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Human Intelligence In Charlie Gordon's Flowers For Algernon

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Human Intelligence The reason that certain events have occurred is for the human strive to gain intelligence. In the story, Flowers of Algernon, the main character is a mentally retarded adult, Charlie Gordon. In the story, he wants to become smart; and there is a surgery that can triple his IQ, but the doctors are not sure of the consequences that will occur from the surgery. The reason for this is because so far it they have only tested animals. One of the animals is a white mice called Algernon throughout the story Charlie will grow close to the mouse. When Charlie gets the surgery his intelligences level begins to drastically change for an IQ of 68 to an IQ of 204. The problem with this surgery is it does not last; and he ends up …show more content…

In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie said, “I just want to be smart” (Keyes 205). Charlie key goal is to be smart even if it is for a short period of time. He has tried his best throughout his life to try and become smart and now with the help of the operation he will have this opportunity. In a quote from Flowers for Algernon it states, “Artificially increased intelligence deteriorates at a rate of time directly proportional to the quantity of the increase” (Keyes 205). Charlie will not maintain his intelligence instead his intelligence level will begin to drop and he will go back to being dumb. This may lead to the conclusion that when he becomes smart it only last for two weeks. This may be true, but he still got to be and feel how it is to be intelligent. It states in the short story, “So I still don’t know what I.Q. is except that mine is going to be over 200 soons” (Keyes 194). Charlie will soon achieve his goal of being smart making the surgery worth it as he will achieve his goal in life. Charlie should have the surgery as he will achieve his goal if he

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His intelligence came with a price that made him rethink his entire situation. Charlie was happier with an IQ of 68 because he was oblivious to what was going on around him, people would treat him differently after the surgery, and he struggled with his identity. Charlie was happier when he was oblivious to what was going on around him. Being oblivious and ignorant is not a good thing, but in Charlie's case, not knowing

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But you have a chance to have a surgery that would triple your IQ. But there would be a risk that you could die. Would you do it? Flowers for Algernon is a story about a guy named Charlie Gordon, who has an iq of 68 he also had the chance to have his IQ tripled. He had a choice either becomes smart or stay the way he is.

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The surgery worked at first, but then he gradually lost his newfound intelligence. Even Though he ended up where he began, his life was very different. Although Charlie had a nice life before the surgery, it allowed him to realize that some parts of his life were different than he thought they were and because of this he was better off after the surgery. Throughout the story Charlie begins to realize that some of his best friends actually are just making fun of him because of his low intelligence.

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All Charlie wanted was to be smart, he had an IQ of 68. Charlie Gordon's doctors didn’t act ethically. Charlie Gordon's doctors did not act ethically because they didn’t tell Charlie any side effects of the surgery, Charlie ended up learning a major side effect of the surgery which he found out was death, he only found out because a Algernon who also was test died from the surgery. The doctors hadn't even been thought the Algernon's test before they started on Charlie they weren't thinking about Charlie because they were thinking about themselves. The doctors only cared about how much fame they would get from this experiment.

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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).

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