Comparing Flowers For Algernon And The Film Charly

The novelette, “Flowers for Algernon,” written by Daniel Keyes and the film Charly, written by Jeff Bleckner, both tell the story of a man named Charlie Gordon, who struggles with a mental disability. This young man experiences an experimental procedure intended to increase his knowledge in order for him to be able to read and write like others. He later discovers the procedure’s effects are only temporary, and he returns to his original state of disability. Although “Flowers for Algernon” and Charly are similar in conflict, they greatly differ in their characters and setting.

To begin with, the conflict between “Flowers for Algernon” and Charly is very similar. In both the film and the book, Charlie Gordon’s desire is to be on a proportionate intellectual scale as his friends and co-workers. He tolerates the continuous mocking from others, while maintaining his happiness and peace. He does so by not understanding why they are

laughing at him and joining in. He struggles taking tests to determine his capability of the operation that will increase his intelligence. Later the operation is sadly not a lasting resolution and battles with himself wishing he had not endured so many trials. In the end, he desires distance from others, wishing to cause no harm to his loved ones. Charlie goes through many tragic and horrific events causing his state of mind to disperse in many different directions.
In addition, the characters in the two stories are to a great degree differing.

In “Flowers for Algernon,” one of the main doctors, Dr. Strauss is portrayed as a man. He and the other doctor, Dr. Nemur, disagree and attempt to take all of the glory from the experiment as their own. In Charly, the figure, Dr. Strauss is depicted as a woman. This portrayal of Dr. Strauss clashes with Dr. Nemur regarding Charlie’s well-being during the procedure. The character’s behaviors and affections vary extraordinarily between the two stories. In Charly, Mrs. Kinnian and Charlie both fall for each other and become a couple. They leave town together for an extended period and return before an important seminar for Charlie. In “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie adores Mrs. Kinnian, although she does not return the same desire for him. He eventually writes that he loves her; however, she does not realize it. The characters have a multitude of different aspects amid the two stories regarding not only their personalities but also their outlooks on life as

well.
Finally, the setting in “Flowers for Algernon,” and Charly have a wide range of perspectives. In Charly, the setting is located in Boston, whereas in “Flowers for Algernon” the story is set in New York. Additionally, in “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie works at a plastic box factory, although in Charly, he works at a bread factory. He worked as a janitor in both stories, but in “Flowers for Algernon,” he helped increase the factory production and expose the laziness of the employees. He is eventually terminated after his fellow co-workers sign a petition.
In Charly, he is also fired because he gets upset with his co-workers and receives a pink slip stating he is no longer needed at the factory. This leads him to working full time at the lab where he had his operation. Also, the setting in “Flowers for Algernon” is portrayed through details in words allowing you to visualize the scene in your own mind. In Charly, it is expressed through a visual representation, not forcing your mind to picture it for you. The setting in both of the stories is exceptionally differing and drastically changes the lives of the characters involved.
In conclusion, the two stories, “Flowers for Algernon” and Charly have multiple differences and similarities. They have numerous elements in common, such as their conflict, being an emotional struggle for the main character for the duration of the story. They also have multiple elements that are different to their characters and setting. These components are important and create many improvements in the story line. Despite the fact, the two stories are vastly different, they have a similar general purpose and message embedded in them, allowing the audience to come to their own conclusion.