Flowers For Algernon: What Is Knowledge?

Knowledge is power for everyone in the world no matter what language a person speaks or where they are from. It has helped many people to do what they love and to live freely. Without knowledge we would not have a place to live, have a job, or even communicate with others. Besides having these wonderful opportunities when a person has that power it also helps an individual to have confidence. Knowledge is important but motivation is also key to being free whether it is physically or mentally.

Knowledge is something that we know that you have facts to back up to form your argument and is justified. Knowledge isn’t something that can be created overnight but something that we form over the course of life. I feel that being raised by my grandmother I gained a lot of knowledge and wisdom because she has years and experience over me and wouldn’t tell me anything to hurt me but to help me in life. We all learn from mistakes but with mistakes gain wisdom then knowledge. We don’t gain knowledge overnight but with growth we become more aware of our worldview.

Knowledge makes our world go round. Knowledge is what makes us move further and revolve into something more. In the book “Fahrenheit 451” it states “they say you retain your knowledge even when you’re sleeping, if someone whispers in your ear”(Bradbury,89). Knowledge can never be taken from you. Even when you’re asleep your mind runs.

To know information, even if that knowledge hurts you, is useful. Although it may hurt, it is wonderful because you gain the information. Charlie Gordon learns that his “friends” are not actually great friends. After becoming smart Charlie realizes his

Charlie was known to have the personality that was always bright and talkative. Charlie had the lowest skill level out of all his “friends” and he didn't understand how real friends should treat one another so he never thought anything of it. Charlie felt good about himself but he wanted to be smart and know what his friends and other people around him knew. He was ready to learn and he wasn’t scared because he pushed fear away; he just wanted to know what it was like to comprehend what was going on in the world. The

The award-winning short science fiction, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, digs deep in how society reacts to different levels of intelligence. The book covers a wide variety of society from the creative minds to world-renowned scientists. When a retarded adult becomes one of those brain maniacs through a scientific operation, you get the full spectrum of what it is like personally as a handicapped person and through the minds of a genius. In the reports, you can see the progress and comparison of Charlie’s realization towards other people’s capability of intelligence.

In Flowers For Algernon, many people judge Charlie because he is different from them. An example of this is how all of Charlie’s so called “friends” at the bakery treat him. They laugh and make fun of him because of how he looks and acts, just because it is different then them. These “friends” at the bakery do everything they can to humiliate Charlie, they play mean pranks on him, and always make fun of him, but he can not do anything back because he does not know how to. These guys invited Charlie to a party so that they could make fun of him and have a good laugh. Charlie

There is something powerful about knowledge. Knowledge makes one know things that they did not know before. It helps them gain insight about issues that are seen in the world. It opens up eyes to see things through a different perspective, a perspective that they never thought of or seen without getting a gaining an understanding of that certain type of knowledge. Knowledge helps one make decisions and how to handle certain situations. Knowledge allows one to succeed in school and get acceptable grades, discern what is right and wrong, and leads to wisdom. When knowledge is limited; children and society are being naïve and lazy, people are not able to express the freedom of speech that is possible in this nation, and it ruins countries.

It is often debated whether ignorance is bliss. Is not being conscious of one's surroundings truly happiness? In the novel entitled Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, ignorance is Charlie’s peace. Not realizing that, he undergoes a procedure to make him knowledgeable. As his intelligence progresses, relationships begin to deteriorate with the ones he cares for most. Furthermore, his brain began to process memories, leading to anxiety in sexual situations. Finally, because his blindfold disappeared, he sees the truth behind all of his encounters, which ends up being too much for Charlie to withstand. He did not have the capacity to understand the sorrow that would come with knowledge; therefore, Charlie was better off before the surgery.

Knowledge is a powerful tool, one which will unlock many doors for us as individuals and as the whole of the human race, but we must always remember the consequences of gaining knowledge. It is both our blessing and our curse, and we must never forget that knowledge is a power, what we do with that power will determine our fate and

Knowledge helps us discover what are facts, opinions, and happiness, what can be challenged, and what we really want. With this judgment, humans can realize their faults and make-up for their

During their quarrel, Alice states that Charlie “...had a smile...a warm real smile, because [he] wanted people to like [him].” (Keyes 299). As Alice says, Charlie used to be a very happy person, but as time progressed, with his intelligence increase and his deterioration following, he became less jovial and outgoing. In response to Alice, Charlie claims, “Maybe that’s why it was so important for me to learn. I thought it would make people like me. I thought I would have friends. That’s something to laugh at, isn’t it?” (Keyes 299-300). This declaration further proves Charlie’s cynicality. He is expressing pessimistic behavior by affirming that it was humorous for him to gain intelligence so he could obtain friends. In reality, however, his friend-count downsized. Based on this altercation, the audience can derive that Alice deems the operation ruined Charlie’s personality, and that she valued his warm, loving personality over his artificial

As stated above, this humiliation that he has been experiencing has caused him to lose his confidence in himself. This is proved when Charlie writes about his conversation with Miss Kinnian. He writes: “I tried to make a conversation with Miss Kinnian but no matter how much I tried to talk at the same level as her I always brought up psychology in the process. I am having great difficulty in making friends.” This quote proves that after the surgery that Charlie took to triple his intelligence made him find it difficult to make friends after he became aware of this humiliation that he has been experiencing. It

It shows that intelligence doesn’t give you happiness or friends. As Charlie got smarter he became more selfish and more people began to dislike him.

To know information, even if that knowledge hurts you, is useful. Even though it may hurt, is wonderful, because you get to learn the information. Charlie Gordon learns that his “friends” are not really good friends. After becoming smart Charlie realizes his so-called “friends”