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Flowers For Algernon Quotes

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Unlocking Knowledge and discovering the impact it can have on someone’s life and society is shown through Charlie Gordon in the book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes,is about a man named Charlie Gordon with an IQ of 68. He gets an experimental surgery that makes him smarter. Flowers for Algernon is written as a bunch of progress reports that Charlie wrote throughout the process of the surgery. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes uses tone and literary devices to convey how powerful knowledge is and how it can change people in American society & culture. One of the main themes in the book is how strong knowledge is and how it can change someone’s life. In Progress Report 1 where Charlie says, “I feel like I am beginning to unlock doors …show more content…

As Charlie’s IQ grows, he becomes aware of the societal prejudices and discrimination he faced when his IQ was low and states, “I can see how some people was taking advantage of me because I was too dumb to know what was going on” (Keyes, 45). The quote shows how knowledge can bring awareness and understanding of societal issues like discrimination. Charlie becomes aware of how he was being treated back when his IQ was low. Keyes uses a metaphor in this quote. Charlie compares himself when he was dumb to the smart him. Charlie’s new intelligence reveals how American society values intelligence and education. Charlie says, “I never knew before what it was like to be smart. Now that I am, I don’t like it” (Keyes, 72). This quote demonstrates how knowledge can show the inequalities and biases present in a society and culture, Charlie recognizes the pressure and expectations placed on people who get intelligence and education. Keyes uses verbal irony in this quote. 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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At the beginning of this novel, this man, whose name is Charlie, undergoes a medical experiment to increase his IQ. Throughout the following chapters, this experiment appears to work as Charlie develops stronger social and intellectual skills. Charlie states that he still struggles with connecting with others. However, Charlie makes a discovery towards the end of the book that his intelligence is beginning to degrade. Hurt by this knowledge, he says his farewells to his friends and family and regresses to his previous

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His IQ goes down because he wants his old life back and his old friends, no matter what they did to him in the past. Another quote, which demonstrates and reinforces the second argument is the following, “I figured out a new way to set up the mixing machines in the bakery to speed up production.” (p.59). In this quote, Charlie Gordon says that he found a new way to set up the mixing machines in the bakery to speed up production. This happens in the middle of the book when Charlie has an IQ of 185.

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Finally, when he obtained his intelligence he also learned that his “friends” just made fun of him, causing him emotional distress. Charlie once stated,”Now I know what it means to “pull a Charlie Gordon.” I’m ashamed” (p.323). To “pull a Charlie Gordon” is what people would say when someone preformed a major mistake.

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There is an important theme in the story Flowers for Algernon By Daniel Keyes. It is a fiction novel about a thirty year old man who has been battling to overcome an intellectual deficit all of his life and has an opportunity to become more intelligent than he ever had imagined through an experimental operation. He takes the opportunity and in a few weeks he becomes a genius for a short time before his itelligence receded as fast as it increased. The author includes many important themes throughout the passage. Daniel Keyes develops the theme that intelligence doesn’t affect who you truly are through Charlie’s experiences both before and after the operation.

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“All my life I wanted to be smart and not dumb. But it’s very hard to be smart” (Keyes). In the story Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon is given an opportunity for a life changing procedure using artificial intelligence. 37 year old Charlie Gordon has an intellectual disability which alters his ability to learn including containing knowledge. Charlie is irritated as well as worn out of being “dumb,” and as a result, he decides to receive the procedure, which will forever alter him.

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With an IQ of sixty-eight, Charlie never could become smart like he wanted to. He even stated in his first progress report, “I want to be smart” March 5. After the procedure, he was finally able to accomplish his dream of becoming smart. Even though now, Charlie still doesn’t fit in, he is still much happier than he was before. He even stopped hanging out with Joe and Frank, because now, he was smart enough to figure out they were always just tormenting him.

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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.

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Nowadays, technology grants humanity the ability to play God and fulfill wishes. Whether you wish for health or wealth, your dream can now be realized. So, given the chance, what is the one thing you would wish for? For Charlie Gordon from the short story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, there is only one thing he wishes for: intelligence. In this short story, Daniel Keyes shines a light on the dark reality of human nature and the value society assigns to intelligence through the use of literary elements such as a relevant theme and character development.

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Charlie gains intelligence like he always wanted, but only to have it be taken away in a time frame of a couple months. Charlie states that, “The hypothesis here proven may be described simply in the following terms: artificially increased intelligence deteriorates at a rate almost proportional to the quantity of the increase.” With realizing the cost of the surgery, he states, “Now that it’s definite, I don’t want it to happen.” Charlie experienced emotions such as anger, sadness, and even love with his intelligence. Now all this will be taken away; like taking away a favorite toy from a child.

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