Category: Flowers For Algernon

Introduction

Many people associate people with high IQ as people who are successful in life. This is because the mass media tell us that. In real life having a high IQ does not mean anything about the happiness in the person’s life. There have been numerous examples of highly educated people suffering from depression. On the other hand, there have been numerous people who the society calls mentally challenged who lived a better and happier life than an average person. (Cherry) A good example of both phenomena is the book Flowers for Algernon.

The book Flowers for Algernon concentrates on the theme of intelligence in contrast to happiness. At the beginning of the novel Charlie felt really happy, but no reader would like to be in his skin. As the novel progressed, Charlie became aware of the situation he was in before but did not feel happy and appreciated by other people. However, that changed once his mental health got worse towards the end. This does not mean that being intelligent is bad, but it does not make one as happy as someone mentally challenged would think.

Analysis of the book

At the beginning of the book Charlie has an IQ of 68. He goes to the school for retarded adults and Miss Kinnian says that Charlie is the best student there. Charlie wants to have friends in the bakery where he works. He wants the friends so badly that he does not care what they do to him.

Charlie now tries to be friends with anyone no matter what they do to him. A good example of that is when he writes: “Gimpy hollers at me all the time when I do something rong, but he reely likes me because hes my frend.”(Keyes p.4) He considers Gimpy a friend just because he talks to him. Charlie does not care what people say to him; he is happy that people are talking to him. Gimpy yells at Charlie for dropping a tray and Charlie says that Gimpy likes him without giving any other reason than saying that Gimpy is his friend.

Also, Charlie has a great desire to become smart. He is so determined that he volunteers as a subject for the surgery that should make him very smart if everything goes as planned. In his progress report 6 he wrote: “I just want to be smart like other pepul so I can have lots of frends who like me.”(Keyes p.12) In writing that in the progress report, Charlie shows that he associates being smart with having friends who like him. Especially the words “who like him” tell the reader that Charlie associates being smart with being liked and being happy.

Charlie is extremely excited for the surgery. After the surgery Charlie waits for the results of the operation to start to show up. At first when he sits by the table with people talking about politics, art and religion, he does not understand what they are talking about but is curious to learn about it. Later, when Charlie goes to the bakery, he hears Gimpy and his friends making fun of him. Then he tries to improve and asks Mr. Donner if he could work as an apprentice baker, but Mr. Donner tells him to focus on cleaning. (Keyes p.18-36)

Now Charlie starts to realize that the world is not as good as he imagined it before the surgery. He realizes that he was mistreated in the bakery and when he sees an employee stealing money from Mr. Donner and confronts him, the people there decide that they do not want him there any longer. Mr. Donner then fires Charlie because, he says, Charlie does not need his help anymore. (Keyes p.94-108)

During the same time period Charlie realizes that Professor Nemur treats him as a lab rat and not as a human being. Nemur cannot stand that Charlie has surpassed his intelligence. This is the reason why Charlie frees Algernon, a lab rat, from the cage and escapes into his own apartment where the scientists cannot find him. (Keyes p.56-110)

Additionally, as his intelligence grows, he begins to feel attracted to his teacher Alice. At first, Alice wants to keep their relationship professional, but it is obvious that she shares Charlie’s feelings of love. (Keyes p.76-82) As their relationship progresses to an intimate stage Charlie begins to recall memories from his childhood. Those memories prevent him from being able to make love to Alice.

During his hiding Charlie meets his neighbor Fay. She is an artist and Charlie finds her extremely attractive. They go dancing together and after that they have sex together. Charlie recognizes his younger self watching but feels unrestricted in his actions unlike he was when he tried to make love to Alice. (Keyes p.200-210)

Later on, Charlie realizes that he should go back and do some research on the procedure. After doing the research he realizes that there is a flaw in Nemur’s theory and that his intelligence will deteriorate over time. Meanwhile he breaks up with Fay and tries to push Alice away as well. Alice does not want to leave Charlie alone, but as his intelligence gradually decreases Charlie decides to put himself in the home for retarded adults, so he would not cause problems to anyone. (Keyes p.253-311)

Scientific research on Intelligence vs. Happiness

According to Mental Health Foundation it is harder for people with mental disability to be accepted in a society. They have a hard time getting a stable job, staying in a relationship, have decent housing, and finding work. This is all due to stigma and discrimination of mentally challenged people. (Stigma and Discrimination)

Another article published by Better Health Channel supports the idea that mentally challenged people are subjected to stigma and discrimination. It claims that when a mentally challenged person is the subject of either stigma or discrimination it can cause them to stop seeking help and therefore potentially harming themselves or others. (Stigma, Discrimination and Mental Illness)

This is what we see in the media. There have been numerous cases of people with mental illness committing suicides or causing harm to others. This is why many people are afraid of them and try to avoid coming in contact with mentally challenged people. This makes those people feel excluded from society which then can result in more problems.

