"As his vacant eyes moved across the crowd of amused onlookers, he slowly mirrored their smiles and finally broke into an uncertain grin at the joke which he obviously did not understand. I felt sick inside as I looked at his dull, vacuous smile, the wide, bright eyes of a child, uncertain but eager to please."
- Flowers for Algernon, page 127
THE STORY
"progris riport 1 - martch 5 1965"
The first words a reader is faced with when delving into Flowers for Algernon are words that may at first be attached to confusion. The pages of which comprise the introduction are filled with errors of all kind: vocabulary, spelling, grammatical, etc. As one soon concludes, the narrator of the story, 32-year old Charly Gordon, is not quite up to speed with his peers. In fact, he's so far behind, that doctors schedule a series of tests and interviews to estimate his cognitive ability, allowing them to make the decision that essentially makes the book's plot, theme, and motif.
Once Charlie has been evaluated, a decision is made to follow through with an operation that, theoretically, will raise an IQ far beyond where it was previously. Charlie agrees to follow through with the operation, as he is continuously beaten in the solving of a maze by the only other creature to receive the operation at hand; a mouse named Algernon.
After the operation is performed, Charlie's mental growth expands at an exponential rate. He soaks up information like a sponge, learning everything from quantum physics to a multitude of languages. However, the results of the operation become questionable when major character discrepancies between old Charlie and new Charlie are noticed. Character versus intellect is a recurring theme, and due to its posing of not only difficult questions, but also applicable ones, this 1959 novel earns its placement in the literary merit section.
The first words a reader is faced with when delving into Flowers for Algernon are words that may at first be attached to confusion. The pages of which comprise the introduction are filled with errors of all kind: vocabulary, spelling, grammatical, etc. As one soon concludes, the narrator of the story, 32-year old Charly Gordon, is not quite up to speed with his peers. In fact, he's so far behind, that doctors schedule a series of tests and interviews to estimate his cognitive ability, allowing them to make the decision that essentially makes the book's plot, theme, and motif.
Once Charlie has been evaluated, a decision is made to follow through with an operation that, theoretically, will raise an IQ far beyond where it was previously. Charlie agrees to follow through with the operation, as he is continuously beaten in the solving of a maze by the only other creature to receive the operation at hand; a mouse named Algernon.
After the operation is performed, Charlie's mental growth expands at an exponential rate. He soaks up information like a sponge, learning everything from quantum physics to a multitude of languages. However, the results of the operation become questionable when major character discrepancies between old Charlie and new Charlie are noticed. Character versus intellect is a recurring theme, and due to its posing of not only difficult questions, but also applicable ones, this 1959 novel earns its placement in the literary merit section.
THE AUTHOR
Known best for Flowers for Algernon, New Yorker Daniel Keyes was born in August of 1927. After attending Brooklyn College, he received a bachelor's degree in psychology, allowing him a detailed perspective when delving into the mind of Charlie Gordon, and into the concept of the operation discussed throughout the book.[1]
THE ANALYSIS (SPOILERS)
The further I read into Flowers for Algernon, the more conflicted I felt about Charlie, the operation, and the point being conveyed by Daniel Keyes. Before jumping into that, an explanation of the events that occur after the brain growth begins is necessary.
As stated previously, once Charlie has been operated on, his brain develops at a rapid pace; he is learned, seeing, and absorbing like never before. This pace quickens beyond the average human, and eventually beyond even the most advanced of society, including the doctors who gave him the opportunity in the first place. In a scene where Charlie is "shown off" to other professors in a convention-type atmosphere, his interactions with the fellow scholars proves that his brain functions at a much higher level than even they. This is shown especially when Charlie is curious as to how some of the professors did not have his gift for languages, revealing he knew (at least) four times the amount that one of his doctors was familiar with. Charlie experiences a confusion as to how all of these people he once believed to be absolute geniuses seemed to now be so far below him. In the story's progression, these confusing moments happen more and more frequently, giving Charlie a more arrogant persona. Compared to his altruistic personality in the beginning, Charlie soon becomes arrogant, pretentious, and even somewhat careless. Those who knew him before the operation, such as his night-school teacher, Ms. Kinnian, recognize this personality change, and attempt to address it with Charlie, only to be shut down with his rude and pompous mindset.
Eventually, the decline in the intelligence of Charlie's progress reports reveal that the effects of the operation have begun to retrogress; he begins to misspell words more frequently, miss punctuation, and encounters grammatical errors much like those seen in the pre-operation stages of his reports. As Charlie's intelligence decreases, he spirals into a depression, and begins to feel more alone than even when he was all too often the victim to cruel jokes and bullying. He reverts back to his old, clumsy self, becoming temperamental, throwing and breaking things in his apartment often. In the last page of the book, Charlie writes yet another progress report, requesting that they "put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard" (Keyes 198). Algernon had passed away not long before Charlie's retrogression began, acting as an omen for what Charlie's near future may hold.
