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Daniel Keyess science fiction story “Flowers for Algernon” is about a 37-year-old man that was born with a lack of intelligence. He has always been teased and made fun of for his problem. As an adult, he chooses to go to a night school taught by Miss Kinnian to learn. He doesn't learn much but is chosen to undergo a risky never before done surgery. The surgery promises to triple his IQ of 68 but it may not be permanent. Charlie chooses to undergo the surgery to full fill his lifetime goal and to be able to make true friends. The surgery goes will and Charlie progressively gains intelligence. Charlie seems to be very happy being smart but then one day he gets fired from work. His co-workers don't want him there because of how smart he has gotten. …show more content…
That ends up causing Charlie to rethink his decision. First, he was targeted for being dumb and now for being smart. But Charlie isn't the first animal to get the surgery. Algernon the white mouse was the first. Algernon's results so far have been the same as Charlie's. But then one day he stops eating and start to lose motor skills. He becomes aggressive and starts to lose his intelligence. He even dies. Charlie worries and tries his best to avoid having the same results. Even though he is doing everything in his power to stay smart it fails and he becomes just dumb as he used to. Charlie then decided to move so people won't pity him and judge him on his prior discussions. One theme that emerged in the text is by not accepting someone you could end up pushing them to change and do something they might regret later. One detail in the story that proves this theme is when Charlie said, “When I become intelligent like Dr.
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
writing. A different example from Flowers for Algernon that supports my claim is in the scene where Charlie's co-workers made fun of him for being dumb. One example of this is when Charlie realized his so called friends only like to have him around to make fun of him. He feels very ashamed and embarrassed that he did not realize this sooner. This is significant because from that moment Charlie realizes he wants to have friends and be accepted. Consequently, the co-workers have driven Charlie to think he is not normal since he lacks intelligence. When someone feels unaccepted they will most likely feel different and choose to change. This sort of thing could be seen in Charlie's behavior. When he chooses to learn a lot very fast and try to be as intelligent like to other people. Charlie ultimately ends up regretting this decision.The theme acceptance can obviously be pointed out many times in the story. As you can see in this evidence Charlie's co-workers had a big impact on how accepted Charlie felt and why he felt he needed to change. Even through the author's craft, the author is able to show the theme. In progress report 12 the tone of the story turns very awkward when Charlie is speaking to Franny. They talk about how Charlie used to be a better man before he chooses to change and how she feels very sorry for him. That causes Charlie to start thinking about how much he has changed. He says “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) By causing the tone to turn dark and regretful. The author was able to use his author's craft of tone to demonstrate the theme of the story. By making the scene very awkward anyone can clearly see that the theme is that non acceptance can lead to very bad side effects for the person being unaccepted. While some might argue that the theme of friendship is more important in the story. They would argue that all through the story Charlie interacted and becomes friends with many people that had a huge impact on his life. He also made a lot of friends such as Algernon, Mrs. Kinnian and the doctors that operated on him. But they forget that in the text it talks multiple times about how Charlies peers and people around him didn't treat him as an equal. They would constantly take advantage of his dumbness and his lack of intelligence. Even though they know Charlie had that “disease” since he was born. Their constant teasing always pushed Charlie closer to the line of having the operation because he has always wanted to be smart but now all he wants is to be accepted and have friends. “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) Therefore the theme of the story is in fact not friendship but acceptance. One theme that emerged in the text is by not accepting someone you could end up pushing them to change and do something they might regret later. Since people were always making fun of Charlie because of his low IQ. He chose to change and become smart. That ended up having horrible side effects which that he ultimately regretted but it was much too late. So remember the next time you try to judge and criticize someone don't be surprised if they chose to change in a drastic way.
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.
Intelligence means having or showing intelligence, especially of a high level. Charlie is a thirty-seven-year-old man who was given an opportunity to increase his intelligence from an IQ of sixty-two to two hundred. A science fiction short story, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, was about a man named Charlie who had an operation to improve his intelligence and why it was necessary for him to have the surgery. Charlie, before the operation, could not understand other people. After the operation, he became closer to the characters in his journal, and he was also able to use his skills and intelligence. The operation affected Charlie in many ways because he use to misunderstand others when he was spoken
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.
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.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a work that draws from the biblical tale of the Garden of Eden. Daniel Keyes manages to renew the story as his own while still using the same theme and plot. In Flowers for Algernon a grown man, named Charlie Gordon, who has learning disabilities gets an operation to make him smarter. After the operation is complete Charlie goes through the process of learning at an excelled rate and learns many things, some of which are good, and some of which he would be better off not knowing. However, in the end the operation is not permanent and Charlie loses his gained intelligence.