The life of a mentally challenged person is not only about troubles. There are a lot of mentally challenged people who live a better life than “normal” people do. A good example of that is Tom Cruise. He was born with dyslexia and grew up in a hard family situation. This might have even helped him to become such a Hollywood star as he is now. (O’Shea) He is just one of many people who had learned how to live with a mental disorder and turned their life upside-down.

On the other side, there are people who are extremely smart. According to a research published by University College London, people with high IQ’s are happier than people with lower IQ’s. The people with high IQ’s were considered to have IQ’s between 120 and 129. The reasons that this study provides are higher income and having no problems with skills required for daily living. (Alli A.)

An article in the online magazine Scientific American challenges this idea. It states that people with remarkably high IQ’s over 132 experience some problems. These problems include mood disorders such as depression, dysthymia and bipolar, anxiety disorders (generalized, social and obsessive-compulsive), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. The research also focused on environmental allergies, asthma and autoimmune disorders.

The data they received suggested that 26.7% of respondents experienced some kind of mood disorder and almost 20% had some form of anxiety disorder, while the national average of both symptoms was only around 10%. Additionally, the environmental allergies were triple of the national average (33% vs 11%). (Marquardt, and Hambrick)

When we take into consideration both sides of the spectrum we come to a clear conclusion. Being mentally challenged has some disadvantages but it is not something that should prohibit people from living their lives the way they want to. The same goes with being highly intelligent. If a person were born mentally challenged or highly intelligent, he or she needs to deal with it.

Conclusion

The book Flowers for Algernon is a clear example of a story with a message. The message is that nothing is as easy or as good as it first seems. At the beginning of the book Charlie really wanted to be smart. He thought that being smart would make his life perfect, but as you know it did not.

Once he got smart, people started to be jealous on him. He stopped liking himself and wanted to escape. He was overthinking his relationship with Alice. That is why he got together with Fay. He even said in his progress reports that he did not really feel the same thing towards Fay as he did towards Alice.

Later on, when he realized that his IQ was going to deteriorate to the point he was before, he decided to put himself into the home for retarded adults. That was a cowardly act because he did not want to face the problems. He just decided to escape from them.

Charlie’s story is a perfect example of how to deal with life problems. Also, it says that it does not matter how smart you are, you still have to make your own path.

Works Cited

1. Ali, A., et al. “The Relationship between Happiness and Intelligent Quotient: The Contribution of Socio-Economic and Clinical Factors.” Psychological Medicine, vol. 43, no. 6, 2013, pp. 1303–1312., doi:10.1017/S0033291712002139.
2. Cherry, Kendra. ‘Are People with High Iq’s More Successful?’. Verywell Mind, 2019, https://www.verywellmind.com/are-people-with-high-iqs-more-successful-2795280. Accessed 26 Jan 2020.
3. Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. Harcourt, 2004,
4. Marquardt, Madeline, and David Z Hambrick. ‘Bad News for The Highly Intelligent’. Scientific American, 2017, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bad-news-for-the-highly-intelligent/. Accessed 30 Jan 2020.
5. O’Shea, Tyler. ‘Tom Cruise Overcame Dyslexia on The Way to Hollywood | Joker Mag’. Joker Mag, 2018, https://jokermag.com/tom-cruise-dyslexia/. Accessed 29 Jan 2020.
6. ‘Stigma and Discrimination’. Mental Health Foundation, https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/stigma-and-discrimination. Accessed 29 Jan 2020.
7. ‘Stigma, Discrimination and Mental Illness’. Better Health Channel, 2015, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/stigma-discrimination-and-mental-illness. Accessed 29 Jan 2020.

