Persuasive Essay: Flowers For Algernon

Have you ever wanted to have an IQ of 200+ and be considered a genius. That’s exactly what Charlie Gordon got but it didn’t last as long as he wanted it to. Charlie was selected to be the only human to undergo this experiment. First it took a while for his intelligence to start to increase and Charlie thought it wasn’t working. Then Charlie saw a huge difference in his spelling. Charlie’s IQ sat at 300+ plus for a couple of months and then he realized that Algernon, the mouse, was starting to be vicious and biting people. That was the first clue that the surgery may not last forever. Charlie had some very difficult times because of the surgery and because of that I think he should have never have gotten it.

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

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.

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.

Charlie still should have gone through with the experiment. Charlie was never very intelligent. He was determined to be as smart as he could get no matter the struggle. As well as wanting to be intelligent, he learned that people are mean and not everyone is your friend. Learning about how people were really were treating him, hurt Charlie’s feelings. Nonetheless, Charlie would have never been the same if he never knew what the real world was like. He would have never done what he had a dream about accomplishing.

If you had a chance to have a surgery that will make you smart for a few months would you take it? In the story “Flower for algernon” Charlie Gordon is a 37 year old man and he has a 68 I.Q. Charlie is selected to have a surgery that will triple his I.Q. Charlie’s life was better before the artificial intelligence surgery. After the surgery Charlie lost his job, became paranoid and lost his friend Algernon.

The surgery was worth the experience because it helped him contribute to the world of science. He contributed by desperately wanting to be in the experiment and wanting to make discoveries, “I hope they use me. Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart.” (Keyes190). He was the first human to really want to contribute to this experiment. Just by getting the surgery he helped science. Without Charlie they couldn’t have gotten the results and shown

Before the operation, Charlie Gordon, from Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, is happy. He may have a simple, pitiful existence, but he thinks his friends like him, and enjoys being with them and Miss Kinnian at the Learning Center for Slow Adults. However, Charlie wants to be smart, the one dark cloud in his sunny sky of life. Because of this, Charlie volunteers for an operation to triple his IQ of 68. With a high IQ comes awareness of the world around him, so Charlie suddenly becomes conscious of his previously pitiful existence which leads to a slew of feelings such as embarrassment, shame, and superiority. Charlie thinks that becoming smart will make him happy and well-liked, but the operation works the opposite effect. Charlie starts to look down on everyone, and cannot socialize with others because of his IQ. As a result, Charlie becomes almost depressed. His depression deepens when Charlie discovers that his intelligence will not be permanent. Soon, Charlie regresses to his former childlike mentality. Although at the end of the novel, Charlie does not find himself any worse off after the operation, the few months he spent smarter are not terribly enjoyable for him, and his changing mentality negatively impacts those he is close to, namely Miss Kinnian. Because the effects are not permanent, Charlie would be far better off without the operation.

After the operation, in only a couple of months, Charlie starts showing signs of new intelligence. His grammar, improved, and he is able to reflect on what his does in the past something he wasn’t able to do before. He had finally gotten something use had always desired. Then, everything and everyone turned on him. In “PROGRESS REPORT 12” April 30th (pg. 60) Charlie writes: “now, they hate me for my knowledge and understanding. What in the name of god do they want of me? They’ve driven me out of the factory. Now I more alone than ever before…” Charlie got what he always wanted, and now he lost everything he had. It was a sacrifice it sounded like he didn’t want to make. I can tell just be the tone of his writing. This shows that we should embrace everything that we have. Charlie didn’t embrace everything, although he appreciated most of the thing he never became happy not being able to just enjoy life as it is.

This quote informs us that Charlie has found consequences in his intelligence by surgical means. He has lost all of his innocence, and has lost all of his happiness. Before the operation, his ignorance made him not worry about the world and he was blissfully

Charlie Gordon, experienced an improvement after the surgery. In the beginning, Charlie carried a sense of emptiness, and wanted to expand his growth of knowledge. Luckily, Gordon was favored by a teacher named Miss Kinnian who vouched for Gordon to do the surgery. Through vigorous testing, Charlie was finally able to go through with the experimental surgery. After the surgery, Charlie experienced a great awakening towards his life. Gordon was finally able to see through the eyes like others around him. All things considered, Gordon relished in the moment of being intelligent, though he didn’t realize that it wasn’t going to last.

Have you ever heard of a surgery first done on a human going well? Well, Charlie experienced the outcomes of a surgery, supposedly to increase human intelligence. Charlie was going to be brilliant but there was going to be a dreadful outcome.

Although he had to go out of his way for independence and freedom in a world he greatly wanted to be a part of, Charlie was a happy and motivated man who always put forth as much effort as he could! Gordon always wanted to fit in with his friends and coworkers. The surgery didn’t do him any good. After the operation, he lost

But unfortunately, it didn’t work immediately. He was angry and lost all his hope (PR1 and PR8). This shows how different he acted between the time frame. In the beginning, he had an open mind, whereas, in the end, he was negative and frustrated. To add on, in the start of the story, Charlie loved his teacher, Miss Kinnian.

Three easy steps to succeed at everything you do: acknowledge your mistakes, work hard, and take a surgical procedure to possibly raise your I.Q at the cost of your life. But at least that’s how one can get to the top in a matter of months. Interested? In Flowers of Algernon, the author, Daniel Keyes, explores the topic of artificially increasing your intelligence. The protagonist, Charlie, lives a somewhat peaceful life. With his low IQ, he has been trying his whole life to be just as smart as the people around him. Consequently, he is offered an opportunity: to get an operation to become smarter. He takes it willingly, but he does not take into account all the side effects, such as suddenly losing his human relations, and the brain deterioration