.... As his intelligence advances, Charlie becomes aggressive and hostile after realizing how he was taken for granted. He can no longer tolerate his former coworkers, because he still remembers the humiliation at their hands. His friends at the factory become threatened by his new personality and growing intelligence, and petition to fire him out of the factory. This led to Charlie becoming isolated and lonely. Once Charlie became a genius, he became a little arrogant and even egotistical. This, in turn, makes him lose his friends and all of his happiness in his simple life. Because his progress reports are written in first point of view, you can infer how his personality changed from amiable to hostile. At the end, he hopes someone will continue and fix the error in Dr. Nemur and Strauss's experiment. From this, you can conclude that what he is writing is the truth.
In the novel, beginning from the first paragraph, Charlie’s intentions are clear; he wishes to become intelligent above anything. Within the very first progress journal Charlie describes his willingness to become intelligent. “All my life I wantid to be smart and not dumb and my mom always tolld me to try …but its very hard to be smart and even when I lern … at the school I ferget alot." (Keyes 4). Charlie indicates his eagerness to become intelligent began ever since he was little yet, his weak memory holds him back, but nonetheless being smart is his one goal. Also when Charlie is talking about why he wants to become intelligent he reveals he believes becoming smart will bring him friends to keep him company. He reports, “if your smart you can have lots of frends to talk to and you never get lonley by yourself all the time.” (15). Charlie believes being smart is the key to popularity and gaining friends who will want to spend time with him, therefore becoming intelligent for him is the key to happiness. In addition when the professor reminds Charlie all the fame he could acquire if he was successful reminds he shakes it off. He reflects “I dont care so much about beeing famus. I just want to be smart like other pepul so I c...
Therefore, Even though Charlie becomes mentally retarded by the end, he becomes a more complete person. Charlie undergoes a lot of changes during his journey. He matures which contributes to his intelligence growth, learns significant life lesson, and realizes that he is better of being mentally retarded rather than a genius. Charlie does not realize the fact that after becoming a genius, he is as far away from his goal of being normal and fitting in as he is being mentally retarded.
The majority of people assume that a surgery that would cost thousands of dollars would be beneficial but in the Flowers of Algernon, written by Daniel not everything goes as planned. Daniel’s story Flowers for Algernon is about a man named Charlie Gordon who is a 37 years old. He has multiple problems with brain. He is very nice and thinks all his friends like him. He goes to a hospital every week to visit a doctor named Ms.Kinnamon to help him read, write and spell better. Charlie was one day brought in the hospital to race a smart mouse named Algernon. Algeron would also beat him in the race until he finally practiced enough to beat him. He worked at a factory and would clean for a living. Charlie liked his peers and his work but in reality they were all making fun of him. The doctors at the hospital wanted to do surgery on his brain to help him with his disabilities and he ended up doing it, but they were many side effects; Forgetting how to read and write well, heavy depression and realizing reality.
What would you do if you had the chance to triple human intelligence? This is the question Daniel Keyes answered in the story “Flowers for Algernon.” Charlie Gordon had this chance. Charlie learns about the struggles of becoming smart. Charlie has always wanted to become smart, but since he has a disability, Charlie isn’t able to learn like a normal human being.
What would you do if you had the chance to triple human intelligence? This is the question Daniel Keyes answered in the story “Flowers for Algernon.” Charlie Gordon had this chance. Charlie learns about the struggles of becoming smart. Charlie has always wanted to become smart, but since he has a disability, Charlie isn’t able to learn like a normal human being.
Due to his increased intelligence, he begins to understand the concept of love. Without this growth in IQ, he would’ve never experienced what love was like, even though it was for a short period. With knowledge, you can always see another side of a person or a topic you wouldn’t have seen if you were ignorant. To sum up everything that I have been talking about, ignorance is truly not bliss. This is supported by the fact that people with an ignorant personality assume everyone is their friends, they lack knowledge about medical situations, and don’t experience many things that average people would.
To start, it is a good feeling to feel normal and everyone should feel that way. In the story, Charlie wants to be smarter and Dr. Strauss can do that for him. Charlie wants to be smarter so he can just be normal like other people. The thought of his I.Q. being tripled was amazing to him. At one point in the story Dr. Nemur said,“remember he will be the first human being ever to have his intelligence tripled by surgical means” (page 518). Anyone who has wanted just to be normal would understand what Charlie was feeling. If Charlie didn’t have the operation he would not be able to experience the benefit of being normal.