In Daniel Keyes’ novel Flowers for Algernon, Charlie, a 32-year-old intellectually disabled man, undergoes a newly researched surgical procedure that turns him into a genius. Being intellectually disabled means having severe limitations when it comes to mental and cognitive capabilities. Many with this disability have an incredibly troublesome time adjusting to life, and generally, have IQs equal to or less than 70 (Berger 1). Charlie’s IQ of 68 meant that his mental age was younger than his physical age, which dictated that he could not perform as well as other people his age. However, after his life-changing operation, his mental state age increased exponentially, despite him still being the same age, 32. In Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Christopher, a 15-year-old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, is determined to solve his neighbor’s dog’s murder. Portraying the protagonist as a teenager who struggles with communication is what shapes the complexly profound novel (Cline 1). The research question is “How do the approaches to mental disabilities contrast in Flowers for Algernon and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time?” This is a question worth researching further and answering because of each book’s historical circumstances, and how this reflects society’s response to mental disabilities at the time. Flowers for Algernon was published when the lack of research and understanding of mental impediments led to the rejection and ostracization of people with disability. Although people with autism are still not embraced as much as they should be, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time provides further insight into the thoughts and feelings towards the disorder. This book was written in the 21st century, therefore, more of a modern view of the disorder is established. Comparing and contrasting these two books will reflect society’s views on autism during the two different time periods. Is society still telling people to ‘be unique,’ while suppressing the autistic or is there genuinely a drastic shift in societal understanding reflected in the differences between the books?

Pity:

Flowers for Algernon:

Daniel Keyes highlights the feeling of what happens right after Charlie’s superior intellectual thinking is stripped away from him intentionally, which enables readers to easily empathize and feel pity for Charlie. He reverts back to being a man with a very low IQ, after achieving a lot in his short time of being intellectually gifted. Despite the valiant efforts of the protagonist to remain a hero/genius, his mental disability will forever impede him and define him indefinitely. This results in Charlie feeling ostracized as if he is not a part of society. Keyes perceives that Charlie’s relapse, in spite of the fact that he comes back to his original state, is a cause of a disaster. This “tragedy” is perceived as pity toward the start of the novel in light of the fact that Charlie’s handicap makes him be feeble and uninformed (Cline 3). By the end of the novel, the disability causes the book’s reasonable hero, the astute Charlie, to cease to exist. All that had made the postoperative Charlie a different character—reason, love, creative ability, sexuality—deteriorates. Thus, it is as though smart Charlie is biting the dust. Furthermore, not only do the readers understand Charlie’s quick rise and demise, Charlie himself is able to grasp the situation, at both intelligence levels. How readers are to react to this demise must be assessed, however, when the smart Charlie is contrasted with his preoperative state.

Setting up this sentiment of complete pity for Charlie is fundamental as it gives background to the postoperative Charlie, who progresses toward becoming hyper-aware of his present state as a growing genius just as his previous condition of wretched, impaired man disappears. Keyes’s use of characterization reveals that when Charlie ends up smart, he turns into a haughty, narrow-minded man to everyone around him. This juxtaposition portrays an interesting appreciation for the mentally crippled because, despite the fact that they are unaware, such obliviousness is desirable over the grandiose narcissists in the scholarly world. This appreciation is fleeting, however, as readers before long move their loyalty to the hyper-clever Charlie who seethes against the individuals who ‘made’ him, while in the meantime grieving the incidental quality of his creation that drives him back to being crippled.

The mind-boggling pity readers feel for Charlie as readers can also be comprehended through the intellectually enhanced Charlie’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. Charlie’s extraordinary change has been from the obscure to the known, and since the obscure position is a place filled with uncertainties and the unknown, the known position is the alluring one even if the position had some drawbacks. His transformation from a lack of knowledge to a person with immense knowledge is a development nobody, not even postoperative Charlie, predicts, but alas, he is someone who is publicly acknowledged. Charlie’s disability catches up to him and he must face the decay of his knowledge. Never having needed to see the initial Charlie as the equivalent to the genius Charlie, readers can change their minds about a man they first felt sorry for, into the man they eventually idolize; like dying, his disability eradicates how great he had become (Cline 108). Readers are left with the memory of Charlie who cherished Alice, his great love, and ached to make something enduring and useful for humankind. In a way, readers feel pity for the ‘death’ of intellectually gifted Charlie, just as they feel pity for Charlie that has reverted and will no longer be treated as an equal. Mental disability, similar to death, has killed the likelihood of any new, positive encounters to happen.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time:

