Flowers for Algernon Summary Sample
Does the Novel Make a Definitive Statement About the Role of Intelligence in Human Life, or Does It Simply Explore this Idea being an Open Question?
Flowers for Algernon is just a romantic story about pure love and struggle. Crucial themes in Flowers for Algernon are the treatment of the mentally disabled, the impact on happiness of the conflict between intellect and emotion, and how events in the past can influence an individual later in life. The 1966 review by The brand new York Times states “The obvious part is the message: We must respect life, respect one another, be kind to those less fortunate than ourselves” (Fremont-Smith 25). A significant conflict of man and society appears in this book.
The theme of Flowers for Algernon is that humans do not understand that mentally handicapped people have feelings too. Daniel portrays this by putting the main hero – Charlie – in times where he'd be looked down upon. Then he puts Charlie capable where he's superior. Charlie eventually realizes how he's treated people and tries to correct himself, but that he starts his decline as an alternative.
Charlie is being considered for a surgical procedure that'll increase his intelligence. Documentation of these six days covers the screening process and focuses on Charlie’s abilities. He's given many tests, but his own motivation to “get smart” could be the primary reason that Charlie is selected as the first human candidate for this operation. Charlie meets Algernon with this selection process. Algernon is just a white mouse that has successfully undergone the surgery.
But what does it mean to be intelligent? The narrow definition “intelligence” could be the capacity to master, to understand, or even to deal with new or trying situations. The novel provides a theory: the more intelligent you become the more dilemmas you will obtain. As a result the intellectual growth is going to outstrip the emotional growth. The meaning of intelligence that is explained in the book is having certain attributes. The qualities are receiving honesty, ethics, morals and compassion (Flowers for Algernon, 2014).
“I’ve learned a great deal in the past month or two, ’ I said. ‘Not only about Charlie Gordon, but about life and people, and I’ve unearthed that nobody really cares about Charlie Gordon, whether he’s a moron or a genius. So what big difference does it make? ” (Progress Report 16, August 11). Intelligence is something magic that lives in life. We need to find answers to all the questions through the intelligence we have. Therefore it is an open-ended question because apparently there is no-one to really explore the true nature of intelligence in our life. The story Flowers for Algernon brought hope and perseverance to all or any the people. Folks are born the direction they are designed to be – we shouldn’t play God and change that (Nicholls, 1989). Charlie Gordon experienced in his life as a developmentally delayed man to become a super genius. That he came to many realizations concerning the experiment. That he realized that changing the IQ would change life and identity along with it. He also concluded that folks who are developmentally delayed are human and should be treated like humans. Also, this experiment showed him that it goes against God. Keyes allows the reader to grasp that if Charlie had to undergo this again he would choose not to. Upon reading this novel the reader develops a deeper understanding and empathy towards folks who are “different” in society’s eyes (Flowers for Algernon).
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, because of it is not exactly the same river and he is not similar man. ” It seems so obvious to be banal. Charlie gets the same human body from begin to finish, but is that he the same person from begin to finish? Are any of us exactly the same person in one day to another? In a global where feelings and emotions can be controlled or comprehended as the product of scientific mapping of the mind, can such concepts as the self and even the thought of a soul endure? The debate is really a maze. Even Algernon at his height could not solve it. But, like this book, the fun is in the journey (Intelligence and Happiness, 2002).
