Flowers for Algernon (Short story)

Flowers for Algernon (Short story)

Flowers for Algernon follows Charlie Gordon, a man with an IQ of 68 who undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. Written by Daniel Keyes, this poignant short story explores themes of human intelligence, societal perception, and the emotional journey of self-discovery. As Charlie's intelligence grows, he faces the complexities of relationships and the eventual decline of his mental faculties. This narrative is essential for readers interested in psychological fiction and the ethical implications of scientific experimentation. Ideal for fans of character-driven stories and those studying the effects of intelligence on human behavior.

Key Points

  • Explores the transformation of Charlie Gordon from low IQ to genius through experimental surgery.
  • Examines the emotional and social consequences of increased intelligence on Charlie's relationships.
  • Highlights the ethical dilemmas surrounding scientific experimentation on human subjects.
  • Depicts the eventual regression of Charlie's intelligence and its impact on his identity.
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FLOWERS
FOR
ALGERNON
Ie
-----~----
,-"~""-"-~"-~"-"----
DANIEL
KEYES
d
)f
progris riport
l-martch
5 1965
Ie
al
J5
r. Strauss says I shud rite down what I think and evrey thing that
st
happins to me from now on. I dont know why but he says its importint
Is
so they will see if they will use me. I hope they use me. Miss Kinnian says
Ie
maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart.
My
name
is Charlie
Id
Gordon. I
am
37
years old and 2 weeks ago was my brithday. I have nuthing
more to rite now so I will close for today.
In
'y
progris riport
2-martch
6
in
I had a test today. I think I faled it. and I think that maybe now they wont
)f
use me. What happind
is
a nice young
man
was in the room
and
he had some
19
white cards with ink spillled all over them. He sed Charlie what do you see
t-
on
this card. I was very skared even tho I had my rabits foot in my pockit
,/I
because when I was a kid I always faled tests in school and I spillled ink to.
I told him I saw a inkblot. He said yes and
it
made me feel good. I thot
n
that was all but when I got up to go he stopped me. He said now sit down
d
Charlie we are not
thru
yet. Then I dont remember so good but he wan tid me
to say what was in the ink. I dint see nuthing in the ink but he said there was
picturs there other pepul saw some picturs. I coudnt see any picturs. I reely
tryed to see. I held the
card
close up and then far away. Then I said if 1 had
my glases I coud see better I usally only ware my glases in the movies
or
TV
but 1 said they are in the closh in the hall. I got them. Then I said let me see
that card agen I bet
III
find it now.
I tryed hard but I still coudnt find the picturs I only saw the ink. 1 told
him maybe 1 need new glases. He rote somthing down
on
a
paper
and I got
skared of faling the test. I told him it was a very nice inkblot with littel points
all
around
the eges. He looked very sad so that wasnt it. I said please let me
try agen.
III
get it in a few minits becaus
1m
not so fast somtimes.
1m
a slow
reeder too in Miss Kinnians class for slow adults but I'm trying very hard.
He gave me a chance with another card that had 2 kinds of ink spilled
on
it
red and blue.
He was very nice and talked slow like Miss Kinnian does and he
ex-
planed it to me that
it
was a raw shok. He said pepul see things in the ink.
I said show me where. He said think. I told him I think a inkblot but that
wasnt rite eather. He said what does
it
remind
you-pretend
something. 1
closd my eyes for a long time to pretend. I told him I pretend a fowntan pen
with ink leeking all over a table cloth. Then he got up and went out.
1 dont think I passd the
raw shok test.
progris report
3-martch
7
Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur say it dont matter about the inkblots. I told them
285
I dint spill the ink on the cards and I coudnt see anything in the ink. They said
286
FLOWERS
FOR
ALGERNON
that maybe they will still use me. I said Miss Kinnian never gave me tests like
that one only spelling
and
reading. They said Miss Kinnian told that I was her
bestist pupil in the adult nite scool becaus I tryed the hardist and I reely
wantid to lern. They said how come you went to the adult nite scool all by
yourself Charlie. How did you find it. I said I askd pepul and sumbody told
me where I shud go to lern to read and spell good. They said why did you want
to. I told them becaus all my life I wantid to be smart
and
not dumb. But its
very hard to be smart. They said you know it will probly be tempirery. I said
yes. Miss Kinnian told me. I dont care if it herts.
Later I had more crazy tests today. The nice lady who gave it me told
me the name and I asked her how do you spellit so I can rite it in my progris
riport.
THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST. I dont know the frist 2 words
but
I know
what
test means. You got to pass
it
or you get bad marks. This test lookd easy
becaus I coud see the picturs. Only this time she dint want me to tell
her
the
picturs. That mixd me up. I said the man yesterday said I shoud tell him what
