Trading happiness for intelligence is like trading a heart for a brain. Though this is not exactly possible, the choice of living with strong friendships and joy or living with only intelligence and no company is a difficult one. This is the exact choice Charlie, from science fiction short story “Flowers For Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, had to make. Charlie was referred to a program by his very kind teacher Miss Kinnian, where he could get an operation, to raise his IQ and amount of knowledge. After he went through the operations process, his amount of knowledge spouted up for he had lots of enthusiasm to learn and energy. He gained a lot of knowledge and was thankful that he could be a part of this to contribute to science. Though he learned …show more content…
At the beginning of the short story, he could not see much about his reality so he was very happy overall. While he was taking a test before the surgery he said “I told him I saw an inkblot. He said yes and it made me feel good”(Keyes 1). Though this quote might not seem to mean much, it shows how small little things like a doctor saying “yes” made Charlie feel proud of himself and made him brighten up. Throughout the whole beginning section, Charlie was brightened like a lightbulb in a way that he could never experience after the surgery. He still had lots of feelings before the surgery such as feeling scared, happy, and proud like everyone else, indicating that he did not just experience those emotions for the first time after the surgery. He also wanted to please everyone around him, always trying the hardest he could. Additionally, many may say that he felt like something was missing before and really wanted to become smart to help other people and to connect better which is true, but this demonstrates he experienced some sort of struggle, but was still happy. To add to that, when Charlie finished the operation, he had to go through much larger struggles, harming him even more and making him lose even more happiness. Nobody should ever have to go through this even if they can learn …show more content…
When he was talking to Miss Kinnian, she said, “You’re like a giant sponge now, soaking things in”(Keyes 15). This can mean that he was gaining lots of knowledge and he would get to keep growing. But it also could mean that he was just like a sponge, and object that gets squeezed out once it has been filled up. This could also refer to Charlie having so much knowledge but once he had learned so much, he could lose it all in an instant, like a sponge losing water. Also, after a sponge is used, it is just thrown away. Once his doctors see no more use for him - “Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur have asked me not to come to the lab anymore”(Keyes 21) - they will just throw him away. Even though all of his effort to help them, he is just forgotten. They carelessly kicked him out, acting as though he was as emotionless as a sponge. Additionally, though Charlie felt like his report would be helpful to the science world, it probably would never be published for the doctors would never allow it. Charlie heard that “Dr. Strauss said that someday thousands of neuro-surgeons might be using his technique all over the world”(Keyes 14). Dr. Strauss might be thinking that many people would get more intelligent, helping them, but be actually just wanted fame because he
Before Charlie had the operation preformed on him, he had friends at the bakery he worked at. They were not really his friends because they always made jokes about Charlie, but he was not smart enough to realize it. As he gets smarter he loses his friends because they think he is just trying to act smart.
Is becoming smart always better than staying dumb? After considering Charlie’s situation, I have decided that the answer to this question is no. Charlie is the main character in the science fiction story Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes. In the book, Charlie is a 37 year old man who has an I.Q. of 68 and is on a mission to become smart. When the opportunity comes for him to participate in an experiment for an operation that can triple his I.Q., he willingly takes it. It turns out that the operation only grants a temporary intelligence boost, and Charlie experiences high intelligence only to have it start deteriorating. I think that Charlie was wrong to have the operation that temporarily made him smart.
The famous quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson, “'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” is particularly relevant to the story “Flowers for Algernon.” Charlie Gordon is a 37 year old man with an I.Q. of 68 his one goal in life was to become smarter so he could be normal. This chance comes to him as he is selected to undergo an operation that should in theory increase his intelligence. This procedure has already been performed on multiplies animals most notably on a mouse named Algernon. After undergoing the operation, Charlie rapidly gains intelligence until he reaches an Iq of about 200 or more. Then tragedy strikes when Algernon starts to mentally regress to his former state after which he dies. From this Charlie learns that soon the same will happen to him all of the things he’s learned will soon disappear soon Charlie finds himself in a downward spiral as he quickly forgets everything he’s learned after the operation. In the end
He was much happier before the operation. The situations were the same before. But, after the operation, he had started noticing the obstacles. Joe and Frank used to tease Charlie before, but now he was ashamed and realized that they had befriended him to make fun of him. He now started noticing the wicked incidents in his surrounding and started to compare them to his life. He became lonely after he got fired from his job. His life had become a track lane with obstacles all along the way after he became intelligent. Intelligence does not always lead to happiness. The story “Flowers for Algernon” proves that ignorance is
For Charlie, Ignorance is bliss. He realizes that his so called ? friends? were just using him to entertain their perverse humor. Also, he was also fired from the job that he loved so much because his new intelligence made those around him feel inferior and scared.
