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Discrimination against disabled
Discrimination against the intellectual disabled in the us
Discrimination against disabled
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Everyday, people experience unfair discrimination. It can be due to a variety of different characteristics, and one that is often overlooked is intelligence. In the book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, the main character, Charlie Gordon, undergoes an experiment to turn him from mentally retarded to a genius. Before and after the experiment, Charlie is unfairly treated because of his level of intelligence. Charlie is made fun of at the bakery where he works, then is fired from the bakery, and is told he was not a real person before his intelligence increased. In Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes uses Charlie to show how difficult it is for people to accept the intellectual differences of others because they do not understand their …show more content…
Early in the book, Joe Carp and Frank Reilly invite Charlie to a party and let him dance with a girl there. In Charlie’s progress report, he writes, “They laughed harder every time I fell, and I was laughing too because it was so funny. But the last time it happened I didn’t laugh.” He continues to explain that Joe pushed him down again, and he told the attendees about how he had once left him stranded when he asked him to check it if was raining around a corner (Keyes 39). This was one of the first times Charlie realized how badly he was treated, as he normally thought of it all as a joke. He sees that his intelligence was what differed him from everyone and was the reason he was often made fun of. He comes to this realization after his surgery, and it leads to him understanding that people are cruel to others that have a low intelligence. In his next progress report, he writes, “People think it’s funny when a dumb person can’t do things the same way they can” (Keyes 40). Charlie sees that he was taken advantage of and made fun of his entire life, and just because of his mental capabilities. His intelligence is one thing Charlie realizes can set people apart from others; later, he sees that it can happen to anyone who is not
Back in the day, there was no such thing as electricity or power. Until one day, people discovered electricity and many inventions were created. Now, technology is everywhere, and is becoming a part of our everyday lives. This is unethical since the screen displays are deteriorating our eyesight everyday. Many people have glasses because of this. The short story, “Flowers for Algernon,” by Daniel Keyes, is about a man named Charlie, an intellectually disabled man, who is trying to be smart by going through a surgery. Instead of an exponential growth of knowledge, that prolongs for a reasonable amount of time, Charlie Gordon only got smarter to one point, and his mind started to deteriorate back to his original state. The experiment in “Flowers
If Charlie didn’t have the operation he would not be able to realize that Joe and Frank were making fun of him. Joe and Frank would just keep making fun of him and he would not be able to stick up for himself. Once in the story Charlie said,“It's a funny thing 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” (page 524). Somebody who has been made fun of before should know that anybody would want to stick up for themselves. This shows that it was a blessing for Charlie to have this operation because now he can stick up for
“Ignorance is bliss,” is an old saying used throughout time and can be applied to the tragic yet inspiring (5) story know as Flowers for Algernon. Author Daniel Keyes creates a mentally challenged character, Charlie Gordon, who has went through his life completely unaware of his disability is given an opportunity to change everything. As the story progress Charlie is faced with a constant battle between intellect and emotion or happiness, which leads to some dire situations and choices he may not be ready to make.
People often judge others by certain characteristics. Intelligence is one of the most important ones. It is like the difference in talking to a three year old kid versus talking to an adult. People also behave differently. In the story “Flowers for Algernon”, the statement “Ignorance is bliss” is proven true.
Everyone knows that every story has two sides, but the tricky part is figuring out which side to believe. In the short story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keys, Charlie Gordon, a 37-year-old man with a mental handicap, has an operation performed on him to artificially increase his intelligence. Before and after the operation, there were drastic changes in the lives of Charlie and all those around him. While the operation caused many twists and turns for Charlie and his peers, the pros far outweighed the cons.
