Charlie Gordon Dialectical Journal

Before the operation, Charlie Gordon, from Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, is happy. He may have a simple, pitiful existence, but he thinks his friends like him, and enjoys being with them and Miss Kinnian at the Learning Center for Slow Adults. However, Charlie wants to be smart, the one dark cloud in his sunny sky of life. Because of this, Charlie volunteers for an operation to triple his IQ of 68. With a high IQ comes awareness of the world around him, so Charlie suddenly becomes conscious of his previously pitiful existence which leads to a slew of feelings such as embarrassment, shame, and superiority. Charlie thinks that becoming smart will make him happy and well-liked, but the operation works the opposite effect. Charlie starts to look down on everyone, and cannot socialize with others because of his IQ. As a result, Charlie becomes almost depressed. His depression deepens when Charlie discovers that his intelligence will not be permanent. Soon, Charlie regresses to his former childlike mentality. Although at the end of the novel, Charlie does not find himself any worse off after the operation, the few months he spent smarter are not terribly enjoyable for him, and his changing mentality negatively impacts those he is close to, namely Miss Kinnian. Because the effects are not permanent, Charlie would be far better off without the operation.

Have you ever thought about being smart? Well, Charlie Gordon did. Charlie Gordon is a 37 year old male with an I.Q. that is not very high. In the Science FIction story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel keyes. Charlie Gordon wasn’t very smart, he has a low I.Q. of 68. Charlie wanted to be smart so he would be liked by people. Charlie had the opportunity to have the A.I. surgery to triple his I.Q. Charlie Gordon should have had the A.I. surgery.

Have you ever wanted to know several languages, be able to learn everything easily, or even have an IQ of at least 200? Charlie Gordon, in the story “Flowers for Algernon,” was a man who had an IQ of 68, but he went through a surgery that made him smarter than his own teacher at a school for the mentally challenged, and his own doctors. Charlie’s IQ was tripled after the surgery once he began to practice different languages as well as the English language. Charlie soon reverted to his former self at the end of the story, and this tripled intelligence that he possessed once before was soon back to the IQ of 68 Charlie had it easier in life after the surgery.

2) Charlie wants to participate in the experiment, because he wants to be smarter. He wants to understand the interesting conversations his friends have, and join in on them. He thinks that the operation will make him smart, which will help him make more friends. He wants to make others proud, like his parents, especially his mom who always wanted him to be normal like other kids. He thinks that his family will finally accept him.

After Charlie has surpassed his peers mentally, he fell into a deep depression where he wouldn't leave his home and wouldn't go to the lab where he was tested on before. One day Charlie saw a young boy being teased for his mental disability and he decided he wanted to help people who were disabled, just like how Charlie used to be. “This day was good for me. Seeing the past more clearly, I have decided to use my knowledge and skills to work in the field of increasing human intelligence levels. Who is better equipped for this work? Who else has lived in both worlds? These are my people. Let me use my gift to do something for them.” (Keyes 238) In the quote, it shows Charlie realizing his true potential and coming out of his depression and suing his abilities to help others. Later in the story Charlie gets his own lab to do research and does equations and experiments to further his contribution to helping others be able to get a successful life and

Once Charlie was at his full capacity of an IQ of 204, he decided not to let his intelligence go to waste. He chose to study in the field of artificial intelligence. In the text it says “Tomorrow, I will discuss with Dr. Strauss the manner in which I can work in this area. I may be able to help him work out the problems of widespread use of the technique used on me. I have good ideas of my own.” (Keyes 238). This quote goes to show that Charlie was going to and did contribute to the real world and science, by coming up with ideas and solving problems. This saved so many people from disappointment. Charlie really did help many people in science and the real

Charlie Gordon was born with an extremely low IQ and although he may not realize all that is going on around him, he does realize that he is not smart. More than anything he wants to learn to read and write and impress his family and co-workers. That opportunity comes along for Charlie and although he does not understand the consequences fully, he takes it. Charlie was not going to just go to school and learn to "be smart" because he did not have the capability, although he went to a class for retarded adults three times a week. Instead his teacher suggested he talk to Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur who were looking for a retarded adult to test a new operation on to enhance the IQ of not only retarded people, but later for people with average IQ levels and even geniuses, to further knowledge for the human race. Although the operation did work, it did not last and Charlie was left struggling to hold onto the knowledge he had acquired over the few months where his IQ had increased three fold, then dropped again. This experiment was dangerous and unethical. It affected Charlie

Have you ever read the book "Flowers for Algernon"? It is a great story, It's all about this man named Charlie. Charlie had a mental disability and was determined to become smart like his friends Frank Rylee, and Joe Carp. In the book, he did a surgery that he thought could help him become smarter and more self-aware. But I disagree with Charles actions on getting smarter.

