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Flowers For Algernon Quotes

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Within the novel Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes, the theme of not all things being as perfect as they seem is prevalent. The main character, Charlie Gordon, was born mentally retarted and currently in adulthood has a deep desire for greater intelligence: “I hope they use me becaus Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart” (Keyes 1). This shows Charlie’s wish for intelligence. He wants to be used since the college he attends for retarted adults is doing a study trying to artificially increase the intelligence in someone. This shows his desire to be smart. He thinks it will increase his quality of life. “If…I get smart ill be abel to find my mom and dad and sister to show them. Boy woud they be surprised to see me smart” (12). Charlie …show more content…

His I.Q. during childhood and in the beginning of the novel is slightly less than 70. Charlie does wind up being chosen for the experiment and he receives brain surgery. The surgery is a success and Charlie’s intelligence quickly soars. He is happy for a while being able to learn many new things and have mature, adult conversations with others. However, this quickly takes a turn for the worse when his I.Q. surpasses everyone he can have a relationship with, which makes his life more boring and sad: “I am just as far away from Alice with an I.Q. of 185 as I was when I had an I.Q. of 70” (126). Alice, or Miss Kinnian, was Charlie’s teacher when he attended the college for retarted adults when his I.Q. was about 70. He maintained a friendly and semi-romantic relationship with her when his intelligence soared and he left the college class. Now that his I.Q. is so high he is feeling distant with people with even above average intelligences. His wish for intelligence is not solving his problems with relationships and is not making his life perfect. Close to the end of the novel Charlie is regressing rapidly with his

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545 Words | 3 Pages

From his normal life and he didn’t understand everything to knowing more sophisticated language then before, learned how to read faster, found out that there were people that liked him a lot and he got to live several days being almost 4 times as intelligent as he was before. “If you ever reed this Miss Kinnian dont be sorry for me im glad I got a second chanse to be smart becaus I lerned a lot of things that I never even new were in this world and im grateful that I saw it all for a littel bit.” Charlie remembers the beginning when Miss. Kinnian says that he always has a second chance if he doesn’t want to be tested on. which is why he most likely said yes to be tested

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1033 Words | 5 Pages

Flowers for Charlie “Those who use others are stupid but those who are used are even more stupid” (Internet). Charlie Gordon, the main character in Daniel Keyes’ book, Flowers for Algernon, ended up being in worse condition after undergoing a surgical procedure that was supposed to heighten his intelligence. Furthermore, the scientists unfortunately did not use ethics or take enough care in treating Charlie causing his now worse condition to be their own fault. Their greed led them to abuse and take advantage of Charlie, a very gullible and persuadable because of his low intelligence, and their mistakes led Charlie to his death, the ultimate sacrifice.

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658 Words | 3 Pages

"The summit of happiness is reached when a person is ready to be what he is." -Desiderius Erasmus. In a way, Charlie thought he could reach happiness by becoming intelligent. His eagerness to go through with the operation made Charlie think that he was ready to become who he was supposed to be. Who was Charlie supposed to be?

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718 Words | 3 Pages

But when Charlie got the surgery, he realized when his intelligence was wearing off, he got super depressed but he powered through the depression. One quote from the book that indicates depression is “please... please let me not forget how to read and write.” (keyes 25). Even though he is forgetting how to read and write and he is getting depressed, he powers through the depression. On the last page he says “im taking a cuple of books along and even if i cant reed them ill practise hard and maybe i wont forget every thing i learned.

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702 Words | 3 Pages

Approximately 16% of people in the world have an IQ below 85, which is considered below average(Dana Foundation). In the story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon has an IQ of 68 and undergoes surgery to triple his IQ. He writes in a notebook throughout the whole story. So, we get insight into what goes on in Charlie Gordons mind. Including feelings for Ms. Kinnian, his adult school teacher, emotional maturity, and so much more.

