Should Charlie Have The Surgery In Flowers For Algernon

Charlie Gordon is a thirty-two-year-old man who only had an IQ of sixty-eight. In the story “Flowers for Algernon”, Charlie underwent a risky brain surgery that tripled his IQ to over 200. After this procedure, Charlie experienced the world from a completely different perspective. Ultimately, this story raises this question: should Charlie have had the surgery? Charlie should have had the surgery, in my opinion, because he got the opportunity to experience many different things that he would have only dreamt of. Firstly, Charlie should have had the surgery because he experienced what being in a relationship was like with Miss Kinnian. For example, we can see this event taking place when Charlie’s intelligence elevates and he becomes more aware of the world around him, including Miss Kinnian. Charlie describes, “I don’t understand why I never noticed how beautiful Miss Kinnian really is” (Keyes 6). By examining this quote, we can see that Charlie found someone who cares and appreciates him. This relationship boosted his confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. Some may argue,

For instance, this event happens when Charlie realizes the harsh reality of manipulating the brain structure for increased intelligence. Charlie expresses, “Artificially increased intelligence deteriorates at a rate of time proportional to the quantity of increase” (Keyes 9). Looking at the evidence, we can see that Charlie concludes the unforeseen brain development caused by manipulating the brain. Charlie’s findings state that the increased intelligence only lasts for a limited time. Some might say, however, that Charlie wouldn’t have gone through the surgery if he had considered the risks. Nevertheless, while it is true that the surgery was not without risks, Charlie was fully aware of them and decided to undergo the operation