I saw in the ink she said that dont make no difrence. She said make up storys
about the pepul in the picturs.
I told her how can you tell storys about pepul you never met. I said why
shud I make
up
lies. I never tell lies any more becaus I always get caut.
She told me this test and the other one the raw-shok was for getting
personalty. I laffed so hard. I said how can you get that thing from inkblots
and fotos. She got sore and put
her
picturs away. I dont care. It was siIy. I gess
I faled that test too.
Later some men in white coats took me to a difernt part of the hospitil
and gave me a game to play.
It
was like a race with a white mouse. They called
the mouse Algernon. Algernon was in a box with a lot of twists and
turns
like
all-kinds of walls and they gave me a pencil and a paper with lines
and
lots
of boxes.
On
one side it said START and
on
the other end
it
said
FINISH.
They
said it was
amazed and that Algernon and me had the same amazed to do.
I dint see how we could have the same
amazed if Algernon had a box
and
I
had a paper but I dint say nothing. Anyway there wasnt time because the race
started.
One of the men had a watch he was trying to hide so I
woudnt
see it so
I tryed not to look and that made me nervus.
Anyway that test made me feel worser than all the others because they
did it over
10
times with difernt amazeds and Algernon won every time. I dint
know that mice were so smart. Maybe thats because Algernon is a white
mouse. Maybe white mice are
smarter
then other mice.
progris riport
4-Mar
8
Their going to use
me!
1m
so exited I can hardly write. Dr Nemur
and
Dr
Strauss had a argament about
it
first. Dr Nemur was in the office when Dr
Strauss brot me in. Dr Nemur was worryed about using me but Dr Strauss
told him Miss Kinnian rekemmended me the best from all the people who she
was teaching. I like Miss Kinnian becaus shes a very smart teacher. And she
said Charlie your going to have a second chance.
If
you volenteer for this
r
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287
DANIEL
KEYES
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y
t
e
r
r
s
e
e
s
experamenl
you mite get smart. They dont
know
if it will be
perminint
but
theirs a chance. Thats why I said ok even
when
I was scared because she said
it was
an
operashun.
She
said dont be scared Charlie you done so
much
with
so little I think you deserv it most
of
all.
So I got scaird when Dr
Nemur
and
Dr
Strauss
argud about it.
Dr
Strauss
said I
had
something that was very good. He said I had a good motor-vation.
I never even knew I had that. I felt
proud
when he said that not every body
with
an
eye-q
of
68
had
that thing. I
dont
know
what
it is
or
where
I got it
but
he said Algernon had it too. Algernons motor-vation is the cheese they put
in
his box. But it
cant
be
that
because I
didnt
eat
any
cheese this week.
Then he told Dr
Nemur
something I
dint
understand
so
while they were
talking I wrote
down
some
of
the words.
He said Dr
Nemur
I know Charlie is not what you
had
in
mind
as
the
first of
your
new brede
of
intelek,Hr (coudnt get the word)
superman.
But
most
people
of
his low menr"'*
are
host~d'
and
uncoop'~~'
they
are
usualy dull
apath
,'0':
and
hard
to reach. He
has
a good
natcher
hes intristed
and
eager to
please.
Dr
Nemur
said
remember
he will be the first
human
beeng
ever
to have
his intelijence trippled by surgicle meens.
Dr
Strauss
said exakly. Look at how well hes lerned to
read
and
write
for his low mentel age its as grate
an
acheveH
as
you
and
I lerning einstines
therey
of
**vity without help. That shows the intenss motor-vation. Its com-
parat** a
tremen~d'
achev~d'
I say we use Charlie.
I dint get all
the
words
and
they were talking to fast but it
sounded
like
Dr
Strauss
was
on
my side
and
like the
other
one
wasnt.
Then Dr
Nemur
nodded
he said all right maybe
your
right. We will use
Charlie. When he said that I got so exited I
jumped
up
and
shook his
hand
for being so good to me. I told
him
thank
you doc you
wont
be
sorry
for
giving
me
a second chance. And I
mean
it like I told him. After
the
operashun
1m
gonna
try to be smart.
1m
gonna
try awful hard.
progris ript
5-Mar
10
1m skared. Lots
of
people who work
here
and
the
nurses
and
the people who
gave me the tests
came
to
bring
me candy
and
wish me luck. I hope I have
luck. I got my
rabits
foot
and
my lucky
penny
and
my horse shoe. Only a black
cat crossed me
when
I was
comming
to the hospitil. Dr
Strauss
says dont be
supersitis Charlie this is sience. Anyway 1m keeping
my
rabits
foot with me.
I.asked Dr
Strauss
if
III
beat
Algernon
in
the race
after
the operashun
and
he said maybe.
If
the
operashun
works
III
show
that
mouse I
can
be as
smart
as
he is. Maybe
smarter.
Then
III
be abel to
read
better
and
spell the
words
good
and
know
lots
of
things and be like
other
people. I
want
to be
smart
like
other
people.
If
it
works
perminint
they will
make
everybody
smart
all over the wurld.
They dint give me anything to eat this morning. I dont know
what
that
eating
has
to do with getting smart.
1m
very
hungry
and
Dr
Nemur
took away
/ 23
End of Document
153
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FAQs of Flowers for Algernon (Short story)

