Flowers for Algernon
Author: Daniel Keyes
Summary
Charlie Gordon is a 32 year old man, with the mind-set of a five year old boy. He wants nothing more than to be accepted. When called upon to undergo an experimental operation, that should raise his low IQ of 68, he does not hesitate to comply. The procedure has never been tried on a human before only on their test mouse, Algernon. Charlie is joyous as the operation takes effect. He begins to become more intelligent and can hold a conversation with people, but as time passes he is eventually smarter than anyone he knows. People begin to dislike him and he becomes obsessed with gaining knowledge his friend Alice tells him,"But these days I can't talk to you. All I do is listen and nod my head and pretend I understand all about cultural variants, and neo-Boulean mathematics, and post symbolic logic,"(Keyes 124). Will being smart be worth losing all his friends or will Charlie change his ways?
Character Analysis
Conflict/Resolution
Theme
Textual Evidence
Book Review
4/5 Stars
Daniel Keyes did an exceptional job at developing characters, Separating the book by progress reports helped the reader see how Charlie changed throughout the book and really understand how he thinks. Making his progress reports poorly written towards the beginning and then exponentially more complex after the operation showed how the operation affected Charlie. I did not like how the story seemed to abruptly end and how Charlie ended up lonely. I would reccomend this book to other because it is very emotional and powerul. You get attached to the characters and feel what they feel.Author Daniel Keyes to the right
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Citations
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. "Charly Movie Review & Film Summary (1968) | Roger Ebert." Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2016.
Goodreads. Daniel Keyes (Author of Flowers for Algernon). Digital image. Daniel Keyes. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2016.
Goodreads. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Digital image. Goodreads.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2016.
Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966. Print.
Kwan, Michelle. "Treatment of Mentally Retarded People in the 1920's and 1930's." Prezi. N.p., 11 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 May 2016.
Lizcoleee. "English Project: Mental Health Treatment 1930's." YouTube. YouTube, 13 May 2015. Web. 13 May 2016.
McMillen, Francis, and James Kane. Institutional Memory. Digital image. Institutional Memory The Records of St. Elizabeths Hospital at the National Archives. N.p., 2010. Web. 12 May 2016.