Character Analysis Of Charlie Gordon In Daniel Keyes Flowers For Algernon

“Approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have an intellectual disability.” (Intellectual Disability, paragraph 10). In the story “Flowers for Algernon” written by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon is a 37 year old man who suffers from a disability. Charlie is very eager to learn many things, but his disability prohibits him. His brain does not allow him to learn as well as someone else, but Charlie gets a once in a lifetime opportunity. When he had an operation to increase human intelligence in his brain, he accepts. He became very intelligent and smart. Suddenly Charlie started to lose his knowledge, all so rapidly. Charlie should not have gotten the operation, because it affects his life negatively.

For instance, Charlie suffered through the terrible pain and anger of losing all his knowledge and intelligence. In the story, Charlie says “Dr. Strauss comes around almost everyday, but I told him I wouldn’t see or speak to anybody. He feels guilty. They all do. But I don’t blame anyone. I knew what might happen. But how it hurts” (535). This proves that even though Charlie does not blame

He did not want anyone to feel sorry for him. In the story, Charlie says “Thats why Im going away from New York for good. I dont want to do nothing like that agen. I dont want Miss Kinnian to feel sorry for me” (538). This explains that Charlie is leaving, because he does not want people to feel the guilt of his operation not succeeding. “Evry body feels sorry at the factery and I dont want that eather, so Im going where nobody knows that Charlie Gordon was once a genius and now he cant even reed a book or rite good” (Keyes 538). In other words, Charlie wants to start fresh and become someone different. Charlie does not want people to feel the burden from the effects of his operation. Going away to New York is one way Charlie can deal with all the different emotions he is