What is the main theme of Flowers for Algernon?
The main theme of Flowers for Algernon revolves around the exploration of human intelligence and its implications on identity and relationships. The story illustrates how Charlie Gordon's transformation from a mentally challenged individual to a genius affects his interactions with others and his understanding of the world. As he gains intelligence, he grapples with feelings of isolation, alienation, and the realization that intelligence does not guarantee happiness or acceptance. Ultimately, the narrative raises questions about the value of intelligence and the ethical considerations of manipulating human cognition.
How does Charlie Gordon's character change throughout the story?
Charlie Gordon undergoes significant character development throughout Flowers for Algernon. Initially, he is a kind-hearted but intellectually disabled man who is eager to learn and please others. After undergoing surgery to increase his intelligence, he becomes highly intelligent, gaining knowledge and awareness that profoundly alters his perspective on life. However, as his intelligence peaks, he also experiences emotional turmoil and loneliness, leading to a tragic regression back to his original state. This transformation highlights the complexities of human experience and the transient nature of intelligence.
What happens to Algernon, the mouse, in the story?
Algernon, the mouse, is the first subject of the experimental surgery that Charlie undergoes. Initially, Algernon demonstrates remarkable intelligence and problem-solving abilities, outperforming Charlie in maze tests. However, as the story progresses, Algernon begins to exhibit signs of regression, losing his cognitive abilities and eventually dying. This decline serves as a foreshadowing of Charlie's own fate, emphasizing the temporary nature of the intelligence gained through the surgery and raising ethical questions about the treatment and its long-term effects.
What ethical questions does Flowers for Algernon raise?
Flowers for Algernon raises several ethical questions regarding scientific experimentation on humans. It challenges the morality of altering a person's intelligence and the potential consequences of such actions. The story prompts readers to consider the implications of playing God with human cognition and the responsibilities of scientists towards their subjects. Additionally, it explores the societal treatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities, questioning whether intelligence equates to worth and the impact of societal perceptions on personal identity.

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