Before the operation, he exhibited some clear strengths such as determination, a positive attitude, friendly with people and some weaknesses such as education and inability to understand the adult world. After the operation, he begun to change in numerous ways. Charlie started out as being not really intelligent. Being around with “smart” people made him want to change and became “intelligent” just like his “friends.” I think its all crazy. If you can get smart when your sleeping why do people go to school. That thing I don't think will work. I use to watch the late show and the late late show on TV all the time and it never made me smart (Keyes 118). This part of the book led Charlie’s flashbacks takes place of how he was raised or nurtured through his childhood, Of how he wanted to try to become smart. However Dr. Strauss believes that his sleep would help Charlie be able to learn. However in his nature, his disability cannot help him at all, doesn’t matter how much he tries to watch TV and tries to go to sleep, I wouldn’t allow him to learn anything at all. The nurture of this is having the doctor recommend Charlie to do this. His disability also not just affects him but his family as well. His disability kind of makes his sister miserable as well, jealous over how the parents focus on Charlie due to his disability, despite the successes the sister achieves in school. Thus Charlie’s nature towards others has a negative effect which is towards his sister. Charlie was raised by his parents but through a condition that would then follow him probably for the rest of his life as well as being mainly raised through this experiment, which possibly wouldn’t help him at all in the near
He is then judged even harsher which is why you shouldn’t try to be someone that you’re not. You should stay true to yourself. In the story, it says “Their going to use me! I am so exited I can hardly write” (Keyes page 351). This implies that Charlie is anxious to undergo the surgery that will make him smart. Another part says “If you volenteer for this experament you mite get smart”. (Keyes page 351) This shows that the operation will make him more intelligent so he can fit in with everyone else. This proves that Charlie is trying to be someone he is not in order to fit
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.
Firstly, Charlie grows emotionally and physically as a human being: growing and becoming more complete with every experience. Starting off, Charlie grows physically as he develops into a more of a complete man. Joe and Frank invite Charlie to a party, during the party he is forced to dance with a girl named Ellen. After waking up the next morning, Charlie says, “I dreamed about the girl Ellen dancing and rubbing up against me and when I woke up the sheets were wet and messy” (Keyes 43). Charlie has his first wet dream, he is slowly going through puberty after the operation and becoming a more complete man. Adding on, Charlie is always happy and thinks all is good in the world, before the operation everything seems fine to him. He is like a child: naive. After the operation, Charlie has therapy sessions with the doctor, where they do tests to measure growth. During one of these therapy sessions, Charlie says, “I had reached a new level and anger and suspicion were my reactions to the world around me” (Keyes 57-58). Charlie grows emotionally, he adds another aspect to his cha...
Charlie’s intelligence started to fall. Slowly he lost it all, from foreign languages to math equations to reading and writing.
As a result of the operations, Charlie gains the experience of what it is like to be intelligent. Therefore, he sees the world as it is. “Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined them in laughing at myself. This hurts most of all” (76.) He can now truly understand how the outside world functions and how he is truly treated.
He was so closed off from the rest of the world and he felt isolated and alone. The family participated in religious services a few times during the movie, and even Charlie took communion. He was no stranger to the world of spirituality. Even though he participated in religious ceremonies with his family, when he met his friends he finally realized the meaning and purpose of his life. Eventually, Charlie started to participate in life and not just watch others live. As a result, he was released from the shell that kept him trapped inside. At this point, it was clear to Charlie that there was something more to him. He was alive. This becomes clear in the tunnel scene at the end of the movie when he states, “I can see it. This one moment when you know you’re not a sad story. You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you’re listening to that song and that drive with people you love most in this world. And in this moment I swear, we are
If Charlie didn’t have the operation he would not be able to realize that Joe and Frank were making fun of him. Joe and Frank would just keep making fun of him and he would not be able to stick up for himself. Once in the story Charlie said,“It's a funny thing I never knew that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around all the time to make fun of me. Now I know what it means when they say "to pull a Charlie Gordon.” I'm ashamed” (page 524). Somebody who has been made fun of before should know that anybody would want to stick up for themselves. This shows that it was a blessing for Charlie to have this operation because now he can stick up for
Someone who supports the doctor's decision could say that he wasn't lonely because he achieved his goal. That is wrong because he quit his job just because his co-workers didn't want him there, and they didn't want to see him because he was different. Overall, Charlie surgery affected charlie in a good way as well as in a bad way.
Throughout the novel, Charlie witness difficulties with his family, love life, and his increase in intelligence. Charlie’s emotions change, with his family and himself. Charlie learns a lot about his parents and life throughout the procedure and grows as a character. Next, Charlie grows socially. Charlie gains some love interests on the way and many different friends.