Flowers for Algernon
Audrey Wooledge
Summary
Charlie Gordon is a 32 year old man who suffers from a mental disability. He has struggled with this his entire life and has been offered to be the first human to have an operation to make him more intelligent. Charlie decides to take the opportunity so he can fit in better. As he slowly becomes smarter, he makes some friends but loses more. When he becomes smarter that his professors and doctors, they get worried that it won't last and that he will go back to his original intelligence.
Character Analysis
Charlie has always been eager to learn, even when he was mentally ill. Before the operation Charlie was just a friendly person who didn't care or worry about much. Then after the operation he begins to remember his rough childhood. He also doesn't trust people as much as he used to. At a certain point he becomes very overwhelmed and depressed.
Conflict and Resolution
The conflict at the beginning of the book is man vs. self because Charlie wants to be smart and really tries, but he just can't due to his mental disability. The conflict is also man vs. society because, even though he doesn't realize it, people make fun of him. This problem gets solved, but new problems rise. Soon people don't like him because he's too smart and arrogant. He also becomes depressed and even has suicidal thoughts. Near the end he slowly regresses back to his original intelligence and returns to his happy, and simple life.
Textual Evidence
This quote really stands out to me because it shows how Charlie honestly feels and how life changing the operation was to him.
Book Review
I rated this book 4 out 5 because it was interesting and made me want to keep reading. I took one star off because I thought it was a little weird. Overall the book was good and I would recommend it.
Movie Trailer
Citations
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Link 1
- Website Title: NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Article Title: Mental Health Conditions
- Date Accessed: May 08, 2016
Link 2
- Website Title: Mental Health America
- Article Title: Finding Help
- Date Accessed: May 08, 2016
Trailer
- Website Title: YouTube
- Article Title: Flowers For Algernon Trailer 2013
- Publisher: YouTube
- Electronically Published: May 15, 2013
- Date Accessed: May 08, 2016
- Author: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUIDv8Xm