Charlie's Intellectual Growth

Following the operation for artificial intelligence, Charlie undergoes an immense amount of growth in a remarkably short period of time. It is during this time frame that he faces the difficulty of balancing his emotions with his intellectual growth. Furthermore, the changes occurring to Charlie affect not only him but the relations to those around him. As Schallhorn states, “...children use their experiences in the world to categorize and judge new events as they occur” (364). Considering that Charlie’s mental capabilities aligned with those of a child prior to the operation, he finds himself in a situation where he must assimilate past experiences to decide how to interpret new ones, while also accommodating his exponentially increasing

Charlie’s ability to analyze things from a newfound perspective comes with both enlightenment and apprehension. It is also during this stage that the reader can begin to feel the most empathy towards Charlie due to the familiarity of the problems he encounters. The inflicting emotions that Charlie encounters are synonymous with the issues that pervade human relations and individual growth. At one point, Charlie speculates a question which speaks to his emotional growth, as well as the problems many people face in their daily lives: “What’s right? Ironic that all my intelligence doesn’t help me solve a problem like this” (Keyes 63). Charlie’s capability to look past what exists beyond the ripples of the surface introduces a new meaning to his life. Schallhorn writes that “ ...those who score extremely well on IQ tests do not align with many of the typical stereotypes people tend to have of highly intelligent people. They do not necessarily have lives that are extraordinarily different from others” (481). Modern societal structures have adopted a popular belief that

To Charlie, this signifies the death of the person he has become through his accumulation of knowledge. Although, as his doctors pester him for tests before his high IQ diminishes, Charlie comes to a more insightful and meaningful understanding about himself: “... the meaning of my total existence involves knowing the possibilities of my future as well as my past, where I’m going as well as where I’ve been” (Keyes 155). In order to appreciate the differences present in a culture, one must first accept themself. When Charlie is finally able to embrace the person he is as a whole instead of in detached parts, he is then able to move away from the egocentrism that weighed down his emotional growth. One’s ability to stay grounded in the face of revolutionary changes and maintain a sense of morality will always surpass the value of intelligence, for intelligence without an anchor is meaningless, a ship lost at sea. When Charlie comes to this realization, he is no longer weighed down by the questions he had previously relied on his IQ to answer: “Here in your university, intelligence, education, knowledge, have all become great idols. But I know now there’s one thing you’ve all overlooked: intelligence and education that hasn’t been tempered by human affection isn’t worth a damn” (Keyes 175). This is the most vital lesson that Keyes conveys to his