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568 Words | 3 Pages

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is about a mentally disabled man that went through an experiment to make him smart. Charlie Gordan started off as a clumsy and unintelligent man. His goal in life was to become the opposite of what he was. He then had the opportunity to become a more intelligent man by becoming a test subject for a surgery that is supposed to make anyone become smart in an instant. Little did he know that the experiment could ruin his whole life.

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448 Words | 2 Pages

Although he is aware of the potential dangers and risks of the surgery, he is willing to go through the surgery because he believes that the benefits of the surgery far outweigh the risks and he wants to reach his goal, getting smarter and having a lot of friends. Another showcase of his determination is how he persists in his studies, determined to master the new knowledge that he has acquired as his IQ slowly increases. Charlie writes, “...from now on Ill look up all the words Im not sure how to spell”(Keyes 39). He works hard to master grammar and he takes the action to look up words he does not know, all showing his will power to reach his goal of becoming smarter and having a lot of friends. Finally, he shows determination as he regresses back to his original state.

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704 Words | 3 Pages

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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897 Words | 4 Pages

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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809 Words | 4 Pages

The classic book Flowers for Algernon, which was written by Daniel Keyes in the late 1900’s, explains the story about a middle-aged man named Charlie Gordon and the struggles he faces from having a mental disability. Charlie Gordon worked at Donnegon’s Box Company, but while working there, he was made fun of and called stupid for something he can’t control. Charlie had a wish for all people to love and accept him, but couldn’t understand that there is always going to be someone that wouldn’t like him which made him feel unwanted and unappreciated. Throughout Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes develops a theme of self-acceptance to explain how people shouldn’t change themselves to fit in with others.

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142 Words | 1 Pages

Being mentally challenging would be hard not for one person but also for the people that help help them with their everyday life. Other people who are not mentally challenging can never understand how hard it would to be mentally challenging or work with someone who is. In the novel, Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes demonstrates that nothing is going to be perfect in this world and all there is to do is deal with it and make and live life to the fullest. He shows that changing Charlie 's intelligence was not really worth the cost of experimenting, time and effort put into this operation. It was not meant to be for Charlie to be a genius.

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966 Words | 4 Pages

The Moral Dilemma of Scientific Progress and Human Testing Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon is a science fiction novel that examines the ethical considerations of human experimentation in scientific research. Charlie, a man with intellectual disabilities, is the subject of an experimental procedure designed to increase his intelligence. However, the scientists who conduct the experiment on Charlie neglect to consider the moral implications of such experimentation on a human being. The novel portrays the scientists' objectification of Charlie and their disregard for his well-being. The story highlights the danger of prioritizing scientific progress over ethics and morality.

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673 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout Mark Twain’s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I enjoyed reading the parts about how close Huck and Jim were getting throughout their adventures together. The instant Huck and Jim found themselves both escaping the same pain and never wanting to go back to these pains, I knew that they would overcome the fact that Huck was a young American boy and Jim was an older, middle-aged African American slave. During this time period, a slave and young white boy were not the average type of friends. It was not such a big deal for Jim, since he was already on the bottom of the social pole, but for Huck, it seemed to be in the back of his mind because of the fact that he could be in trouble if he was found trying to escape with a runaway slave. During Huck and Jim’s adventure down the Mississippi River, the two run into men named the Duke and the King.

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576 Words | 3 Pages

Was Charlie Better Off Before or After the Surgery? In “Flowers for Algernon,” Daniel Keyes wrote that Charlie Gordon has an IQ of 68, and is in Mrs. Kinnian’s night class for slow adults. Charlie may be dumb, but he was so happy before the surgery and he had a job and “friends.” The reason that Charlie Gordon was better off before the surgery is because he had the motivation to become smart, and after the surgery he becomes depressed and realizes that the world plus the people in it are cruel.

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662 Words | 3 Pages

Flowers for Algernon explores themes of ethical dilemmas in scientific research. Charlie Gordon is the first human to undergo an experimental operation to triple his IQ from 68 to 204. His mental capacities dramatically increase, but the consequences are drastic when the operation fails and he regresses. Under Charlie’s circumstances, the operation was unethical. Charlie, mentally disabled, cannot give informed consent.

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