Flowers For Algernon Character Analysis

In the book, Charlie was taught by Miss Kinnian along with the movie. Miss Kinnian tutored, taught, and mentored Charlie in the movie as well as the book. On page 71 of the story, it states, “You’ve got to be a little patient, You’re accomplishing in days and weeks what it takes normal people to do in half a lifetime. That’s what makes it so amazing. You’re like a giant sponge now, soaking things in. Facts, figures, general knowledge. And soon you’ll begin to connect them, too.” This shows that because Miss Kinnian is teaching Charlie everything, he is becoming smart very fast. The movie kept Miss Kinnian the same because she played a vital role in Charlie’s learning and other events. Because of Miss Kinnian, Charlie learned many things, but if she hadn’t taught Charlie, nobody would know how he felt about the

The protagonist and author of the progress reports that form the text of Flowers for Algernon. Charlie is a thirty-two-year-old mentally retarded man who lives in New York City. At the start of the novel, he works at Donner’s Bakery as a janitor and delivery boy. Charlie’s friendliness and eagerness to please, along with his childhood feelings of inadequacy, make him the hardest-working student in Alice Kinnian’s literacy class for retarded adults. When Charlie undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence, his IQ skyrockets to the level of a genius. His obsession with untangling his own emotional life and his longing to reach an emotional maturity and inner peace to match his intellectual authority inform many of the novel’s

Flowers for Algernon is a story with hope, humor, defeat, sadness, and disappointment. Charlie is your average joe with a mental disability. He writes through a series of journal entries about his journey of coming out of the darkness of ignorance and into the bright light of intelligence. At the beginning of his trek, he was working hard to become smarter on his own but was chosen for a experimental surgery that makes people smarter. He underwent the operation and gradually his intelligence surpassed his teachers. Unfortunately the effects were not permanent and Charlie digressed into the person that he once was, knowing he was going to die like his mouse friend Algernon. He moved to New York and It is assumed that

Intellectual growth is the development of one’s ability to process information and form your own conclusions. We see Charlie’s intellectual growth throughout the book. He eventually surpasses everyone around him and starts viewing them with a more critical eye. On April first Charlie surprises his workmates by demonstrating that he can operate the dough mixer and the on April twenty first he redesigns the whole dough mixing process. Charlie makes tremendous psychological leap with his realization. When Charlie says “’Gimpy stealing from Mr.Donner … I wanted to hit him” (Keyes, 88) this statement reveals that Charlie is capable of solving moral predicaments, such as Gimpy’s theft all by himself due to that fact all his coworkers want him fired and Charlie is disappointed by their insecurity. When Charlie was on the same intellectual level as everyone around him he says that he once looked up to them intellect people he once thought. Charlie’s greatest leap towards

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman. Charlie Gordon is a very welcoming, playful, and genuine man. He attends Beekman College for Retarded Adults and has a strong motivation to learn and to improve his intelligence. He dreams of being popular, and making friends. Throughout the novel Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon changed in many ways. Prior to his life changing operation, he was not able to grasp that the people at Donner’s Bakery were not his friends, they only spoke to him to make fun of him. Charlie acknowledged their harsh actions, and started retaliating. Charlie is a very open

When Charlie was intelligent he often got irritated at the doctors because they weren’t as smart as him. He had also dealt with a lot of emotion with Miss Kinnian, Charlie was in love with Miss Kinnian. When he regressed, he was embarrassed to see her because he thought she would think he was dumb. When Charlie was at a diner, he saw a kid with disabilities, and everyone was laughing at him and so was Charlie. He was upset with himself that he laughed at him because that kid was him before he had the surgery to make him smart.

Although Charlie did say he did want to be smart more than anything in the world. To be smart is the only thing Charlie ever wanted. He wanted it so badly because then he could laugh with his friends and they would understand him and he would understand them. Though the doctors did not want to use Charlie for the program Miss.Kinnian wanted to use him. She wanted to use him because he had a lot of motivation to get smart.

