Not everyone gets the chance to be a genius, but if you do dear god hold onto it as long as you can. Being smart can change your life for the better or for the worst (depends on how you think). In the short story “Flowers For Algernon” by Daniel Keyes a 37 year old man named Charlie who is declared dumb or idiotic becomes a genius from an operation. He also meets an animal just like him-a white mouse. This mouse called Algernon has gone through the same operation, but things don’t turn out as well as planned by the scientists. Yes, Charlie Gordon should have gotten this operation.
Because Charlie got this “operashun”, he was able to have an exposure to a plethora of emotions. Before Charlie got the surgery done, he didn’t know the difference
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People would see how he acts and laugh and that is just plain rudeness. People should be treated equally even if they act different or look funny. Treat people the way you want to be treated;not like they are some piece of trash on the sidewalk. “Sometimes somebody will say hey look at Joe or Frank or George he really pulled a Charlie Gordon. I dont know why they say that but they always laft. This morning Amos Borg who is the 4 man at Donnegans used my name when he shouted at Ernie the office boy. Ernie lost a packige. He said Ernie for god sake what are you trying to be a Charlie Gordon. I dont understand why he said that. I never lost any packiges.” Saying “You pulled a Charlie Gordon” is not charming. The people at the factory are basically saying that he is the most idiotic their so when someone messes up Charlie must be rubbing off on them. Because before and right after the operation Charlie still wasn’t that intelligent, he didn’t realize Joe and Frank weren’t his real friends and would just laugh at him. Charlie decided to change. He wanted to be liked and fit in. Maybe becoming smarter would solve that problem? “Once again now I have the feeling of shame burning inside me. This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I once knew and loved. Before, they laughed at me and despised me for my ignorance and dullness; now, they hate me for my knowledge and understanding. …show more content…
He was able to experience many emotions, try to be accepted in life, as well as make a contribution to science. Would you have gone through with this? If I wasn’t as smart as everyone else, I would have gone through with this operation. Just to have a chance to be a genius for a short period of time would be amazing. Many people in this world don’t get treated nicely and that is not right. Think about everyday getting pushed around and laughed at. Honestly I wouldn’t be able to handle that and I would probably just shrink up inside till there's nothing left beside a body without a
The first reason why I think this is that the operation makes Charlie realize how mean his friends were and loses them, causing him to feel bad. For example, on page 209 it says, “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,” and later Charlie says, “I’m ashamed,” which shows how realizing the truth about Joe and Frank makes him feel.
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
After weeks of testing Charlie is selected and has the procedure performed. There are no noticeable changes immediately, however after some time Charlie begins to have flashbacks and mixed emotions of his childhood for example, Charlie’s first flashback begins with him standing in front of the bakery as a child and it goes blurry and cuts out. (2) As Charlies intellect increases so does his perception of the world around him and the way people act toward him. Charlie finally begins to realize guilt and shame along with all other natural human
Firstly, Charlie grows emotionally and physically as a human being: growing and becoming more complete with every experience. Starting off, Charlie grows physically as he develops into a more of a complete man. Joe and Frank invite Charlie to a party, during the party he is forced to dance with a girl named Ellen. After waking up the next morning, Charlie says, “I dreamed about the girl Ellen dancing and rubbing up against me and when I woke up the sheets were wet and messy” (Keyes 43). Charlie has his first wet dream, he is slowly going through puberty after the operation and becoming a more complete man. Adding on, Charlie is always happy and thinks all is good in the world, before the operation everything seems fine to him. He is like a child: naive. After the operation, Charlie has therapy sessions with the doctor, where they do tests to measure growth. During one of these therapy sessions, Charlie says, “I had reached a new level and anger and suspicion were my reactions to the world around me” (Keyes 57-58). Charlie grows emotionally, he adds another aspect to his cha...
He was much happier before the operation. The situations were the same before. But, after the operation, he had started noticing the obstacles. Joe and Frank used to tease Charlie before, but now he was ashamed and realized that they had befriended him to make fun of him. He now started noticing the wicked incidents in his surrounding and started to compare them to his life. He became lonely after he got fired from his job. His life had become a track lane with obstacles all along the way after he became intelligent. Intelligence does not always lead to happiness. The story “Flowers for Algernon” proves that ignorance is
After the surgery, Charlie learned that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and that many of his old friends wouldn’t see the same person in him. Charlie suddenly had to experience drastic changes in his lifestyle, and the story revolves around these complications. Charlie’s story began with the surgery, the biggest decision he made in his life. Although he was a guinea pig during the procedure, he wasn’t worried at all about the surgery, but rather on becoming smart as fast as he could. Supposedly these doctors were doing Charlie the greatest favor he would ever receive, and he was so eager to learn as much as he could.
In conclusion, I believe that Charlie?s life was better before the surgery. Although ?
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.
After the A.I. surgery Charlie’s emotions were much more complex. It is very clear to see Charlie’s excitement in the
Have you ever questioned what intelligent was? Many people wish they could be more intelligent. If you could change your intelligence, would you? In the short story “Flowers For Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, the main character, Charlie Gordon, was given the opportunity to undergo an operation that increases his low IQ for a short period of time. Charlie made the decision to go through with the operation in order to experience a more intellectual life; Charlie had always wanted to be smarter, and this was his chance to live out his dream. Charlie’s life and struggles throughout “Flowers for Algernon” can be equated to the plot of “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato. As we follow the escapee prisoner in “The Allegory of the Cave” we realize that
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.
Was Charlie better off without the operation? Through Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes sends an crucial message to society that man should never tamper with human intelligence or else the outcome can be personally devastating. After Charlie's operation, he felt isolated and lonesome, change in personality made him edgy around people or (lack social skills), and suffered from traumas due to past memories.
The fact is that Charlie Gordon just wanted to be smart & to be able to fit in.The main character is Charlie Gordon from “Flowers for Algernon” & Charlie’s life was a lot better after the A.I surgery in his image & i agree.Charlie should have had took the A.I surgery. The 3 reasons are he proved the operation was a failure Algernon-Gordon effect,He would never experienced love, & earned more money than before.
Who are humans to say that one trait is superior to another? By altering embryos, we would be obliterating individuality and uniqueness. The person to come from that embryo will be a completely different person because they are missing the gene they were supposed to be born with. People learn from their experiences, and that’s how they find themselves, and who they are. Without the experience of having a rare disease, or even a certain eye color, they could be so different. After Charlie Gordon had the operation, he wrote in his journal, “Thank God for books and music and things I can think about. I am alone in my apartment at Mrs. Flynn’s boardinghouse most of the time and seldom speak to anyone” (Keyes 75). So for all his enhanced intelligence, Charlie finds himself both mentally and physically alone. People assume a high intellect is important, but when Charlie gained intelligence, he lost something else. Who is to say that he was better off after the
The Science Fiction story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keys a 37 year old man Charlie Gordon was given an opportunity to increase his I.Q. before the surgery he had a low I.Q. of 68.3 and at that time he was motivated to learn to more. If you had an opportunity to improve your I.Q. , would you take that chance? He wanted the surgery so he could be a genius after the A.I. surgery his wish came true and Charlie Gordon’s I.Q. significantly increased which proves he should have the A.I. surgery. After the surgery his spelling improved, he gained imagination and was able to make an advancement to the field of science.