Flowers for Algernon
Written by Daniel Keyes
Summary
Character Analysis
Conflict/Resolution
Charlie's conflict with himself is resolved through him reverting back to his old IQ. With Charlie being as smart as he started out as, he no longer has to be worried about flashbacks or having his intelligence progress reach higher than his emotional maturity. However, Charlie's conflict with society was never fully resolved. Even though he is able to become friends again with his old coworkers, people still make fun of him and tease him. During the last progress report, Charlie writes after a conversation with a coworker, "I felt bad because I could tell by the way he said it he was making fun of me,"(Keyes 307). No matter what, there will always be people that make fun of Charlie and that's something that may never be resolved. However, other conflicts are resolved during this book that conclude the story.
Theme
Textual Evidence
“I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.”
In my opinion, this quote is the most meaningful from Flowers for Algernon because it explains everything that Charlie has learned throughout the novel. It explains the theme and how Charlie realizes what he lost after he got the surgery. The quote gives insight to what it feels like to have conflict within yourself and not knowing how to fix it. This can be felt on a personal level for many readers, including me, and I think that's what makes it such a meaningful quote.
Book Review
Multi-media
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/jun/18/flowers-for-algernon-genius-daniel-keyes
Citation
Autism Action Partnership. "Bullying and Autism." Autism Action Partnership. Autism Action Partnership. n.d. Web. 10 May 2016.
Mical Raz. "Looking Back: Interpreting Lobotomy." The British Psychological Society. The British Psychological Society. n.d. Web. 10 May 2016.
Dr. Stewart Sykes. "Exceptionality." DocSykes. DocSykes. n.d. Web. 10 May 2016.
Jack Lewis. "Who are you, Charlie- A review of Flowers for Algernon." BrightonLeft. Brighton Left. 26 June 2014. Web. 10 May 2016.
Alison Flood. "Flowers for Algernon's sad, sweet genius." theguardian. Guardian News. 18 June 2014. Web. 10 May 2016.