laughing, and I felt naked.” It is extremely clear that Charlie feels hurt and betrayed by the people he called

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