Do you know anyone who has an IQ of 68. In “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon has an IQ of 68. He was given the option to have an operation to make him smart and he took it thinking that his life would be better but it made his life unsatisfactory. I believe that Charlie should never have had the operation. Here’s why. My first reason why is because Charlie had lost all of his friend after the operation. The guys from work he thought was his friends didn’t like him anymore, “They’ve driven me out of the factory. Now I’m more alone than ever before… ”(Keyes, 72) He had pushed Dr. Strauss away when he had come to check on him, “Dr. Strauss came to see me again. I wouldn’t open the door and I told him to go away.”(Keyes,
Charlie Gordon is a none smart, caring person, living in New York. He has a desirer to be smart and fit in with the world around him. He is 37 years old, with an IQ of 68. Two doctors get him though a surgery to make him smart. They acted un-ethically toward Charlie while going though this preacher.
Charlie was glad in the end that he got to see a whole different view of life. In the end, it also shows that he would like to do it again if he could. One reason why Charlie was better off is after the surgery he is more satisfied in life then before. Charlie was proud that he got a second chance to become smart and wanted Miss. Kinnian to know that he was in the end.
His intelligence came with a price that made him rethink his entire situation. Charlie was happier with an IQ of 68 because he was oblivious to what was going on around him, people would treat him differently after the surgery, and he struggled with his identity. Charlie was happier when he was oblivious to what was going on around him. Being oblivious and ignorant is not a good thing, but in Charlie's case, not knowing
The surgery worked at first, but then he gradually lost his newfound intelligence. Even Though he ended up where he began, his life was very different. Although Charlie had a nice life before the surgery, it allowed him to realize that some parts of his life were different than he thought they were and because of this he was better off after the surgery. Throughout the story Charlie begins to realize that some of his best friends actually are just making fun of him because of his low intelligence.
Charlie should not have had the surgery. In the story “Flowers for Algernon” Daniel Keyes portrayed hope of a mentally impaired man, Charlie Gordon,the operation failed with devastating consequences. After the surgery, the social conflicts involved in Charlie's life became more aware to him. To fix people with mental challenges, like Charlie, he was made into a human experiment. Finally, when Charlie was a genius, he understood the failure of the surgery.
For that reason, Charlie was determined to commence with the operation and willing to overlook what risks he was aware of and unable to examine those he was unaware of. The doctors exploited Charlie’s loneliness and desperation and made him feel like being chosen was an honor, whereas they were conscious of the dire consequences. They performed the same surgery that doomed countless mice on Charlie with complete disregard for his life, as if he were just another mouse. The doctors’ pretense was to cure man kind of lower-level brain function in people like Charlie. However, the doctors’ true motive was to gain prestige in the field of psychology, so they recklessly sacrificed Charlie for their goals.
All Charlie wanted was to be smart, he had an IQ of 68. Charlie Gordon's doctors didn’t act ethically. Charlie Gordon's doctors did not act ethically because they didn’t tell Charlie any side effects of the surgery, Charlie ended up learning a major side effect of the surgery which he found out was death, he only found out because a Algernon who also was test died from the surgery. The doctors hadn't even been thought the Algernon's test before they started on Charlie they weren't thinking about Charlie because they were thinking about themselves. The doctors only cared about how much fame they would get from this experiment.
Charlie was a likable person before the operation, all the doctors came to wish him luck: "lots of people who gave me tests came to bring me candy and wish me luck"(314). This shows Charlie was loved and liked by many people in his life before the operation. After the operation, he was not that liked by the doctors who were angry at his unwillingness and for missing two weeks of journal entry's, "Dr.Strauss is very angry at me for not having written any progress reports in two weeks"(329). He also started to lose respect of the doctors after learning they only knew two languages:"I realized Dr.Nemur is not all genius. . . . Dr.Strauss on the other hand might be called a genius, although I feel that his area of knowledge are to limited"(330-1).
But you have a chance to have a surgery that would triple your IQ. But there would be a risk that you could die. Would you do it? Flowers for Algernon is a story about a guy named Charlie Gordon, who has an iq of 68 he also had the chance to have his IQ tripled. He had a choice either becomes smart or stay the way he is.
His I.Q. during childhood and in the beginning of the novel is slightly less than 70. Charlie does wind up being chosen for the experiment and he receives brain surgery. The surgery is a success and Charlie’s intelligence quickly soars. He is happy for a while being able to learn many new things and have mature, adult conversations with others. However, this quickly takes a turn for the worse when his I.Q. surpasses everyone he can have a relationship with, which makes his life more boring and sad: “I am just as far away from Alice with an I.Q. of 185 as I was when I had an I.Q. of 70” (126).
It makes the job kind of lonely." (pg. 232, C2, paragraph 4&5). Although before the operation people laugh at Charlie, but in his eyes they're being friendly. While after the operation people tend to avoid contact with him. Earlier in the story, Daniel Keyes foreshadowed Charlie after the operation using the book "Robinson Crusoe".
Was Charlie Better Off Before or After the Surgery? In “Flowers for Algernon,” Daniel Keyes wrote that Charlie Gordon has an IQ of 68, and is in Mrs. Kinnian’s night class for slow adults. Charlie may be dumb, but he was so happy before the surgery and he had a job and “friends.” The reason that Charlie Gordon was better off before the surgery is because he had the motivation to become smart, and after the surgery he becomes depressed and realizes that the world plus the people in it are cruel.
Anton Tompert Mrs. Veitch 3rd Period 2.15.18 Balance of Awareness Would it be worse to have an IQ of 204 or 68? Would it be worse to know everything but not be able to talk with anyone without frustration or know nothing but not be able to talk of anything more complex than third grade level? In the short science fiction story, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon with an IQ of 68 and has a difficult time learning anything as simple as reading or writing is given the option to triple his intelligence with a suspicious surgery. Charlie, ignorant of the suspicion or risk that comes with this surgery is desperate to become intelligent as it is his only wish and nothing is more important to him. His teacher, Miss Kinnian recommend him for the surgery out of anyone in the class due to his egre and positive outlook on intelligence.
Before Charlies operation he was not able to express his feelings accurately, but Charlies temporary intelligence
He also became bitter which made him all alone without friends or family at the end of the story. The surgery was a disturbing encounter physical and intellectually and just caused Charlie to feel isolated. If the knowledge was permanent the surgery could have