Charlie Gordon Flowers For Algernon

Would most people sacrifice their life in an attempt to prevent the inevitable and potentially improve their quality of life? However, Charlie Gordon was faced with this dilemma, and his choice ultimately changed his life, altering all the good things going for him. In the story “Flowers For Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie's life would have been considerably better before the operation. Charlie is a mentally challenged adult whose only goal in life is to become intelligent. He was presented with an experimental surgery, and knowing the risks, he agreed to the surgery. If Charlie did not feel pressured by outside sources, he would have felt safe as himself in public. Charlie was better off before the surgery because of the meaningfulness

We know that Charlie was living a meaningful and successful life with the help of Mrs. Kinnian. Charlie says, “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 (Keyes 286)”. Mrs. Kinnian, an adult night school teacher whom Charlie deeply trusts, recommended him for an experimental surgery. However, instead of allowing Charlie to live a peaceful and self-fulfilling life, she presented him with a decision that could alter the course of his life irreversibly. The experimental surgery was risky and had the potential to result in death, making the recommendation seem delusional. A highly accredited psychologist says, “You can assign values to having new experiences for the sake of discovering who you will become (Heshmat 7)”. Numerous psychologists suggest that when faced with life-altering decisions, one should carefully evaluate potential outcomes to determine the best course of action. Due to his mental disability, Charlie should not have been recommended for the surgery and been able to live a meaningful life. Yet, Mrs. Kinnian still recommended the surgery without considering the possibility of death, which implies that she was ignorant and should be held accountable for any negative consequences that Charlie Gordon may experience. Charlie was living an extraordinary life before the surgery, yet he was

This suggests that Charlie is comfortable in his occupation and enjoys his time there. He joked around with his co-workers and was very reliable, barely missing work. Charlie says, “People don't talk to me much any more or kid around the way they used to. It makes the job kind of lonely (Keyes 295)”. Charlie notes about how after the surgery people are scared of him and of his newfound intelligence. Charlie is beginning to feel isolated and alienated from the people at his work. People begin to sign a petition to kick him out of his job. He learns that intelligence does not buy happiness and it ruined all of his friendships and purpose in life. He becomes depressed and begins to spend all of his time in his apartment then he begins to regress. Charlie’s intelligence created a wall that separated him from everyone around him. He became too intelligent to find simple pleasures in life, which gave him joy in the past. Charlie’s intelligence has robbed him of his capacity to enjoy life and the beauty in simple