Mental Disabilities In Daniel Keyes 'Flowers For Algernon'

Have you ever wondered what it would be like making yourself smarter and/or increase your ability to learn? In the story “Flowers for Algernon”, a 37 year old man named Charlie Gordon wasn’t the smartest person in the world but, he was able to function and maintain a job. Charlie had an I.Q. of 68 before being approached by Dr.Nemur and Dr.Strauss. They wanted him undergo a surgery that would triple his I.Q. Charlie had the surgery and became, at one point, the smartest man in the world with an I.Q. approaching 210. After this he began to lose the intelligence, knowledge, and emotions he just recently gained. This begs the question, should Charlie have had the surgery. Charlie, in most minds, was right for having the surgery, it not only gave him genius level intelligence, but allowed him to make great leaps in science and technology.

An experience that changes Charlie is when Charlie’s father dies. This experience changes him when he says, “When the undertakers came to wheel my father’s lifeless body out to the hearse, it was as if they took my childhood with them. Like other boys, I still wore ‘Knickerbockers’ in the schoolyard. I played ‘queenies’ and marbles too. But once the lessons were over, I returned home and stepped into the long pants of adulthood. I tell you I got so confused sometimes I didn’t know who it was I was supposed to be.” (p.28) Charlie needed to become an adult because his father passed away was a big inspiration for him and no one in his family can take that responsibility but he doesn’t know if he is still a child or an adult.

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.

As Collinsdictionary.com defines, mental disability is a general handicap, resulting directly or indirectly from injury to the brain or from abnormal neurological development. Charlie was a mentally disabled adult who faced many challenges throughout his life, which impacted him in spelling, grammar, memory, ability to make friends, and much more. In Daniel Keyes’s science fiction short story, “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie Gordon should not have had the operations to increase his IQ. After getting the surgery, many positive aspects of his life disappeared, and shortly after, caused his life to take a turn down the wrong road. Charlie before he had the surgery was much better than his life afterwards.

Charlie Gordon was better off after the surgery more then before. He was better off because Charlie got to learn harder words and his vocabulary developed. He learned how to read at a faster pace then before, he learned who his true friends were and got some lost memories back. 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.

Entering a rocket, risking life, exhilarating adventures waiting. Travelling to the moon, to the endless possibilities in outer space, just like what 37 year old Charlie Gordon feels in the science fiction short story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. He has a surgery, risking his life. There are highs and lows waiting for him the minute the surgery is complete. The operation is meant to increase his intelligence and with intelligence he can touch the sky. With education, there are endless possibilities. In the story, Charlie does not know how to read, write, or spell. After his surgery, he meets

Ethics are referred to as the right and wrong things a human being does. They include what society thinks is good and bad. Secondly, ethics are referred to as the study and production of a person's ethical quality. Charlie Gordon did not have the pleasure to be treated with dignified ethics. Charlie was a man young aged at thirty-seven with an IQ score of sixty-eight. All he wanted was to be intelligent. Charlie finally got this opportunity when two doctors decided he was a perfect candidate for a surgery that would greatly improve his intelligence. However, Charlie Gordon's doctors did not act ethically when they performed the surgery

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. To be ethic is to know, and use your virtues.

Imagine that you had an IQ of 68. Life would be really hard, people would make fun of you or pity you. 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. I think that Charlie should have the surgery because of these 3 reasons, he is super smart, he realizes a lot more things in life , and that he can power through depression.

The novel Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes effectively explores the complex human experiences of disability and the impact that it has on individuals and society through its three major themes; Self-realisation , Alienation and loneliness and treatment of the mentally disabled by society. Through these themes this response will highlight the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities and the people in their lives.

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. However, after the surgery, Charlie finds intelligence was a nice treat but was far from an importance in life and only took him away from what truly mattered. One could believe Charlie was wrong to undergo the surgery because of the side effects that came with the surgery such as physical and emotional instability, and amnesia, the depresion it came with, and how he lost all of his friends and loved ones with his extreme intelligence.

What is coming to age? What exactly is coming to age and is Perks Of Being A Wallflower there a certain time and moment in someone’s life to grow up? In the book , Catch in The Rye by J.D Salinger , Holden a teenage boy goes through tough experiences that breaks him down mentally, psychically and emotionally. Throughout the book he shows resistance of coming to age /maturing. However, does show maturity in certain situations, but because of his resistance of maturing he falls back down into a hard state. In the book,by Stephen Chbosky, a socially awkward young teen that enters high school. He’s writing letter to an unknown friend, telling the readers about his experiences, while explaining his experiences. Changes can be seen in Charlie’s

Stephens Chbosky’s the perks of being a wallflower is by far one of the most touching and diverse books ever published. Set in the 90s, a decade remembered by many nostalgically, it focuses on the high school life of a number of teenagers. It discusses themes such as drugs, alcohol

“Being happy doesn't mean everythings perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”In the book Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes a 37 year old man named Charlie Gordon has a mental disability. He works at a bread factory and still has to go to school for extra help because he just can’t flip the switch. Too doctors try a surgery on Charlie to hopefully make him a genius. It works, for a little bit, but after he becomes “dumber” than before. He ends up breaking hearts, losing friends and his job. Charlie Gordon should not have got the procedure.

Psychology has been used for a long time to understand human behaviour. Basically, this is how human beings react to various stimuli. The reaction can originate from a past experience, for instance, death, sickness, and so forth. In the book The Perk of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (2012), Charlie can be seen to be faced by psychological problems. Charlie is the major character in the novel. Charlie is a lone ranger. The only friendship bond he creates is with a fictitious friend. The identity of the friend is anonymous throughout the novel. Charlie is suffering from emotional damage which we later come to learn was caused by sexual abuse.