At first he thinks it is a mindless job that he can handle. But then he goes to the hospital for the surgery. After the surgery, he becomes very smart. Then once back at work he changes the way the machines work. He says, "I figured out a new way to line up the machines in the factory, and Mr. Donnegan says it will save him ten thousand dollars a year in labor and increased production." (Keyes, 200) Charlie used his raised IQ to help make the company work in a smarter and more efficient way. He left what he knew becuase he was promised the chance to be smarter than he was before and it

In the short story of Flowers for Algernon, Charlie’s personality changes throughout the book. Although Charlie’s personality changes from the beginning to the end are small a lot has happened to allow those changes. Well, just like in real life, certain events can change you and things about you in many ways just like how events in Charlie’s life changed him and his Personality. In the short story of FFA there are many quotes that explains how Charlie changes from beginning to end. At the beginning of the novel Charlie had trouble spelling, using punctuation, and hearing others clearly.

Algernon, the play’s secondary hero, is closer to the figure of the dandy than any other character in the play. A charming, idle, decorative bachelor, Algernon is brilliant, witty, selfish, amoral, and given to making delightful paradoxical and epigrammatic pronouncements that either make no sense at all or touch on something profound. Like Jack, Algernon has invented a fictional character, a chronic invalid named Bunbury, to give him a reprieve from his real life. Algernon is constantly being summoned to Bunbury’s deathbed, which conveniently draws him away from tiresome or distasteful social obligations. Like Jack’s fictional brother Ernest, Bunbury provides Algernon with a way of indulging himself while also suggesting great seriousness and sense of duty. However, a salient difference exists between Jack and Algernon. Jack does not admit to being a “Bunburyist,” even after he’s been called on it, while Algernon not only acknowledges his wrongdoing but also revels in it. Algernon’s delight in his own cleverness and ingenuity has little to do with a contempt for others. Rather, his personal philosophy puts a higher value on artistry and genius than on almost anything else, and he regards living as a kind of art form and life as a work of art—something one creates oneself.

Secondly, Charlie learns important life lesson throughout his journey. He learns an important lesson from his nurse (Hilda). Before the operation, Hilda tells Charlie about Nemur and Straus tampering with something they should not. Charlie says, "She (Hilda) says mabey I better prey to god to ask him to forgive what they done to me…And now Im skared. Mabey I shoudnt of let them oparate on my branes like she said if its agenst god. I don’t want to make god angrey."(Keyes 16). This shows that Charlie understands that by performing the operation he is going against god, and that it is wrong to go against god. Charlie then learns significant life lessons about the how unkind people are. Throughout the novel it is visible that people are unkind to Charlie. After being promoted to working the dough-mixer, Joe and Frank invite Charlie to a party. At the party, they keep tripping him and laughing at him. Charlie

Before the operation Charlie may not be very intelligent, but his is always happy with a smile on his face. Throughout the story, "Flowers for Algernon," it is easy to see how Charlie changes over time because it is evident in his progress reports. Early in the beginning of the story, he is not able to spell very well and he has trouble creatively. For example, when he is administered a Rorschach test, Charlie has a tough time understanding what the inkblots are supposed to mean. Although he is not as smart and doesn't have much creativity either, Charlie lives a happy day to day life and is better able to enjoy himself.

In the story “Flowers for Algernon” it is written in first person by Charlie Gordon. He is told by Professor Nemur to write progress reports about how he feels about his way of becoming intelligent. He explains that he is thirty-two years old and that he works as a janitor. Also he explains that he is in Ms. Kinnians class for retarded adults. Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur want Charlie to have his dream of being smart come true. He is nervous but still excited about the surgery. Days go by and Charlie sees no change. But many see the increase proper vocabulary and grammar. Many of his co workers make fun of him by saying “You pulled a Charlie Gordon” when they do something dumb. He than realizes and begins to explain that he is better than them.

Throughout the novel Charlie’s personality and intelligence level changes a lot. In the beginning Charlie is happy, has friends, he’s retarded, and can’t remember a lot of things. “I fergot his last name because I dont remebir so good.” (Keyes 2),

Imagine, if you will, being able to receive an experimental operation, that could lead to increasing your intelligence up to three times, or… *ahem*, death, but the pros outweigh the cons… right? Such an option is presented to Charlie, a 37 year old man with the intelligence of a small child in Flowers for Algernon, a work of fiction by Daniel Keys.