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Daniel Keyes Use Of Figurative Language In Flowers For Algernon

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It is difficult to fit in when you are not as smart as everybody else, but that does not stop this character from trying to become smarter. Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon is a story about 32-year-old Charlie Gordon and his determination to become intelligent. With an IQ of 68, Charlie isn’t as smart as everybody else so he attends a night school with his teacher Miss Kinnian to assist him. He hopes he’ll be chosen by Dr. Strauss for an experiment to become intelligent. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes uses rhetorical devices, diction, and figurative language, to convey the value of knowledge in American society & culture.
Daniel Keyes's word choice contains words Charlie never used until after the effects of the experiment, which …show more content…

“And the other ten times we did it over Algernon won evry time because I coudnt find the right rows to get to where it says FINISH. I dint feel bad because I watched Algernon and I lernd how to finish the amaze even if it takes me along time.” (6). This quote shows the progress of Charlie's learning because as he watched Algernon complete the maze several times, Charlie eventually learns to do it himself. “If the operashun werks good I'll show that mouse I can be as smart as he is even smarter. Then I'll be abel to reed better and spell the werds good and know lots of things and be like other pepul. Boy that woud serprise everyone.” (8)
This quote shows Charlie’s determination to become smart to impress his family and make friends. “Evry morning I think Im gone to be smart but nothing happins. Mabye the experimint dint werk. Maby I wont get smart and I'll have to go live at the Warren home. I hate the tests and I hate the amazeds and I hate Algernon.” Keyes 17
This quote is related to the topic because every morning when Charlie wakes up and expects to be smart, there is no change and he blames Algernon and the mazes. Algernon was a crucial part of Charlie’s journey to becoming

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His new friend was Fanny she was the only person at work who did not sign the petition . It made Charlie feel good that there was someone who did not think that he should be fired. That there was someone that thought he should have the right to

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Will the same happen to Charlie? Through the novel Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes demonstrates that despite the obstacles and hardships, hope drives that person to continue doing things through Charlie’s journey to increasing intelligence, Algernon’s decline, and Charlie’s decline at the close of the novel. Initially, Keyes utilizes Charlie’s motivation for going through with increasing intelligence to illustrate that hope drives those who might otherwise give up due to the obstacles and hardships. For example, Charlie, the disabled adult, while he conveys his hope to increasing intelligence, simply states, “I dont care so much about beeing famus. I just want to be smart like other pepul so I can have lots of frends who like me” (Keyes 13).

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To go into more details, Charlie had many trials and errors trying to beat Algernon, at last Charlie was able to beat Algernon in the race. According to April 6, Charlie says “I must be getting smarter to be a smart mouse like Algernon''. This is important because Charlie reached a milestone and was able to beat Algernon in the race not long after his operation, in comparison before his operation he had a hard time beating Algernon. As you can see Charlie’s intelligence was able to help him beat Algernon in the

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In the novel, “Flowers for Algernon '' written by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon is a character who undergoes a dramatic transformation from a mentally challenged individual to a highly intelligent one. He is given an opportunity to undergo a procedure that will be able to make him become smarter, momentarily. Charlie logs his day and his emotions through progress reports going through his transformation and regression. Throughout the novel, Charlie’s journey in his increase and decrease in his intelligence is fraught with challenges, setbacks, and disappointments, however he ultimately exhibits a pivotal character trait, determination by showing his will power to push through them and achieve his end goal. Initially, Charlie shows his determination

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In the text, it says that he is always called dumb and gets laughed at. It says that Charlie begins to think about how they treated him, “It's because I'm so dumb and I don't even know when I'm doing something dumb. People think it's funny when a dumb person can't do things the same way they can.” This motivates him to try to become even smarter.

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The climax is when Algernon bites him and stops doing the maze, he starts to realize that something is going on and he later finds out that Algernon has died from the brain surgery. I think Charlie should’ve had the surgery. First, Charlie should’ve had the surgery because he falls in love with Miss Kinnian. For example, we can see this event in the story when Charlie’s intelligence increases.

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The author uses this device to show the character’s realization of how American society values intelligence and education. As Charlie’s intelligence grows, he is able to understand and connect with his peers, as shown when he says, “I am beginning to understand Algernon’s behavior, and it’s beginning to make sense to me” (Keyes, 23). This quote highlights how knowledge can foster empathy and understanding, which is

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Daniel Keyes betrays the theme that intelligence doesn’t affect who you truly are. Before the operation, Charlie has a motivated characteristic and it is still there after the operation when he was getting more intelligent. I know this because in the passage it says, “ I’ll show that mouse I can be as smart as he is (Keyes p. 352),” which shows that Charlie is motivated before the operation . The test also says, “ Miss Kinnian teaches me to spell better (Keyes p. 358),” which shows that Charlie was still motivated and still working to get smarter after the operation. Charlie is a motivated character and that doesn’t change after the operation.

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Charlie says that for his whole life he has always wanted to be smart so the surgery he went through gave him what he always strived for. Since this was his dream for so long even if he only got to experience what he always wanted for a few months he still got what he wanted and achieved his goal. Another instance which proves Charlie wanted to be smart is when Charlie learns about being used in the surgery. Charlie says, “...their going to use me. I’m so exited I can hardley rite it down.”

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In “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie’s first “progis riport” reveals many things about his personality.   In “progris riport 1- martch 5 1965”, Charlie writes, “I hope they chose me,” on page 182.   This quote reveals Charlie has a hopeful personality because he hopes that they will chose him.

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When Charlie is below average no one understands him, his family kicks him out, and his friends at work make fun of him. For example they often say “ to pull a Charlie Gordon” (Keyes 42), when they have done something stupid. When Charlie gains intelligence, still no one wants to be his friend because they do not understand him and they almost fear him. Not only does Charlie’s friends see him change but Charlie, himself, sees himself changing, “ I’m not myself.

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Like everybody around here’s been saying, Charlie, it’s not right.” Charlie’s response to that was, “But how can you say that, Fanny? What’s wrong with a man becoming intelligent and wanting to acquire knowledge and understanding of the world around him?”Charlie was disappointed in Fanny when she said that it wasn’t very possible for Charlie to become smart that quickly. This is another very important event that happens in this story because Charlie tries to change himself to fit in and then realizes that’s not what matters. What matters is that he’s happy and it doesn’t matter what other people

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Since Charlie was brilliant now so he experiment with Algernon and called it the Algernon-Gordon Effect. At the end of the story, Charlie leaves NY after Algernon dies. Ultimately, this story raises the question Charlie should have had the

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Once he found an apartment they moved in . While they were there he made Algernon a maze of plastic that he could find around . So they can race together . He wrote a paper on the Charlie Algernon Affect and when he was done with it he took it to Strauss and Nemur to show them what he thought would happen to him . He went back to his apartment to see how Algernon is acting like .

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But one day he gets the opportunity to become smart through an experimental surgery he does it no question, and his intelligence rapidly increases over the span of about 5 months. This seems like it would increase his quality of life however he realizes that everyone doesn't see him as Charlie, they see him as a lab rat. When Charlie realizes that the surgery is only temporary through studying a mouse named Algernon he knows he only has little time as a

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