It is often difficult for people to accept themselves the way they are. People try to please others in order to gain acceptance but real acceptance should come from within. Once a person learns to be comfortable with who they are they no longer have to worry about how others see them. This is a critical part in finding happiness. In Flowers For Algernon, the author Daniel Keyes presents the idea that self acceptance is the key to happiness.
In the story, Charlie presents as a good person who is kind and eager to please. However, things begin to change for Charlie when his desire to be smarter leads him to take part in an experiment that alters who he is. When Charlie first meets the doctors involved in the experiment he tells them, “all my life I wantid to be smart and not dumb.”. Charlie wants people to see his as being intelligent. Charlie tells the doctors, “you wont be sorry for giving me a second chance.” “After the operashun Im gonna try to be smart. Im gonna try awful hard.” Charlie says.
…show more content…
As Charlie moves through the experiment he begins to change and these changes cause people to treat him differently. “You used to be a good, dependable, ordinary man-not to bright maybe, but honest. Who knows what you have done to yourself to get so smart all of a sudden. Like everybody around here has been saying, Charlie, it's not right.” says Fanny. The author writes about how Charlies co-workers no longer want to work with him and Charlie begins to feel alone. Charlie was expecting that as he got smarter, people would like him more. He assumed that everyone would love and accept him simply because he had a higher IQ. Instead, people no longer wanted to be around him. They preferred the old Charlie. Keys explains through the text that the change in Charlie’s intelligence did not guarantee acceptance from others and certainly did not create happiness for