Flowers For Algernon
In the story Flowers for Algernon, Charlie, our main character, is presented a choice to triple his IQ for a short time and possibly forever, or to stay the way he is. It wouldn’t be a good story if he turned down the offer so of course he chose to have the operation. Later on in the story he slowly becomes smarter, and then back to his normal self. I believe that Charlie should have had the operation because he helped make a scientific breakthrough, It was a good experience for him, and it made people respect him more. If we look at how he made a scientific breakthrough just think about it. Charlie was the first human to have a successful brain operation that made him learn quicker and overall smarter than he was. Through the course of the book, toward the middle Charlie is at his mental peak, he begins to write a paper titled the Algernon-Gordon effect. As the readers of the book we don’t know what is exactly written in that paper so we will have
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In the book, the story is composed of “Progress Reports”, as a way of keeping track of Charlie's thoughts and how he progresses after the operation, he probably has some of his progress reports in the paper. He also has some of how the operation works as Charlie states “I have included in my report all my formulae, as well as mathematical analysis in the appendix.” (Daniel Keyes, Page 218) That means in his report he has a formula of some type that connects with the operation in some sort of way. If we take a look at the other side of the coin we find that, later on in the book, Charlie loses his intelligence and goes back to normal which some would say is why he shouldn’t have the operation but think about it, the first model of something new, let's say the
Charlie should have chosen to have had the operation because he got to achieve his ultimate dream, he got to form new relationships, and he was able to contribute new information to others; One argument that can be made for why it was beneficial for Charlie to have the surgery is because he got to live out his dream. Prior to having the IQ increasing procedure done to him, Charlie, was an optimistic and good-hearted man. Unfortunately for Charlie though he was disabled and had a low IQ, this caused Charlie to dream of becoming smart and fit in with others. One quote that can support the claim that Charlie got to achieve his dream of becoming smart is, “Im glad I got a second chanse to be smart becaus I lerned alot of things that I never new were in this world and Im grateful that I saw it all for a littel bit (245).
Once Charlie was at his full capacity of an IQ of 204, he decided not to let his intelligence go to waste. He chose to study in the field of artificial intelligence. In the text it says “Tomorrow, I will discuss with Dr. Strauss the manner in which I can work in this area. I may be able to help him work out the problems of widespread use of the technique used on me. I have good ideas of my own.” (Keyes 238). This quote goes to show that Charlie was going to and did contribute to the real world and science, by coming up with ideas and solving problems. This saved so many people from disappointment. Charlie really did help many people in science and the real
There was no point to the surgery in itself knowing that it was probably gonna ware off. The scientists who thought that the surgery was gonna wear off should’ve at least tried there best to perfect the surgery before preforming it. Most of Charlie’s heartbreak came from the wear off of the surgery. The surgery was a complete lose-lose situation for the lab, and Charlie. After the surgery, Charlie stated “I don’t know why Im dumb agen or what I did wrong maybe its because I dint try hard enuff”.
If someone offered you to increase your intelligence, would you accept it? In the story “Flowers for Algernon,” written by Daniel Keyes, the main character, Charlie Gordon, faces an operation that changes his intellectual capacity for a short time. He has an IQ of 68 and this operation will triple it. I think he should have the operation because without it, he never would have learned the things he now knows.
“Flowers for Algernon” Have you ever felt dumb and wanted to be smart? Well, Charlie Gordon knows exactly how you feel. In the story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon gets an operation to be smart. My opinion towards him getting this operation is NO! I think he shouldn't have gotten, the operation.
My first reason why Charlie shouldn’t have done the surgery is because the doctors didn’t wait till Algernon died to see if the operation was successful. On page 184 the doctors raced Algernon and Charlie against
Charlie Gordon was not fully aware of the surgery. All he was fully aware of was that he was going to be smarter and that’s all he wanted. Also, Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur should have waited to give Charlie the surgery. Instead of giving him the surgery the same time as Algernon, they could have waited, saw Algernon died and then this wouldn’t have happened to
Charlie had a chance to learn and do things that most people wouldn't have a chance to do in a lifetime, even if it was for a short time. After Charlie's regression he continued to try to become intelligent again, however, Charlie had said himself that he was grateful when he said, "Im glad I got a second chanse to be smart becaus I lerned a lot of things that I never even new were in this world and Im grateful that I saw it all for a little bit (Keyes 245) [Sic]." You have to understand that, with a mindset like this, you know you have done the right thing. Charlie was grateful for his chance to be smart and was thoroughly pleased with his decision. Nothing can be more favorable than the joyous feeling of gratitude. It can be compared to getting the gift you always wanted for Christmas, or when someone gives you a sincere smile that will brighten any bad day. This must have been what Charlie had been feeling in order to be this grateful. Another piece of evidence to prove this point is when Dr Nermur had said that Charlie was, "trying to cram a lifetime of research and thought into a few weeks (Keyes 238)." Both Charlie and Dr. Nemur both know that he was capable of this, and so much more. After the operation Charlie was super intelligent and grew the ability to understand more things socially, which is what he wanted the most, to be able to understand his friends and be smart like them, two of his greatest desires in one stone.