Before the operation, he exhibited some clear strengths such as determination, a positive attitude, friendly with people and some weaknesses such as education and inability to understand the adult world. After the operation, he begun to change in numerous ways. Charlie started out as being not really intelligent. Being around with “smart” people made him want to change and became “intelligent” just like his “friends.” I think its all crazy. If you can get smart when your sleeping why do people go to school. That thing I don't think will work. I use to watch the late show and the late late show on TV all the time and it never made me smart (Keyes 118). This part of the book led Charlie’s flashbacks takes place of how he was raised or nurtured through his childhood, Of how he wanted to try to become smart. However Dr. Strauss believes that his sleep would help Charlie be able to learn. However in his nature, his disability cannot help him at all, doesn’t matter how much he tries to watch TV and tries to go to sleep, I wouldn’t allow him to learn anything at all. The nurture of this is having the doctor recommend Charlie to do this. His disability also not just affects him but his family as well. His disability kind of makes his sister miserable as well, jealous over how the parents focus on Charlie due to his disability, despite the successes the sister achieves in school. Thus Charlie’s nature towards others has a negative effect which is towards his sister. Charlie was raised by his parents but through a condition that would then follow him probably for the rest of his life as well as being mainly raised through this experiment, which possibly wouldn’t help him at all in the near
He is then judged even harsher which is why you shouldn’t try to be someone that you’re not. You should stay true to yourself. In the story, it says “Their going to use me! I am so exited I can hardly write” (Keyes page 351). This implies that Charlie is anxious to undergo the surgery that will make him smart. Another part says “If you volenteer for this experament you mite get smart”. (Keyes page 351) This shows that the operation will make him more intelligent so he can fit in with everyone else. This proves that Charlie is trying to be someone he is not in order to fit
Physical handicaps, for instance, does not lower the worth of that person compared to anyone else. For example, it is not fully revealed that Edna Poppy is blind until well into The Bean Trees. There are hints here and there presented throughout the novel, but Taylor Greer and Lou Ann Ruiz have no idea of her disability. Mind you, they weren’t assessing her to find out if there was anything wrong with her either. It isn’t exposed until Edna is alone at the grocery store without Virgie, who usually assists her around. Taylor notices Edna in the store and approaches her, only to learn that Edna had no idea if she had picked up limes, or lemons. It is then that Taylor notices her white cane, and realizes that her dreamy, glossy gaze that hovers above head makes sense now. In this moment she comes to understand why Virgie always announces everyone’s name that is in a room when they enter. After learning of Edna’s disability, Lou Ann and Taylor admit they are shocked. They had no idea. Edna just assumed they knew, and took it as a compliment when they confessed they did not. It is truly a breathtaking moment, symbolizing that not everyone in society is here to judge. There is still acceptance regardless of differences. It is important to focus on who a person is inside, rather than the outer shell, which is much too easy to judge. That is how an amateur seeks satisfaction; by amusing themselves through pointing out other’s
As a result of the operations, Charlie gains the experience of what it is like to be intelligent. Therefore, he sees the world as it is. “Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined them in laughing at myself. This hurts most of all” (76.) He can now truly understand how the outside world functions and how he is truly treated.
While having a conversation with Joe, Charlie says, "Everybody on the floor came around and they were laughing.you been here long enough. " (Keyes 34) " By correcting his own mistakes, Charlie shows that he is progressing towards a more educated future. His progress towards an educated future helps him make a brighter future and points at him becoming a complete person.
For Charlie, Ignorance is bliss. He realizes that his so called ? friends? were just using him to entertain their perverse humor. Also, he was also fired from the job that he loved so much because his new intelligence made those around him feel inferior and scared.
Many popular novels are often converted into television movies. The brilliant fiction novel, Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes, was developed into a dramatic television film. Flowers for Algernon is about a mentally retarded man who is given the opportunity to become intelligent through the advancements of medical science. This emotionally touching novel was adapted to television so it could appeal to a wider, more general audience. Although the novel and film are similar in terms of plot and theme, they are different in terms of characters.
Before Charlie had the operation preformed on him, he had friends at the bakery he worked at. They were not really his friends because they always made jokes about Charlie, but he was not smart enough to realize it. As he gets smarter he loses his friends because they think he is just trying to act smart.
Firstly, Charlie's realizes that his co-workers aren't his true friends after all. When Joe Carp and Frank Reilly take him to a house party, they made him get drunk and started laughing at the way he was doing the dancing steps. Joe Carp says, "I ain't laughed so much since we sent him around the corner to see if it was raining that night we ditched him at Halloran's" (41), Charlie recalls his past memory of him being it and not finding his friends who also ditched him and immediately realizes that Joe Carp was relating to the same situation. Charlie felt ashamed and back-stabbed when he realized that he had no friends and that his co-workers use to have him around for their pure entertainment. It's after the operation, that he finds out he has no real friends, and in result feels lonely. Next, Charlie unwillingly had to leave his job from the bakery where he worked for more than fifteen years. Mr. Donner treated him as his son and took care of him, but even he had noticed an unusual behavior in Charlie, lately. Mr. Donner hesitatingly said, "But something happened to you, and I don't understand what it means... Charlie, I got to let you go" (104), Charlie couldn't believe it and kept denying the fact that he had been fired. The bakery and all the workers inside it were his family, and the increase of intelligence had ...
Others may say that charlie wouldn’t have been fired from his job but i argue that he still got his job back still. Another may say that he realized he was being bullied but i argue that his friends came back around and helped him out at the end for instance”the new men who came to work there after i went a way made a nasty crack he said hey charlie i hear you're a very smart fella a real quiz kid.Say something intelligent.I felt bad but joe carp came over and grabbed him by the shirt and said leave him alone you lousy cracker or I’ll break your neck…”. (keys,243) and that’s my