Christopher’s naivety and trust in others not only force readers to sympathize with him but to also relate with him and his childlike innocence. Christopher considers truth to be an anchoring standard of the world. If he is told the truth by someone, he can confide in them, but if they lie and he realizes it, he panics. Since he was diagnosed with Aspergers, he lacks full consciousness of reality. This leads to readers pitying him because of his naivety and innocence. Christopher additionally discovers that reality can sting as much as falsehood could. He is always mindful of his physical security; hauling his knife relaxes him because of the fact that he can protect himself while being able to inflict harm on others if need be (Haddon 13). Readers pity him because despite knowing how to protect himself physically, Christopher doesn’t have a clue how to defend himself emotionally. He, in some cases, reacts to his feelings of being hurt with his fists. One such instance is when he physically battles his dad, Ed when Ed approaches him about his mom’s illicit relationship (82). Christopher trusts reality will protect him from emotional damage, but as the readers already know and he comes to learn, that’s not how things work, further enabling the reader’s pity for the teen.

Since Christopher at first structured his life to truth and lie, he opposes envisioning circumstances other than those that really exist. He doesn’t want people to consider how the deceased may respond to current circumstances since they can’t contemplate a world that goes on after their demise. Doing so, Christopher figures out how to shield himself from troubling considerations of his mother, who he thinks is dead, or of how things may have been in the event that she was still with Christopher. Christopher believes truth-telling is an indication of adoration, particularly seen in his dad. However, the reality about his mom winds up harming him. Ed finds the reality of his significant other’s departure from him too difficult to even consider dealing with, and so he imagines that lying to Christopher will ensure less grief for both of them. Lying about Judy’s passing shields his dad from managing his very own feelings, but he thinks that lying is the more considerate and selfless option in this case; it is better for Christopher to think his mom is dead than to believe that she has relinquished him. Due to Christopher’s commitment to truth, however, he can’t see that his dad may have meant well in deceiving him, regardless of whether it was wrong or not. He feels the agony of reality, which in this circumstance has let him down as much as his folks have, placing him into peril instead of guarding him. Pity is incorporated here because Christopher is easily misunderstood and it seems like others are making important decisions for him when he is very much capable of making his own choices. In spite of the fact that reality harms Christopher, he can’t mature into a grown-up without confronting it.

“ The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”- Albert Einstein. The extremely controversial topic of weather measurements of intelligence are precise or accurate is still greatly debated today. Researchers have suggested a variety of theories that display and explain the complexion of intelligence and some theories have emerged and become major in our world today. To mankind intelligence still a mystery that many are trying to solve. Some theories include Charles Spearman’s general intelligence which is not widely accepted today, and Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences which many people stand behind.

One theory of intelligence is Charles Spearman’s theory of general intelligence and it is not widely accepted today. The article, “ ̈Theories of Intelligence in Psychology ̈ states that, ̈ After using a technique known as factor analysis to examine some mental aptitude tests, Spearman concluded that scores on these tests were remarkably similar.¨ This means that one who scores poorly on a cognitive test was prone to do poor on other tests and those who did well one a cognitive test are likely to have a good score on other tests as well. After Charles formed this theory of intelligence, he believed that intelligence can be measured and expressed accurately numerically. “Flowers for Algernon” mentions that researchers in modern times are realizing and recognizing that a single test is not an accurate nor a precise way to measure intelligence. This is because there is an extremely wide range of intellectual abilities that researchers are still discovering and learning about today. Because of the wide range of abilities, a single test will not be able to measure each and every type of intelligence that a person may consist of. Therefore, Charles Spearman’s theory of general intelligence is not widely accepted today as it does not clearly form the idea of modern intelligence.

