Charlie Gordon In Flowers For Algernon

All stories, even bestsellers, owe their wide-ranging success to their character and its personality; Daniel Keyes’ “Flowers for Algernon” is an example of its importance. The novel is a struggle between Charlie Gordon—the main character and protagonist—and the outside world. Charlie Gordon—mainly referred to as Charlie—is a mentally impaired man who strives to do better and become smarter, and the perfect opportunity arises when a chance to go under an operation that will increase his intelligence. This develops the making of a great story; however, if Charlie is not bold or pronounced enough, he loses his individuality, and, in turn, the amount of interest a reader will harness. In “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie’s mindset and thought process also introduce antagonists Joe Carp and Frank Reilly, both of whom were his coworkers, and they also have unique mindsets. In this particular novel, Charlie is simple minded, and then—after the operation—brighter, while his coworkers are inconsiderate, and then become more understanding. Charlie Gordon seems to be very fortunate: he is caring, hardworking, and naturally motivated. Unfortunately, he is limited by his intelligence—at least, before the operation. Prior to it, Charlie is very simple-minded, cannot think in a complex manner, and incapable of reading emotions. Rather, he takes everything literally; for example, during the Rorschach (inkblot) test, he struggles to see anything besides “…an

In “Flowers for Algernon,” they are Charlie Gordon and Joe Carp along with Frank Reilly, all with contrasting personalities. Without these vivid traits, the story would be impossible to form, as both rash and good decisions form the plot and general scenario. Therefore, Keyes develops grand and interesting characters. Charlie is dull, yet turns complex-minded, and both Carp and Reilly go from rash to