Summary/Response

Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a touching novel about a thirty-two year old, mentally retarded man named Charlie Gordon.Charlie Gordon works at Donner’s Bakery in New York City as a janitor and delivery boy.On his days off he attends Beekman College Center for Retarded Adults.Even with the challenges Charlie has to face, he always pushes himself trying to learn as much as he can.His teacher, Alice Kinnian, recommends Charlie to a team of scientists who are looking for someone willing to allow them to perform an experimental surgery to boost intelligence.The two head scientists of this experiment, Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur, ask Charlie to keep a journal of his progress reports.The novel Flowers for Algernon is all of Charlie’s progress reports written in first person.

Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur start out by performing a number of tests on Charlie, including a maze-solving competition with a mouse named Algernon, who has already undergone the experimental surgery. After Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur have finished enough testing Charlie undergoes the operation.There are no immediate results after the surgery and Charlie becomes very disappointed. “When I waked up this morning rite away I thot I was gone to be smart but I’m not” (20).However, Charlie’s intelligence level begins to gradually increase.With the more time that passes, Charlie becomes smarter and smarter until his intelligence level passes those of Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur.Having a new level of intelligence that he never dreamed of, Charlie begins studying Professor Nemur’s hypothesis.He ends up finding a flaw in the operation and realizes that this new level of intelligence will not last.

Charlie begins running tests on Algernon and sees that the mouse is beginning to lose his intelligence.As if the decreasing of intelligence wasn’t bad enough, Algernon soon dies.Charlie begins wondering if the same fate is in store for him.Sensing that he will become his old self again, Charlie breaks ties with everyone he knows.Having made his way back to retardation, Charlie checks himself into a home for disabled adults.His last request is for everyone who reads his reports to put fresh flowers on Algernon’s grave (“Flowers…Overview”).

Flowers for Algernon is an inspirational story, and I would definitely recommend it as a must read.Daniel Keyes is a gifted writer.He shows how unaccepted retardation is in American Society.The mentally retarded have a tough enough life without being constantly put down by their peers.I think that this story is the perfect story to show how unfair people are to someone who is different.When Charlie was retarded everyone always taunted him. As soon as he became a genius everyone started respecting him and he was definitely accepted in society. Once the effects of the operation began wearing off, and Charlie was going back to his old self, he pulled away from everyone because of a fear of rejection.He knew that as soon as he was retarded again, people would not treat him the same anymore.Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes really opened my eyes and made me have a different outlook on life.I absolutely loved this story!

My favorite literary technique used in this novel is characterization.Daniel Keyes really made Charlie Gordon come alive in this story.He showed both sides of Charlie: the mentally retarded Charlie who struggled with everything, to the genius Charlie who figured out the flaw in the experiment performed on him, back to the mentally retarded Charlie who gave up on life.“Just leave me alone.I’m not myself. I’m falling apart, and I don’t want you here” (300).While reading this story, I felt like I really knew Charlie.His struggles became my struggles while his success became my success.When Charlie’s intelligence fades to where it first was, and he has to move into the Warren Home, my heart breaks for him.At least before the operation he didn’t truly know what he was missing, but now he knows what he could have been.Flowers for Algernon grabbed my attention on the first page and kept it until I turned the very last page.

Works Cited

Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. 1966. 1-311. Print.

"Flowers for Algernon Plot Overview."Sparknotes. 2009. Web. 17 Dec 2009. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/algernon/summary.html>.