In addition, another theory of intelligence is Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and it is widely accepted today. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences is very modern compared to other theories as it contains a wide range of intellects that several researchers and people believe is an accurate representation or measurement of intelligence.The article ̈Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences ̈ states, “In order to capture the full range of abilities and talents that people possess, Gardner theorizes that people do not have just an intellectual capacity, but have many kinds of intelligence, including musical, interpersonal, spatial-visual, and linguistic intelligences…¨ His theory show eight different types of intelligence which are based on expertise and abilities that are presented in different cultures and natures. Gardner never focused one one single theory or test (IQ test), and instead he was interested in how the idea of one test/theory and a single view of intelligence was extremely limited. Therefore, Howard Gardnerś theory of multiple intelligences is widely accepted today as. In modern times researchers and people believe that there are several different aspects to showing and measuring intelligence

As one can clearly see, in the story ̈Flowers for Algernon ̈ doctors measure his progress with IQ throughout his journey which is related to Charles Gardner’s theory that if one does good on one test they tend to do good on other tests. Also, Charlie thought that this surgery was the only way to become smarter. At the end of the story, when the Charlie begans losing his intelligence he learns that there are several distinct ways to become smart and that proves to change his views and thoughts on intelligence. This supports the theory of multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner. If Charlie had not gotten the surgery to become smarter, he would have never changed his perspective on intelligence.

Nonetheless, Keyes stresses another predominant theme: that self-awareness, the ability to acquire knowledge about one’s self, ultimately decides an individual’s identity. As the experiment progresses and Charlie’s academic knowledge, and personal understanding increase, a sense of inner confinement emerges. This interior conflict is apparent when there is a “sharp switch in perception” as the narration alternates between first-person, and third-person (page 100). This change of perspective elucidates how Charlie considers himself as two, distinct people; as if “the old Charlie was struggling for control of the [new, post-surgery] body” and is detached from himself (page 248). Looking at a mirror, Charlie remarks that there are: “endless corridors of myself… looking at myself… looking at myself… Which one was I? Who was I?” (page 186). The use of parallel structure conveys the repetitive, inner struggles Charlie is attempting to overcome. By asking rhetorical questions, Keyes emphasizes the protagonist’s inability to distinguish himself, thus emphasizing an inner dispute. This interior conflict is also expressed through cage imagery. Charlie finds himself “behind the mesh of the cage [the scientists] had built around him”, confined within the societal mistreatment mentioned previously (page 162). Keyes also refers to the streets of New York as the “endless labyrinth, … the neon cage of the city” which is ironic as cities are typically connoted with freedom, independence, and leading to a world of opportunity (page 127). This cage imagery represents that as Charlie becomes more intelligent, the inner feelings of restraint become more apparent. Needless to say, these “cages” may have existed before, yet only with intelligence could they become “visible.” It is evident through perspective, rhetorical devices, and cage imagery that by gaining more intelligence, Charlie’s personality is altered because he has become internally detached.

A progressing intellect also gives rise to the protagonist’s isolation. His separation from society and peers leaves him feeling “lost and alone in the great wilderness” of the world (page 101). Charlie is known as a dedicated employee; yet becoming

Nonetheless, Keyes stresses another predominant theme: that self-awareness, the ability to acquire knowledge about one’s self, ultimately decides an individual’s identity. As the experiment progresses and Charlie’s academic knowledge, and personal understanding increase, a sense of inner confinement emerges. This interior conflict is apparent when there is a “sharp switch in perception” as the narration alternates between first-person, and third-person (page 100). This change of perspective elucidates how Charlie considers himself as two, distinct people; as if “the old Charlie was struggling for control of the [new, post-surgery] body” and is detached from himself (page 248). Looking at a mirror, Charlie remarks that there are: “endless corridors of myself… looking at myself… looking at myself… Which one was I? Who was I?” (page 186). The use of parallel structure conveys the repetitive, inner struggles Charlie is attempting to overcome. By asking rhetorical questions, Keyes emphasizes the protagonist’s inability to distinguish himself, thus emphasizing an inner dispute. This interior conflict is also expressed through cage imagery. Charlie finds himself “behind the mesh of the cage [the scientists] had built around him”, confined within the societal mistreatment mentioned previously (page 162). Keyes also refers to the streets of New York as the “endless labyrinth, … the neon cage of the city” which is ironic as cities are typically connoted with freedom, independence, and leading to a world of opportunity (page 127). This cage imagery represents that as Charlie becomes more intelligent, the inner feelings of restraint become more apparent. Needless to say, these “cages” may have existed before, yet only with intelligence could they become “visible.” It is evident through perspective, rhetorical devices, and cage imagery that by gaining more intelligence, Charlie’s personality is altered because he has become internally detached.

