Charlie Gordon Flowers For Algernon Essay

871 Words2 Pages

Intelligence is difficult to change. Charlie Gordon, a 37 year old male has an IQ of 68. He is chosen to have surgery to triple his IQ. His teacher Ms. Kinnian suggested this operation to Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss. His IQ does triple, but it doesn’t come without consequences. In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon should have not applied for the intelligence-altering surgery. Charlie Gordon should have not done the surgery because he is unhappy with his life after it. He should’ve thought of the consequences that follow. Charlie says, “Then all of a sudden I rememberd some things about the operashun and me getting smart and I said holy smoke I reely pulled a Charlie Gordon that times. I went away before she came back to …show more content…

Charlie has very few friends and has no contact with his family. Charlie insists, “I dont want to do nothing like that agen. I dont want Miss Kinnian to feel sorry for me. Evry body feels sorry at the factery….”(Keyes 209). Charlie is now trying to separate from others. Charlie is very lonely and may have depression if he doesn’t want to be teased or felt sorry for. Charlie in addition says this earlier: “I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. Everyone was looking at me and laughing… I never knew that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around all the time to make fun of me. Now I know what it means when they say ‘to pull a Charlie Gordon’. I’m ashamed”(Keyes 193). Charlie now knows he doesn’t have any friends. They were never his friends which only leaves him Algernon, Dr. Strauss, Dr. Nemur, and Miss Kinnian to rely on. Others might think that Charlie cannot be lonely around the whole factory. There is so many people to meet or talk to. Charlie says, “Everybody laffed and we had a good time and they gave me lots of drinks and JOe said Charlie is a card when hes potted. I dont know what that means but everybody likes me and we have fun”(Keyes 190). Charlie is hanging out with his friends and having a good time after the surgery, therefore people think he is not lonely. But, after work, he doesn’t have anything to do other than go to the lab and get tested …show more content…

Charlie now knows he can follow in Algernon’s footsteps in the near future. Charlie later finds out what could happen to him. Charlie says, “Algernon died two days ago….. I guess the same thing is or will soon be happening to me. Now that it’s definite, I don’t want it to happen”(Keyes 205). Charlie knows that he could also die from the surgery he has been forced into to take. Some say he might not die because a human’s brain is more strong than mice brains. They say the experiment was not meant to harm Charlie. Charlie figures out, “I have already begun to notice signs of emotional instability and forgetfulness, the first symptoms of the burnout(Keyes 205). Charlie knows that this is happening to him, but he may not die from it. He knows he will deteriorate, but by how much is the

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