Flowers For Algernon By Daniel Keyes

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In the short story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, it is better for Charlie Gordon to never gain intelligence because his brain deteriorates. The effects of the experiment only last for a short time, and the participant’s mental capabilities wear out. He explains, “Deterioration progresses. I have become absent-minded. Algernon died two days ago. I guess the same thing is or will soon be happening to me. I feel the darkness closing in. It’s hard to throw off thoughts of suicide. ”(Keyes). 300-302. Charlie becomes emotionally distraught as he falls victim to the same fate as Algernon. He faces the death of his father. The word “darkness” represents misery or pain, and the negative connotation of the phrase “closing in” implies a sense of confinement. He thinks of suicide, and this shows …show more content…

He knows his dreadful fate. Those sentences also reflect his degrading mental ability because he does not possess the intellectual ability to form complex phrases. The painful consequences of mental deterioration and death outweigh the short-term intelligence he gains. In addition, his life falls apart as he goes into isolation. Charlie dislikes the remorse others feel for him, so he decides to leave his home. He explains, “Thats why I’m going away from New York for good. I don’t want Miss Kinnian to feel sorry for me. Every body feels sorry at the factory and I dont want that either so Im going someplace where nobody knows that Charlie Gordon was once a genus and now he cant even read a book or write good” (Keyes. 305). The. The repetition of the word "sorry" indicates a sense of frustration as the pity he faces overwhelms Charlie; this leads him to perceive himself as a failure. He cannot accept this perception. In response, Charlie moves out of New York, symbolizing his rift from the home he knows. The phrase “someplace where nobody knows” shows his desire for a life in

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