A progressing intellect also gives rise to the protagonist’s isolation. His separation from society and peers leaves him feeling “lost and alone in the great wilderness” of the world (page 101). Charlie is known as a dedicated employee, yet becoming aware of his traumatic past causes him to “stay home from work on purpose” for the first time in his career (page 40). The protagonist cannot cope with the realization that he is being teased by the colleagues he considers friends. Conscious of his previous adversities, Charlie succumbs to despair, believing that “solitude gives [him] a chance to read and think” about the fabricated lies he has accepted for decades (page 172). This separation is also identified through the form of Keyes’ writing. The author detaches the flashbacks from the rest of the journal and this style reinforces the protagonist’s separation from other characters.

The protagonist’s reserved and docile nature is also destroyed when he reaches a greater intellectual level. In fact, “anger and suspicion were [the] first reactions to the world around” him (page 58). Charlie’s dialogue becomes aggravated until “suddenly everything exploded… [He is] sick and tired of people making fun” of him (page 56). The recognition that people are not always as they appear has commenced; therefore, it is difficult for Charlie to manage his recently developed awareness of the truth. He does not “recall ever being so angry before” because this suppressed rage is finally being released (page 107). His voice transmutes into something impatient and infuriated when he “ripped out a handful of pages, and flung them and the book across the room” (page 290). Directing this antipathy to a lifeless object is peculiar and suggests Charlie is becoming irrational from his anger. Violent diction such as “ripped” and “flung” implies he is becoming frustrated after learning about his past and himself. Moreover, he feels ashamed once he returns to work and learns that his co-workers have come up with a saying based on him: “Now I know what they mean when they say “to pull a Charlie Gordon”. I’m ashamed” (page 33) Melancholy and disappointment is also sensed when Charlie realizes how his alleged friends felt about him: “I never knew before that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around just to make fun of me” (page 33) Despite this, his colleagues wish he would “go back to being the good simple man [he] was before,” (page 107) acknowledging how intelligence has transformed this kind-hearted individual into an enraged man. The infuriated diction indicates how the protagonist is developing an uncontrollable rage as his calm façade dissolves. Consequently, the character becomes less personable from his surroundings which leads to a different type of mistreatment than before the surgery, however, still judgmental.

In contrast to Charlie’s increasing temper, a significant decline in the protagonist’s euphoric personality presents itself when his intellect is amplified. Charlie’s desolation is presented through Keyes’s personification of the past. A bleak tone is produced when the protagonist believes that the “shadows out of the past clutch at [his] legs and drag [him] down” from a world of delight and fulfillment (page 132). This dark imagery refers to the progressing depression Charlie is experiencing. A disharmony of sounds adds to the unpleasant tone and disquiet he is feeling, relating to the fact that intellect deprives Charlie of experiencing joy. He also explains being surrounded by a “cold grayness… The feeling was of living death” (page 230 – 231). Using melancholy phrasing, “cold,” “grayness,” and “death,” creates a mournful tone that is not present before the operation. Charlie even contemplates “suicide to stop it all while [he is] … aware of the world around” him (page 278). This demonstrates the severity of his depression since the protagonist cannot cope with the foreseen “psychological pitfalls” he predicts will occur in his near future and the unexpected conduct of the ones he cares about (page 257). Overall, the protagonist realizes that “intelligence… leads to mental and moral break-down” (page 249). Charlie’s understanding of his future and past causes him sorrow and emotional strain. Thus, Keyes implies that “ignorance is bliss,” and that a sufficient amount of knowledge can cause misery.

The short story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys follows the journey of mentally disabled, thirty seven year old factory janitor Charlie Gordon and his quest for intelligence through his diary entries. When Charlie’s adult night school teacher recommends him for a scientific study designed to triple human intelligence, Charlie is finally given the chance to become the person he’s always wanted to be. After completing several exams, many alongside Algernon, a lab rat whose intelligence has already been tripled, Charlie is finally chosen to undergo the operation. Even though the change in his intellect isn’t immediate, Charlie is soon able to master everything from punctuation to speaking different languages. Unfortunately, Charlie’s happiness is short lived as his drastic change from a simpleton to a genius begins to take a negative toll on every aspect of his life. This prospect is only heightened once Algernon’s condition begins to deteriorate, as this leaves Charlie fearful about his future. In this short yet insightful narrative, Keys uses Charlie’s rise and downfall to exemplify the theme that knowledge doesn’t necessarily lead to happiness.