For example, by the end of the book, his IQ lowered, and left him where he started from. In that way, he has not changed. While at the convention, Dr.Nemur was explaining his hypothesis, and Charlie noticed a mistake. And in that moment, he realized his knowledge was going to be short lived. “The professors had made a mistake, and no one else had caught it. I wanted to jump up and tell them, but I couldn’t move. Like Algernon, I found myself behind the mesh of the cage they had built around me. Now there would be a question period, and before I would be allowed to have my dinner, I would be required to perform before this distinguished gathering. No. I had to get out of here.” (Keyes, 162) After this huge climax in the story, Charlie came to the conclusion that he would still write the reports, to show his regression and decrease in his IQ. As time went on, it was getting more and more obvious how difficult it was for Charlie to read and write. By his last report to the University, he forgot everything he had learned while he had the IQ of a genius, he forgot everything about his relations with Alice Kinnian, and he forgot all that he had learned about himself, he only remembered very little. “I don’t know why Im dumb agen or what I did rong. Maybe its because I dint try hard enuf or just some body put the evel eye on me. But if I try and practis very hard maybe Ill get a littel smarter and know what all the words are. I
Another reason Charlie is better off without the surgery is because he doesn’t gain anything from the surgery. Even though Charlie does get smart and his intelligence boosts, it declines in the end of the story. When this happens, Charlie doesn’t remember to how to write or think in depth as well as he did before, so he is just the same as he was before surgery. Charlie even stated it himself in his July 10th progress report, “I try to read a little bit every day, mostly stories, but sometimes I have
Charlie’s operation was a horrible idea from the beginning; the results of the operation were temporary, the operation put his life in danger, and it caused him to become depressed. Would you have the operation if nobody knew what would happen? Messing with intelligence through operation is wrong and unnatural; you could always go to school or just live life the way you think and understand
One reason why the operation on Charlie was unethical was that he could not fully grasp the concept of the procedure. For example, in Progress Report 1, Charlie wrote that Miss Kinnian, Charlie's teacher, told him about the procedure and he jotted down, "I hope [Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur] use me ... I want to be smart[sic]" (Keyes 514). To receive the operation was Charlie's dream because he wanted to enhance his intelligence, however, that was all he knew about the procedure. Since Charlie had a low intelligence, he could not see the pros and cons of the surgery, only what he wanted, which was to become smart, making the operation unethical. Also, in Progress Report 3, Charlie recorded his past on how people would ask him why he wanted to become smart. "I told them becaus all my life I wantid to be smart and not dumb ... I dont care if it herts[sic]" (Keyes 515). Being born with low intelligence made Charlie yearn to get smarter. However, because getting smarter
Have you ever read the book "Flowers for Algernon"? It is a great story, It's all about this man named Charlie. Charlie had a mental disability and was determined to become smart like his friends Frank Rylee, and Joe Carp. In the book, he did a surgery that he thought could help him become smarter and more self-aware. But I disagree with Charles actions on getting smarter.
Before the operation Charlie may not be very intelligent, but his is always happy with a smile on his face. Throughout the story, "Flowers for Algernon," it is easy to see how Charlie changes over time because it is evident in his progress reports. Early in the beginning of the story, he is not able to spell very well and he has trouble creatively. For example, when he is administered a Rorschach test, Charlie has a tough time understanding what the inkblots are supposed to mean. Although he is not as smart and doesn't have much creativity either, Charlie lives a happy day to day life and is better able to enjoy himself.
“It’s a good feelings to know things and be smart. I wish I Had it right now, if I had I would sit down and read all the time. Anyways I bet i'm the first dumb person in the world who ever found out something important for science”. The operation was for Charlie to become smart permanently. It didn’t work so I agree of the operation being bad.