Going back to what was said at the beginning of this section, the more of the storyline I covered, the more conflicted I felt about what I was reading. Initially, though some I had some skepticism about the reliability of the experiment, I believed that giving someone who strived for intelligence but was unable to reach the achievement a chance to operate like the rest of society was more help than harm. However, once I was able to observe the way Charlie interacted with friends, strangers, and even himself after the operation, I realized that there had been some misconceptions as to where priorities should have fallen. Firstly, the persons involved with the decision to proceed with the experiment decided to value intelligence over character; this may seem appropriate to some, but personally, I believed Charlie's arrogance and disgust at those below him was far worse than his lack of understanding, simply because of the difference in how many people he was hurting between the two scenarios.
Before the operation, Charlie was known, aside from being mentally disabled, for being considerate and kind. After the operation, Charlie is known for being vain and cocky. The first question raised by this is one that has already been mentioned: should intelligence be valued higher than someone's character? This question, independent of what your answer may be, leads into another question Keyes brings up. The decisions made around Charlie cause a question of how doctors and psychologists should go about treating those with mental disorders. Should actions be taken in an attempt to boost their brain development? Or should they simply be put through special care to ensure they are safe? This can be tied in with the question known most commonly Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World. He mentions how in the act of (re)creating dinosaurs for the attraction park, the scientists skipped over the questionable morality of their experiments, and went straight to testing its possibility. In Flowers for Algernon, the doctors take Charlie's volunteering for the experiment without much question. Assuming he can make the decision completely, they proceed only thinking of how much they would gain if it were to work. Should they have gone through with the experiments in the first place? In an attempt to apply the answers to these questions into today's society, one can bring it all together by asking, how do we use what Flowers for Algernon has taught us in our own world?
As stated previously, once Charlie has been operated on, his brain develops at a rapid pace; he is learned, seeing, and absorbing like never before. This pace quickens beyond the average human, and eventually beyond even the most advanced of society, including the doctors who gave him the opportunity in the first place. In a scene where Charlie is "shown off" to other professors in a convention-type atmosphere, his interactions with the fellow scholars proves that his brain functions at a much higher level than even they. This is shown especially when Charlie is curious as to how some of the professors did not have his gift for languages, revealing he knew (at least) four times the amount that one of his doctors was familiar with. Charlie experiences a confusion as to how all of these people he once believed to be absolute geniuses seemed to now be so far below him. In the story's progression, these confusing moments happen more and more frequently, giving Charlie a more arrogant persona. Compared to his altruistic personality in the beginning, Charlie soon becomes arrogant, pretentious, and even somewhat careless. Those who knew him before the operation, such as his night-school teacher, Ms. Kinnian, recognize this personality change, and attempt to address it with Charlie, only to be shut down with his rude and pompous mindset.
Eventually, the decline in the intelligence of Charlie's progress reports reveal that the effects of the operation have begun to retrogress; he begins to misspell words more frequently, miss punctuation, and encounters grammatical errors much like those seen in the pre-operation stages of his reports. As Charlie's intelligence decreases, he spirals into a depression, and begins to feel more alone than even when he was all too often the victim to cruel jokes and bullying. He reverts back to his old, clumsy self, becoming temperamental, throwing and breaking things in his apartment often. In the last page of the book, Charlie writes yet another progress report, requesting that they "put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard" (Keyes 198). Algernon had passed away not long before Charlie's retrogression began, acting as an omen for what Charlie's near future may hold.
Going back to what was said at the beginning of this section, the more of the storyline I covered, the more conflicted I felt about what I was reading. Initially, though some I had some skepticism about the reliability of the experiment, I believed that giving someone who strived for intelligence but was unable to reach the achievement a chance to operate like the rest of society was more help than harm. However, once I was able to observe the way Charlie interacted with friends, strangers, and even himself after the operation, I realized that there had been some misconceptions as to where priorities should have fallen. Firstly, the persons involved with the decision to proceed with the experiment decided to value intelligence over character; this may seem appropriate to some, but personally, I believed Charlie's arrogance and disgust at those below him was far worse than his lack of understanding, simply because of the difference in how many people he was hurting between the two scenarios.
Before the operation, Charlie was known, aside from being mentally disabled, for being considerate and kind. After the operation, Charlie is known for being vain and cocky. The first question raised by this is one that has already been mentioned: should intelligence be valued higher than someone's character? This question, independent of what your answer may be, leads into another question Keyes brings up. The decisions made around Charlie cause a question of how doctors and psychologists should go about treating those with mental disorders. Should actions be taken in an attempt to boost their brain development? Or should they simply be put through special care to ensure they are safe? This can be tied in with the question known most commonly Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World. He mentions how in the act of (re)creating dinosaurs for the attraction park, the scientists skipped over the questionable morality of their experiments, and went straight to testing its possibility. In Flowers for Algernon, the doctors take Charlie's volunteering for the experiment without much question. Assuming he can make the decision completely, they proceed only thinking of how much they would gain if it were to work. Should they have gone through with the experiments in the first place? In an attempt to apply the answers to these questions into today's society, one can bring it all together by asking, how do we use what Flowers for Algernon has taught us in our own world?