As Charlie’s mental capacity continues to grow as a result of his newfound intelligence, he slowly loses the ability to see the world and those around him in the positive light he once did before. Although, Charlie’s one true desire is to have intelligence, he isn’t miserable without it. In fact, Charlie is quite content with his life, “We had a lot of fun at the factery today. Joe Carp said hey look where Charlie had his operashun what did they do Charlie put some brains in… Then Frank Reilly said what did you do Charlie forget your key and open your door the hard way. That made me laff. Their really my friends and they like me” (4). Even though it’s quite obvious to the audience that Charlie is being mistreated by his “friends”, his limited mental ability is actually a blessing in disguise. Since Charlie is able to see everything through rose colored glasses, he doesn’t realize how bleak his life actually is. By having this positive yet blinded world view, he is ensuring his happiness without even knowing it. Sadly, just few diary entries later when Charlie becomes the butt of another joke, he finally sees things for what they truly are, “Everyone was looking at me and laughing and I felt naked. I wanted to hide myself… 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” (9). The revelation that he was only ever seen as a joke to those closest to him serves as Charlie’s rude awakening to the reality of life as he no longer experiences the sweet bliss of ignorance. This is further highlighted in his conversation with his coworker Fanny who warns him about the pitfalls of knowledge, “It was evil when Eve listened to the snake and ate from the tree of knowledge. It was evil when she saw that she was naked. If not for that none of us would ever have to grow old and sick, and die” (13). Fanny’s insight encapsulates the theme of the story as a whole. Even if Charlie’s intelligence allows him to learn the truth, he is forgoing his happiness as a result.

While Charlie continues to embrace his new life of intelligence, all of his relationships start to dissolve simultaneously. Through his diary entries, the readers can see that the most important aspect of Charlie’s life is his friendships. “Im glad Im going back to work because I miss my job and all my frends and all the fun we have there” (4). A major portion of his life is defined by his relationships because they allow him to see himself as more than a disabled person. Even after learning that he is an object of ridicule by his coworkers, Charlie strives to use his intelligence to make his workplace better in an effort to save these friendships. This plan, however, backfires and further estranges Charlie from everyone else, “People don’t talk to me much any more or kid around the way they used to. It makes the job kind of lonely” (11). As Charlie’s intellect continues to expand, he becomes Other to many of those around him. Though his disability made him a target of manipulation, he still felt like he was accepted. Now that Charlie’s operation has made him different from the norm, he’s effectively alienated by his coworkers. Eventually, Charlie’s Other status grows more apparent when he can no longer have mundane conversations with his teacher Ms. Kinnian, and when sees himself as superior to Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur, the scientists who gave him intelligence in the first place. It’s around this time that Charlie befriends his former rival Algernon, “Hes not so bad. Hes soft like a ball of cotton… I think III be frends with Algernon” (6-7). In both of their respective populations, Algernon and Charlie are Other. In Algernon’s case, he is a lab experiment that is kept in isolation when he isn’t being tested on, and as for Charlie, he’s grown far too different from what society defines as the standard. Although Charlie does find solace in his blossoming friendship with Algernon, it grows more clear that the intelligence he spent his whole life seeking is actually him doing more harm than good.

Once Charlie’s intelligence begins to wane, he is forced to accept an uncertain future that can leave him even worse off than he was before. After Charlie’s progress reaches its peak, Algernon’s behavior becomes erratic. While Algernon’s condition worsens, Charlie focuses all of his attention on creating his own research based upon the intelligence study as he is desperate to determine his fate “I must not become emotional. The facts and the results of my experiments are clear…” (17). Charlie’s obsession with finding this answer causes him to become estranged from even the audience, as he loses the qualities that make him sympathetic in the first place. However, Algernon’s death becomes a catalyst for Charlie reconnecting with reality. Once he accepts the loss of his only friend and the fact that his time is running out, Charlie decides to get his life on track. He returns to his job at the factory as a janitor and the adult night school. Now that the truth of his condition is revealed, Charlie is pitied by everyone around him. At this point, he realizes that no matter how hard he tries, he can never go back to the life he had before and decides to leave for New York in order to begin again. The story ends with Charlie’s incoherent final diary entry, leaving the audience just as wary of the future as Charlie is. In his article, Brent Walter Cline states, “At first an object of pity, the mentally disabled Charlie Gordon eventually becomes the metaphorical horror of oblivion that no character has the power to overcome” (Cline). Charlie’s transformation from underdog to genius is one that is supported by the reader as we all can relate to Charlie’s dreams and struggles in some way. By the story’s end, Charlie’s desire for intelligence leads to him having an even worse mental state than he had before as well as a life of loneliness and obscurity.