He begins to realize that his “friends” have always picked on him. Charlie says, “It’s a funny thing that I never knew that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around all the time to make fun of me” (55). Before the experiment, Charlie thought that they were making jokes and he didn’t even realize that his “friends” were making rude jokes about him. He also begins to have feelings for someone, Miss Kinnian. Charlie says, “I don’t understand why I never noticed how beautiful Miss Kinnian really is”

His awareness of how things really are, causes others to draw away from Charlie and Charlie to draw away from others. Pre-surgery, Charlie links intelligence to a talking point, leading to more friends. His intelligence has the opposite effect that he imagines. He states at the beginning, “I hope I get smart soon because I want to lern everything there is in the werld like the collidge boys know…about art and politiks and god.” (p15) However when he’s at a high stage intelligence, he views these activities as ‘childish’, providing ‘no pleasure’ and ‘elementary’. As his intelligence increases, he falls out of touch with his few friends at the bakery. He feels that he causes them to ‘shrink and emphasize their inadequacies.’ (p.74) Charlie writes, ‘I have betrayed them and they hated me for that’. From his colleague’s viewpoint, Charlie’s spontaneous intelligence is something ‘forbidden’ and portrays them as ‘a bunch of dopes’. (p.75) His rapidly growing intelligence eventually surpasses that of professors, scientists and doctors, including Dr. Strauss, Burt, and Professor Nemur, who designed and performed his surgery. With no one to relate or compete with intellectually, Charlie grows critical and uncompassionate. Charlie’s attitude causes Alice Kinnian to angrily remark, “You're different. You've changed. And I'm not talking about your IQ It's your attitude toward people.” (p85) This change of attitude is evident when Charlie describes Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur as ‘frauds’, ‘phonies’ and ‘ordinary men working beyond their abilities’, descriptions all contrasting with how he originally viewed them. (p105,108) Although he strives to ‘guard against the natural tendency to look down them’, Charlie continues with his uncaring attitude towards those below him. (p107) Thus, his awareness resulting from intelligence, is

“Why would man mock the naive and the dumb yet cradle the weak, the crippled, and the blind”-Charlie Gordon. In the science fiction novel “Flowers for Algernon” Charlie Gordon, a 37 year old man with mental disabilities, so two scientists (Dr.Strauss and Dr. Nemur) decide he is the perfect candidate for a surgery that has the potential to triple a man’s intelligence. Charlie teaches us all never to use our ability to lern for granted.Charlie is much more happy after the surgery.

Charlie Gordon, a middle aged man that has an original I.Q. of 68 and is asked to be tested on to see if this experiment works. Mr. Gordon works at a factory and he always has a positive attitude at work. He attends a school for adults that don’t work quickly mentally. Mr. Gordon wants to become smart so he can know what he is doing in situations.

Girl Interrupted is a discerning, unwavering document that gives long-lasting and precise dimension to our explanations of stable and insane, mental illness and recovery. This intense novel uses language, literary terms and structure to express the struggle that author Susanna Kaysen went through in her lifetime. This story contains a strong use of literary Language and terms. The Terms are stated firmly and clearly through the entire book. For example when Susanna says, "And somewhat more dangerous things, like putting a gun in your mouth", this is an example of a simile when she is speaking about suicide.

Charlie is a 37 year old man who has the mind of an 8 year old boy. Charlie is happy and innocent, and living his life as he desires. Charlie was taken advantage of by some doctors who were experimenting how to make a person three times smarter than they are now. The doctors are well aware that this experiment is highly dangerous, but Charlie is not. Charlie carries on with the operation and eventually he gets to a point where he is a genius.

Charlie Gordon is a thirty three year old mentally retarded man who is chosen by a team of neurologist scientist to undergo an operation. The operation is designed to enhance Charlie’s intelligence although it has only been tested on a mouse by the name of Algernon, and has yet to be proven successful. He is recomended this operation by his teacher Alice Kennan who teaches mentally disabled adults at Beekman College For Retarded Adults. Throughout the story, the reader sees Charlie’s mental process beginning to develop through the progress reports Dr Stratus and Professor Nemur has provided Charlie to write. As Charlie begins to become aware of his intelligence increasing , he gradually starts to notice the different treatment he begins to receive from long time “friends”. Charlie Gordon’s conflict with how he must contend with some aspects of his past teaches the reader the importance of learning about oneself through Charle changing his lifestyle and identity in a diminutive amount of time.