Science is continuing its growth to impact the human civilization in such ways that could never be thought of before. Such growth is demonstrated in Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes when two doctors, Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss, perform a surgical operation on their “test subject” Charlie Gordon to attempt to triple his IQ. As astounding as that sounds, they didn’t realize that operating on Charlie could have many consequences. Charlie’s happiness decreased, the doctors did not follow proper ethical procedures, and at the end of all, Charlie died. All in all, in Flowers for Algernon, the doctors made a very bad choice by choosing Charlie Gordon as their test subject for their intelligence-boosting operation as they did not follow proper …show more content…
In the story, Charlie stated in his journal entry: “Anyway I bet Im the first dumb person in the world who ever found out somthing importent for sience” (Keyes 209). The quote clearly demonstrates that Charlie’s hopes have been brought down along with his motivation as he refers to himself as a “dumb person”. Another thing that Charlie states in his journal entry is: “Its easy to make frends if you let pepul laff at you” (Keyes 210). The sentence expresses Charlie’s thoughts and shows what he really learned from the surgery and all the experience. Now the opposing side may state that the surgery increased Charlie’s confidence and taught him how to coorperate with others around him, but they are incorrect as his confidence was only increased temporarily when he had high intelligence and he learned to cooperate with others by letting them treat him unfairly. Once his IQ came back down, he was unhappy, demotivated, and eventually decided to leave the city so people don’t fell bad for him. In the story, Charlie said towards the end: “...so Im going someplace where nobody knows that Charlie Gordon was once a genus and now he cant even reed a book or rite good” (Keyes 209). After considering Charlie’s thoughts and statements after the operation, it is easy to say that the result of the operation on Charlie had reduced his morale and taught him the wrong
He did not have any close friends or family that would feel concerned if the operation’s procedure failed. The doctors accountable for this operation were just searching for the opportunity to become notorious surgeons. Individuals responsible for the surgery were aware this operation only promised an intelligence that was temporary. Likewise, this experiment killed many mice, which portrayed a possible death sentence for Charlie. Conversely, Charlie had only positive hopes and did not suspect a flaw in the operation; he just wanted to be society’s definition of normal. Although Charlie wanted to be used for the operation, he was not informed about the multiple side effects; this could have helped Charlie further decide if he was willing to be operated
Imagine being three times smarter than you already are through a simple, painless surgery, but there’s a catch. The effects of the surgery that can make you a genius could be temporary, and have not been studied and may be dangerous. Flowers for Algernon, a short story, describes a character who is intellectually disabled. He has to make a choice between having doctors conduct an experiment that involves surgery on him to make him three times smarter or staying the way he is. Charlie Gordon should not have the surgery because it is highly experimental and theoretical, as well as the negative social effects.
Have you ever found yourself less educated than others around you? Well, Charlie Gordon had to experience that almost his entire life. In the short story "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, the protagonist, Charlie Gordon, undergoes an experimental surgery that dramatically increases his intelligence. Whether Charlie was better off before or after the operation is a complex issue that has divided readers. However, I believe Charlie was better off after the operation, even though he eventually regressed back to his original condition.
Science is everywhere around us. It is all the little things from your alarm in the morning to big things like cures for diseases. In the story “Flowers For Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur have a patient named Charlie Gordon to see if a brain operation could increase your IQ level. I don’t think Charlie should not have gotten the operation done because he was told the results would be temporary, the operation put his life in danger, and the operation caused him to become depressed.
In the modern world, patients expect their doctors to aid them and to support them. In the short story, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur conducted an intelligence enhancement experiment on a man named, Charlie Gordon and changed his life. With an IQ of sixty-eight, the scientists altered him and tripled his IQ. However, this operation has not been ethical because the procedure was abstruse to Charlie, the doctors were rushing, and Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss were acting selfishly.
In the science fiction novel, Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon should not have had the option to have the operation to make him intelligent. Charlie was better off before the operation because at the end of the book, he returned to his old self. For example, “I dont know why Im dumb agen or what I did wrong maybe its becaus I dint try hard enuff.” This shows that Charlie’s grammar has regressed. This proves that the operation was not needed because Charlie returned to his normal self. Charlie was better off before the operation because he was fired from his job. When Charlie became intelligent, all the workers signed a petition, to get Charlie fired, because he was too smart. This shows that the operation was not needed because he lost his job and his
The idea of changing someone's IQ is an interesting thing but Charlie a thirty seven year old man who struggles with learning and wants to be smart will become smart as a doctor gives him this chance by having a brain operation, Charlie should not have had the operation performed on him. “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes is a great sci fi short story that you can learn a lot from. Although I think Charlie should not have had the operation, some might say that he should have had it because he wanted to be smart so it gave him a taste of what being intelligent is all about. The operation done on Charlie had a negative impact on him in the end, poor doctor choses, weak animal testing and bad knowledge of the situation could leave many other
Was it really worth it? Do the pro’s of the surgery outweigh the cons? These are some questions that a reader may ask themselves to understand the theme in this short story. In “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keys, one theme is the use and abuse of science and technology. By granting Charlie the surgery he always wanted, tripling his IQ, does that constitute abuse? I feel that the surgery constitutes abuse. Science was abuse and in the end the surgery was not worth it. A few reasons the surgery wasn’t worth it for Charlie is that the doctors didn’t even know the effect of the surgery to a man's brain, his time while being smart was very short and he was more lonely than he ever was before, finally, he might even have the chance of dying.