The unraveling of Charlie’s life throughout the story, though disastrous, is inevitable. When he is chosen to undergo the operation that will give him the intelligence to make his life complete, Charlie can’t be happier. Eager to learn new things, Charlie’s knowledge soon eclipses that of everyone he knows. This turns out to be his undoing as he is no longer shielded by the ignorance his mental disability gave him, so he is forced to see things for what they truly are. Due to his tenacious nature, Charlie tries to make the best of this new situation, but he is shunned by his coworkers in the process. Alone and ostracized, every facet of his life crumbles before him. When things can’t seem to get any worse, his friend and fellow experimentee Algernon, a lab rat, begins to experience abnormal behavior. This places Charlie’s future in jeopardy. As his intelligence decreases and the end of life as he knows it looms near, Charlie has no choice but to embrace what lies ahead. Daniel Keys’ Flowers for Algernon establishes through its unique premise that while knowledge may equal power, it certainly doesn’t guarantee happiness and can even lead to catastrophe.

Introduction

“Flowers for Algernon,” written by Daniel Keyes, is a thought-provoking novel that explores the ethical implications of intellectual enhancement. The story follows Charlie Gordon, a mentally disabled man who undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. This essay will delve into the ethical debates surrounding cognitive enhancement and argue that the pursuit of intelligence should not come at the expense of human dignity and emotional well-being.

Human Dignity and Autonomy

One of the central ethical concerns raised by “Flowers for Algernon” is the preservation of human dignity and autonomy. While intellectual enhancement may offer intellectual benefits, it raises questions about the essential nature of personhood. Charlie Gordon’s transformation exposes the vulnerability of a person’s sense of self and their emotional well-being. By pursuing intelligence without considering the emotional consequences, we risk devaluing the unique experiences and perspectives that make us human. It is essential to recognize that human dignity lies not solely in intellectual capacity but in the richness of our emotions, relationships, and self-awareness.

Social Integration and Acceptance

Another critical aspect explored in the novel is the social integration and acceptance of individuals with cognitive disabilities. Prior to his intellectual enhancement, Charlie faces marginalization and discrimination due to his limited cognitive abilities. The story highlights the importance of inclusivity and challenges the notion that intelligence alone determines a person’s worth. By prioritizing cognitive enhancement, society risks reinforcing discriminatory attitudes and further marginalizing those who do not fit within conventional intelligence standards. Instead, we should focus on creating inclusive environments that value and embrace individuals’ diverse abilities and contributions.

Emotional Well-being and Mental Health

The pursuit of intelligence in “Flowers for Algernon” raises concerns about the emotional well-being and mental health of individuals undergoing cognitive enhancement. As Charlie’s intelligence increases, he becomes increasingly isolated, struggling to connect with others on an emotional level. This raises questions about the potential emotional toll and psychological risks associated with cognitive enhancement. It is crucial to consider the holistic well-being of individuals, including their emotional and mental health, when discussing intellectual enhancement. Neglecting emotional well-being in favor of intellectual prowess can lead to a loss of essential human qualities such as empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence.

Counterargument

Some may argue that intellectual enhancement can lead to scientific and technological advancements, benefiting society as a whole. However, it is important to recognize that the ethical concerns raised by “Flowers for Algernon” cannot be overlooked. While advancements in knowledge and intelligence are valuable, they should not be pursued without careful consideration of the potential consequences on human dignity, social integration, and emotional well-being.

Conclusion

“Flowers for Algernon” presents a compelling exploration of the ethical implications of intellectual enhancement. While the pursuit of intelligence is admirable, it must be approached with caution and consideration for human dignity, social integration, and emotional well-being. By valuing the complexity of human experiences and embracing diversity, we can create a society that recognizes and celebrates the inherent worth of all individuals, regardless of their cognitive abilities. Ultimately, the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual growth should be balanced with compassion, empathy, and a commitment to the overall well-being of humanity.