If you were given the chance to get surgery to triple your I.Q would you? Well a man named Charlie Gordon took that chance in the science fiction book “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. Charlie Gordon wanted to be smart like everyone else he only had an I.Q of 68 but all that was about to change. So when he got the chance to triple his own I.Q he took it. Charlie Gordon made a great choice taking the surgery for A.I (Artificial Intelligence) he had rapid progression, had more feelings and his I.Q tripled. Charlie Gordon was getting smarter day by day he was having rapid progression. His friends, teacher and doctor all saw that he was getting smarter day by day. An example of this is “No Charlie Dr. Nemur wants them just as they are. That 's why he let you keep them after they were photostated to see your own progress you 're coming along fast charlie” ( Keyes 230). This …show more content…
Another reason why Charlie made a good choice taking the A.I sugery was that he discovered more new feelings. He was going to take out his old night school teacher Miss Kinnian out for dinner. At first Charlie thought his teacher was old and he didn 't really care about her. For instance “Now every time I see her she grows more younger and more lovely” (Keyes 233). That shows the he his having new feelings and new emotions and now he thinks of his teacher a completely different way then he did when he didn 't have the A.I surgery. I think it is good to have feeling and not just be boring all the time. This shows he had new feelings and emotions. Charlie 's I.Q went from 68 to over 200 which most people 's I.Q are not that high. So Charlie was super smart like crazy smart. The doctors told him he had to stop using big words that they could understand him but before that charlie didn 't even know what I.Q was. Here 's an example “So I still don 't know what I.Q is except that mine is going to be over 200 soon” (Keyes 231). But know charlie is way smarter than the doctors. Now Charlie has an
From his normal life and he didn’t understand everything to knowing more sophisticated language then before, learned how to read faster, found out that there were people that liked him a lot and he got to live several days being almost 4 times as intelligent as he was before. “If you ever reed this Miss Kinnian dont be sorry for me im glad I got a second chanse to be smart becaus I lerned a lot of things that I never even new were in this world and im grateful that I saw it all for a littel bit.” Charlie remembers the beginning when Miss. Kinnian says that he always has a second chance if he doesn’t want to be tested on. which is why he most likely said yes to be tested
Although he was motivated before, now that he knew what it was like to be smart he wanted to try even harder to have that feeling again. Although he doesn’t remember much of what happened at that time, he has reminders like certain books. This is evident when Charlie says, “ I lerned a lot of things that I never even new were in this world and I am grateful that I saw it all for a littel bit … I remember a little bit how nice I had a feeling with the blue book” (Keyes 215). This shows how even though he lost it all he still wants to try again. This shows how he still has hope left in him and if anything that hope has grown.
At the beginning of this novel, this man, whose name is Charlie, undergoes a medical experiment to increase his IQ. Throughout the following chapters, this experiment appears to work as Charlie develops stronger social and intellectual skills. Charlie states that he still struggles with connecting with others. However, Charlie makes a discovery towards the end of the book that his intelligence is beginning to degrade. Hurt by this knowledge, he says his farewells to his friends and family and regresses to his previous
Charlie Gordon is a simple minded 32 year old. The first piece of evidence showed that he has a basic mindset and would stick to what he was told by his mother, even in situations when the advice isn’t applicable. Additionally, the fact that he did not understand simple instructions reveal that Charlie is not that clever. On page 9, it is confirmed that Charlie is mentally retarded as he has an IQ of 68. However, he is still hard working and wished to get the surgery done so he could become smarter.
Like everybody around here’s been saying, Charlie, it’s not right.” Charlie’s response to that was, “But how can you say that, Fanny? What’s wrong with a man becoming intelligent and wanting to acquire knowledge and understanding of the world around him?”Charlie was disappointed in Fanny when she said that it wasn’t very possible for Charlie to become smart that quickly. This is another very important event that happens in this story because Charlie tries to change himself to fit in and then realizes that’s not what matters. What matters is that he’s happy and it doesn’t matter what other people
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.
Flowers for Charlie “Those who use others are stupid but those who are used are even more stupid” (Internet). Charlie Gordon, the main character in Daniel Keyes’ book, Flowers for Algernon, ended up being in worse condition after undergoing a surgical procedure that was supposed to heighten his intelligence. Furthermore, the scientists unfortunately did not use ethics or take enough care in treating Charlie causing his now worse condition to be their own fault. Their greed led them to abuse and take advantage of Charlie, a very gullible and persuadable because of his low intelligence, and their mistakes led Charlie to his death, the ultimate sacrifice.
His findings also make him feel happy which is great to come from a discovery which he made after the surgery. In Charlie’s last progress report when he is saying personal goodbyes to everyone who helped him on the journey to becoming smart, he mentions, “Evry body feels sorry... I dont want that... Im going someplace where nobody knows that Charlie Gordon was once a genus and now he cant even reed a book or rite good [sic],” (Keyes 27). Charlie is moving out of New York because he does not want people to feel sorry for him anymore.
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).
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.
“I was shocked to learn that the only ancient languages he could read were Latin, Greek and Hebrew.” ( Keyes pg. 236)He gets on the doctor's nerves when he thinks he is smarter then the doctors. The Dr.’s get affected, when charlie is really smart and kinda being obnoxious. ”Go
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
There is an important theme in the story Flowers for Algernon By Daniel Keyes. It is a fiction novel about a thirty year old man who has been battling to overcome an intellectual deficit all of his life and has an opportunity to become more intelligent than he ever had imagined through an experimental operation. He takes the opportunity and in a few weeks he becomes a genius for a short time before his itelligence receded as fast as it increased. The author includes many important themes throughout the passage. Daniel Keyes develops the theme that intelligence doesn’t affect who you truly are through Charlie’s experiences both before and after the operation.
But, the effects soon start to reverse. “Artificially increased intelligence deteriorates as a rate of time exactly proportional to the quantity of increase,” (p.240) This quote shows that increasing the intelligence artificially will cause it to go back down at the same rate it was increased. The action of tripling Charlie’s I.Q. causes the reaction of him losing that