Daniel Keyes 'Flowers For Algernon'

“Flowers for Algernon” Argumentative Essay Charlie should not have been subject to the experimental surgery in Daniel Keyes’s “Flowers for Algernon.” The operation had many cruel side effects to an isolated social reject with a below-average IQ. Because of his impaired cognitive abilities, Charlie had to face substantial, tangible societal conflicts. Not only did he have disaccord with society, he was used as an experiment; Charlie was a test subject first and a sentient human second. As a genius, Charlie realized the experiment’s folly. Despite Charlie’s strife with society, he was wrongly used for the experiment. Charlie had faced many conflicts with society, as did most mentally impaired men and women. A testament to this was Frank and Joe; people like them took advantage of people similar to Charlie for something as petty as their own amusement. All the while, the butt of their jokes – in this case, Charlie- thought that the ‘antagonists’ were his(or her) best friends or well-wishers. Imbecilic practical jokes are only a thin veil covering an uglier truth. People of abnormal characteristics – be it incredibly high IQ or a sub-par IQ- disgust ‘average people’ who are ignorant when dealing with ‘abnormal people’. In “Flowers for Algernon,” this disgust and repulsion manifested as a petition to fire Charlie (when he was a genius); a petition that was signed by all but one person. Ignorance, revulsion, and cruel amusement combined to create the phrase “pulled a Charlie Gordon.” Charlie’s colleagues (mainly Frank and

That was the society that Charlie lived in; the afore mentioned view had been instilled within him. Unfortunately for Charlie, he was mentally ill. This made Charlie eager to be the subject of an experiment with unknown side-effects and probable consequences. The doctors that would conduct the experimental operation jumped upon the opportunity of Charlie’s