Analysis Of Daniel Keyes's Poem ' Flowers For Algernon '

Originally published in 1959 as a science fiction short story for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, the novel Flowers for Algernon by an American writer Daniel Keyes is more relevant today than at that time. With more than five million copies in print, this book with its great depth of meaning is still considered to be the most acclaimed author‘s work.

Birkerts provides three effects that will occur as a result of moving away from the printed word to the electronic media. The first effect is the language erosion. He explains the reader that transition from books will lead to the “complexity and distinctiveness of verbal and written communication, which are deeply bound to transaction of print literacy, will gradually be replaced by a more telegraphic sort of plainspeak” (9). In the future our language will start to become more simple and dumb. Whereas, by reading books and printed materials people are able to dig more depth and understand and imagine the contents. But, soon this will start to disappear as people will no longer be able to understand the complex language of the literature and intelligence level of people will start to decrease. The second effect of electronic media is the flattening of historical perspectives. This means that due to the electronic media the history will start to recede because the “printed page itself is a link” and when this link is broken the past will gradually diminish (10). Birkerts explains the audience that the past is best represented in the books and libraries. Therefore, moving away from the printed word means moving away from the past and its history. The last effect is the waning of the private self. Birkerts worries that in the future people will forget how to live because of the electronic

Character development is the core for Daniel Keyes endeavor to convey themes to his audience by developing the character of Charlie Gordon. One way to develop his character is through relationships with other characters, which is critical in conveying the themes in the book. Another way through which Keyes develops Charlie Gordon’s character for his audience is through letting in the audience on the thoughts of the character in the book so they get on a ride with his emotion, conflict, and dilemmas. Flowers for Algernon illustrates how cruel the society treats the mentally disabled with the use of literary elements. Daniel Keyes conveys the message that the grass is not always greener on the other side through character development.

Despite the differences we may perceive between two situations, often there is a common factor that link them together, both in life and works of fiction. These connections are evident between Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon, and Penny Marshall’s Awakenings. Flowers for Algernon is a novel, and Awakenings is a film. Flowers for Algernon follows a fictitious scientific concept, whereas Awakenings includes plausible scenarios based on real events. Yet, though both works have their differences, they are connected by the evident similarities in theme and the messages and meaning they intend to convey to their audiences.

Whenever a scene of a movie approaches where a debacle unravels or innocent lives are jeopardized, audiences grip their chairs in anticipation for help to come or for a hero to spring into action and save lives. Similarly, in many circumstances, no matter how dire an event might seem, there is always a beacon of hope amongst doleful situations. From every ending comes a new beginning. The poem, “November Cotton Flower”, written by Jean Toomer, describes (the conditions when slaves were under the Harlem Renaissance) the conditions in which slaves were under during the Harlem Renaissance where there seems to be no prospect for a brighter future for the slaves in the society. Throughout the poem, Toomer develops his theme of hope and desire for a brighter future by exhausting literary devices such as metaphors, structure, and imagery.

Carr said “What if I do all my readings on the web not so much because the way I read has changed. i.e. I’m just seeking convenience, but because the way I THINK has changed?” (Carr, pg 7). Since the internet has come into play people have stooped reading books because is easier to just google what they are wanting to know. The internet can change the way someone can process the information on a screen than in a book and how much is actually being consumed by the person. Not only is it changing the way we understand but every technology is an expression of the human will. This allows us to reshape nature to better serve our needs and desires. The internet has the greatest power over how and what we think

Plato, one of the most well-known philosophers in the ancient Greece, wrote an ultimate allegory known as “The Allegory of the Cave”. It is about a man coming out of a cave after being chained as a prisoner for his entire life and what he goes through upon reaching surface. The ideas presented in “The Allegory of the Cave” are very similar to the ideas presented in Daniel Keyes’s novel, Flowers for Algernon. He used an excerpt from the metaphor to start his novel. In Keyes’s novel, a 32 year old intellectually delayed man name Charlie Gordon undergoes an operation that makes him a genius. Charlie learns many life lessons such as a person’s right to live and the development of social skills. The three main time periods Charlie experiences throughout the novel: before intelligence, during intelligence, and after intelligence connects to Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”

