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Charlie In Daniel Keyes 'Flowers For Algernon'

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“Only dumb people are happy”Courtney Love. In “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie the central character proves this true. Charlie a troubled soul with an IQ below the norm is given the opportunity to become above the norm. As much as he is excited that he did the operation he realizes the weight of his actions. Before the operation he is childish, ignorant and happy but then the operation occurs he becomes sad, observant, and mature. Though he is partially happy with his choice Charlie becomes emotionally weighed down. Charlie was happy at first before his life turned for the worse, a sad life. Firstly when Charlie found out about the operation he said “im so exited i can hardly rite”. When Charlie was elated beyond words it was more than him being easily amused. Excited and happy, Charlie writes down his new found knowledge.After the operation however Charlie starts to have conflicting feelings “I told her I didn’t like her...that is not true I love her.”Charlie doesn’t know what he is feeling in love, sad, happy, with losing his brain. Losing his cerebral superiority Charlie starts to get confused but first he is sad.The operation changed the word sad into a lifestyle and happy into an …show more content…

Helpless and clueless Charlie doesn’t know any better than not to care which is his way of being ignorant. Charlie, just being himself doesn’t care what others think, but he does not know that he is being clueless.However, after the operation Charlie thought “it was good about finding out that people were laughing at him”. Charlie had an eye-opening experience which was rough but he is glad he had it. Sad but relieved were Charlie’s feelings after he understands the truth. If Charlie made a list about his accomplishments, he would have on his list changing from ignorant to

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He has a good natcher hes interested and eager to please,” on page 185.   This quote is what the doctors were saying about Charlie. This quote reveals that his perspective is surprising because most people of his level of of intelligence are hostile and do not want to

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However, after the surgery, Charlie finds intelligence was a nice treat but was far from an importance in life and only took him away from what truly mattered. One could believe Charlie was wrong to undergo the surgery because of the side effects that came with the surgery such as physical and emotional instability, and amnesia, the depresion it came with, and how he lost all of his friends and loved ones with his extreme intelligence. First off, one reason Charlie should not have gotten the surgery is the depression and suicidal thoughts it came with for

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Burt said yes and he smild and that made me feel good” (2). During the test, Charlie was kind and did what he was told. After Charlie’s last test, he gets mad and yells at Burt, something Charlie has never did before the operation: “No, you don’t understand because it isn’t happening to you, and no one can understand but me”(288).

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