THE THEME (MORE SPOILERS)
As stated multiple times in previous sections, the most recognizable theme throughout the plot of Flowers for Algernon is the idea that character should be valued higher than obtaining a higher level of intelligence. There is a balancing act that the reader must perform, swaying back and forth between wanting the altruism or the intellect, eventually being forced the choose a side. In the introductory progress reports, Charlie's kindness is seen oftentimes as gullibility, causing the reader to believe that an operation that would (hopefully) expand his mental capacity was in his best interest. Up until character developments become more obvious, the reader is rooting for the operation alongside Ms. Kennian and the doctors.
However, after Charlie's persona has taken an apparent turn for the worst, the reader begins to question whether or not the operation should have been carried through with, allowing the question of sensitivity to smarts to bud in their mind. Watching as Charlie's relationships that were once healthy and beneficial begin to crumble due to his recklessness causes the question to grow. This is seen with a sense of irony, due to the fact that much of the decision to have Charlie partake in the experiment was so that he would be less socially inept; however, he just goes from one social ineptitude to another, the first due to ignorance and the second due to haughtiness. This is what allows the theme to blossom, seeing as how when trying to solve the original issue, another obstacle is caused. Choosing to end the book with the aforementioned request for flowers on Algernon's grave shows that once Charlie had completely reverted back to his previous mental health levels, his consideration for others was back to where it was before, giving him a more altruistic character again, despite being less intelligent. In doing so, Keyes answers the question with his personal opinion; a person's character is of more importance than being intellectually superior.
However, after Charlie's persona has taken an apparent turn for the worst, the reader begins to question whether or not the operation should have been carried through with, allowing the question of sensitivity to smarts to bud in their mind. Watching as Charlie's relationships that were once healthy and beneficial begin to crumble due to his recklessness causes the question to grow. This is seen with a sense of irony, due to the fact that much of the decision to have Charlie partake in the experiment was so that he would be less socially inept; however, he just goes from one social ineptitude to another, the first due to ignorance and the second due to haughtiness. This is what allows the theme to blossom, seeing as how when trying to solve the original issue, another obstacle is caused. Choosing to end the book with the aforementioned request for flowers on Algernon's grave shows that once Charlie had completely reverted back to his previous mental health levels, his consideration for others was back to where it was before, giving him a more altruistic character again, despite being less intelligent. In doing so, Keyes answers the question with his personal opinion; a person's character is of more importance than being intellectually superior.
THE TESTMONIAL
There are few pieces of advice one could give pertaining to embarking upon this read, however, there is one thing for certain; this book contains some of the most character development that one may read in their lifetime. Due to leaps taken both mentally and socially, Charlie's character develops in ways many characters are never given at a rate many authors could never utilize simply because of the plot points. Due to rapid character growth, this book is filled with psychological analysis, of which is one of the reasons I chose (and enjoyed) this read. For those who enjoy a lot of analyzation as far as how a person thinks and processes information, this book is a good fit. However, due to a capturing plot and a message comparing the importance of intelligence to the importance of living life to the fullest, Flowers for Algernon is a good read for just about anyone.
THE FILM(S)
Charly (1968)
7.1/10 IMDB Star Meter
3.4/5 Rotten Tomatoes
"An intellectually disabled man undergoes an experiment that gives him the intelligence of a genius."
7.1/10 IMDB Star Meter
3.4/5 Rotten Tomatoes
"An intellectually disabled man undergoes an experiment that gives him the intelligence of a genius."
Flowers for Algernon (2000)
6.9/10 IMDB Star Meter
3.6/5 Rotten Tomatoes
"Charlie Gordon is mentally handicapped and all he wants in life is to be a genius. When he gets picked for experimental surgery it looks like his dream may finally come true. But the surgery has side effects that could could kill Charlie. Can Charlie survive being just plain old "Charlie Gordon" and will his newfound romance survive this test of character?"
6.9/10 IMDB Star Meter
3.6/5 Rotten Tomatoes
"Charlie Gordon is mentally handicapped and all he wants in life is to be a genius. When he gets picked for experimental surgery it looks like his dream may finally come true. But the surgery has side effects that could could kill Charlie. Can Charlie survive being just plain old "Charlie Gordon" and will his newfound romance survive this test of character?"
You know you want it.
Find a copy here, here, and there.