Many people may argue that technology has helped us become more efficient in today’s society. Technological advances such as the internet and Google has also opened up many new opportunities for people. However, with such advances some may argue that we begin to lose some of our cognitive thinking ability. In an essay, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, he argues his thesis that people will lose concentration and cognitive thinking as a result to reading online. Carr begins by explaining how the many innovations of today’s technologies has changed the way one thinks. Carr continues by saying that the internet is affecting peoples concentration, however they use it for its convenience; to quickly scan an article and avoid “the traditional way of reading.” Carr then explains how Maryanne Wolf believes that the new style of reading has altered our ability to interpret and make deep mental connections. Carr shows support of how Frederick Nietzsche enhanced his style of writing beginning with a type writer in 1882. Carr then explains how neuroscience professor James Olds, discovered that nerve cells break apart and form new connections to form new habits. As explained by Danielle Bell and Lewis Mumford, Carr says intellectual technologies such as the mechanical clock, has divided action and thought; helping create the scientific method in a series of steps. Carr then explains how Alan Turning discovered that computers could be used as information processing device;

Daniel Keyes, Author of Flowers for Algernon used a modern tragic hero to raise contemporary issues and ethical concerns about how we view intelligence, value it and treat others who do not have it. Keyes, in his Autobiography Algernon, Charlie and I, emphasised that the idea for his short story came to him years before writing it; he wished to increase the intelligence of many of the intellectually challenged adults surrounding him so that they could live better lives. The amalgamation of his personal experiences with intelligence, his background education in Psychology and cultural contexts led to the creation of Charlie Gordon, the first person narrator and protagonist of the novel, a character that defies the traditional Greek definition

The human mind is one of the most extensive networks known to mankind and can be easily influenced through the use of written texts. Texts often feature themes and issues about the world around us, helping open our eyes to issues that could affect us, as a society. In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, both main characters; Charlie Gordon and Jacob Portman were perceived by society as outsiders. They didn’t fit within the norms of what society views as normal, and as such became outcasts, due to the differences that each of the characters had, which separated them

In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon endures a few emotional obstacles because of his intellectual improvement. In this essay there will be argued that intelligence is not compatible alongside emotional maturity. This statement will be proven by referring to Charlie’s relationships, his desire to create a life he wants and also his happiness and fulfilment. Charlie struggles to keep his emotions under control, even when his intelligence starts to show progress.

Flowers for Algernon is a touching novel written by Daniel Keyes and was published in April of 1959. Since then it has gotten loads of critical acclaim and has sold countless amounts of copies. This incredible novel is a story about a Thirty Two year old man named Charlie Gordon, who is mentally handicapped. Throughout the course of the novel Charlie is given a second chance at life, a chance to be smart. After a successful test on mice, Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur are looking for a human volunteer to test their artificial intelligence procedure on.

Charlie has an IQ of 69. He, unlike many other mentally disabled, is motivated, and wants to learn. That is why Charlie is chosen to take part in an experiment to increase his intelligence. However, it is only temporary. There are two works that follow Charlie’s story, the movie, Charly, and the book, “Flowers for Algernon.” In these two, many of the specific aspects differ in frightfully unnecessary ways. Despite the clear fact that many of the details of the two piece differ, the essential themes of the works are highly analogous.

Flowers for Algernon Intelligent maturity and emotional maturity is not always compatible; I will discuss this statement in the view of the character of Charlie Gordon in the book Flowers for Algernon. Emotional maturity and intelligence are two terms that are often used which can cause confusion between the two. A person can have a high emotional intelligence and also at the same time not as mature because maturity is the suitable application of their emotional intelligence. It is said that to develop intelligence maturity is the first step and the development of emotional maturity is the second step. It is also said that you cannot have emotionally maturity without the first step of developing emotional intelligence.

In Daniel Keyes’ compelling novel, Flowers for Algernon, the main character undergoes both important emotional and physical changes. The book has an interesting twist, as it is described in the characters “progress reports”. This book has a science fiction undertone, and takes place in exciting New York City. As the novel begins, the main character, Charlie Jordan is thirty-two years old, but cannot remember anything from his childhood.