As stated above, this humiliation that he has been experiencing has caused him to lose his confidence in himself. This is proved when Charlie writes about his conversation with Miss Kinnian. He writes: “I tried to make a conversation with Miss Kinnian but no matter how much I tried to talk at the same level as her I always brought up psychology in the process. I am having great difficulty in making friends.” This quote proves that after the surgery that Charlie took to triple his intelligence made him find it difficult to make friends after he became aware of this humiliation that he has been experiencing. It
Imagine the possibility of a surgery that could dramatically increase your intelligence. Imagine what a change of life that could mean if you were a mentally handicapped person. This is exactly what happens in the story, Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes. Charlie Gordon is a mentally handicapped man living alone in New York City. He undergoes an operation that is said to increase his intelligence, but has only been tested on a lab mouse named Algernon. The Operation was a success. Charlie soon realizes how poorly people have treated him including his family and friends. Although most folk mistreated Charlie there was one who was kind and caring towards Charlie, and that was his teacher, Alice Kinnian. This novel follows
What if an incredible new medical procedure was developed? This treatment can create an instant genius, except there is a catch. It has never been tested on a human before and may have some… side effects. Charlie Gordon, a man with an intellectual disability, is given the opportunity to be the first human subject for this experiment in the short story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, but this opportunity is one he should not take. Charlie is a happy man with a happy life but he longs to be intelligent. Two doctors ask him to be the test subject in an experiment to help him reach his goal of being smart. After the surgery, Charlie becomes smarter, but there are other, unexpected results. He realizes that his old “friends”
surgery. Other viewers may say that more people liked Charlie after the surgery and I argue that it is not true. Although he might have been happy after the surgery, he had many other emotions than he did have before the surgery. For example before the surgery he only felt happiness, excitement, and motivation, but after the surgery he had sadness, depression, lonely, and he could also feel ashamed. The quote “Now I’m more alone than ever before…” (Keyes 235). This shows he had depression. People often think that since Charlie was smarter and could accomplish more after the surgery that he was more liked previously, but most people didn't like him and were uncomfortable with him. For example, he even lost his job because people didn’t want him there because they were uncomfortable with him. “Dr. Nemur appears to be uncomfortable around me. Sometimes when I try to talk to him, he just looks at me strangely and turns away” (Keyes 236). This is why Charlie was better off before the
William Golding, a novelist, playwright, and poet, once said “My yesterdays walk with me. They keep step, they are gray faces that peer over my shoulder.” This quote acknowledges that the past can have a powerful influence on a person later in life. Both Golding's quote and the theme chosen reflect on the meaning hidden inside Flowers for Algernon. People in Charlie's life, such as his coworkers and family, treat him differently than the average human being. The treatment that Charlie receives from these people in his life is negative for the most part, this means Charlie is often made fun of or looked down upon due to his intelligence. Throughout his life, Charlie has always had a difficult time developing emotional connections with women due to being punished as child for thinking about girls in general. Charlie also struggles in reconnecting with his family during his childhood as well as during his adult life because he fears that his family will not be accepting of him. In the book Flowers for Algernon, Charley learns that the past can negatively affect the future.
Charlie Gordon, the beloved mentally disabled protagonist from the short story Flowers for Algernon, was much better off after his surgery. He had surgery that made him smarter, and he was much better off once he got it. This is true because he wanted to be smart, he had a great experience, and was happy at the end of the story.
Charlie should not have had the operation because it ruined his relationships with his friends. After Charlie had the operation, he got a twenty five dollar bonus for lining up the machines at his work in a way which would save his boss ten thousand dollars a year. He decided to invite Joe Carp and Frank Riley to lunch. “Joe said he had to buy some things for his wife, and Frank said he was meeting his cousin for lunch...Everybody seems to be frightened of me” (232). People were avoiding Charlie because they were scared he would be mad at them for making fun of him. When Charlie had a low IQ, he thought that he had friends and they cared for him. He would