Pros And Cons Of Charlie Gordon

The “old Charlie” was a person that lived a life of ignorance and was completely happy with the way that he was living. He worked at a bakery, making barley enough to scrape buy, however, he was happy. But once he got his first taste of intelligence, he was immediately hooked and wanted more than just an appetizer. After a couple of tests and procedures later, and Charlie got his wish. But his wish wasn’t all that he expected as all of his knowledge soon took a toll on

Imagine yourself as a young child. You’re extremely happy and you have little to no worries. Now imagine yourself as a teenager or adult, and you’re the exact opposite, because of school, relationships, jobs,money, or responsibility. These contrasts tie into the theme I’m about to introduce you to. This theme is expressed thoroughly in many parts of the story, Flowers For Algernon, which is “Ignorance is Bliss”. In the story, the main character Charlie Gordon undergoes an operation to gain intelligence. After a while, he finds out the operation is only temporary, which leads many negative things to his mind including stress. Two reasons this story explains great examples that “Ignorance is Bliss”, is that when you’re ignorant or unintelligent or even young, you’re upbeat and when you are smart, you endure much more stress and worries. I remember when I was young, and I had nothing to worry about in life.

?When I was retarded I had lots of friends. Now I have no one. Oh, I know lots of people. Lots and lots of people. But I don?t have any real friends. Not like I used to have in the bakery. Not a friend in the world who means anything to me, and no one I mean anything to.? (174). This quote explains Charlie?s life at the peak of his intelligence. No one listens to him because they get bored and do not understand, but on the other hand Charlie is impatient while someone else is talking.

Many people believe that achieving great intelligence will bring them great happiness. This was what Charlie Gordon imagined for himself, that if he could only get the surgery that was supposed to make him smart, then he could finally fit in and be really happy. In the end, though, was Charlie really better off after he got the surgery? No, he wasn’t. Charlie was ultimately better off before he got the surgery to make him intelligent because if he had never done the surgery, then he would never have had to experience the trauma of having to go back to not being intelligent after knowing what intelligence felt like. Also, before the surgery, Charlie didn’t realize how un-faithful his friends were, and how naïve he actually was, which ultimately caused him a lot of shame. Finally, if Charlie had never gotten the surgery, he wouldn’t have had to leave New York.

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

Before the enhancing surgery, Charlie Gordon seemed to have depend and trust others, while those people didn’t have his back. This could be a problem in the future, because people have to learn to be independent so when they lose someone important, they don’t crack under pressure. In the story, Keyes writes, “Sometimes somebody will say hey look at Joe or Frank or George he really pulled a Charlie Gordon. I dont know why they say that but they always laft” (Keyes, 289). Daniel Keyes uses dramatic irony as a way of displaying Charlies perception of his friends. Charlie assumes he has very nice friends, but the audience knows that his

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.

Charlie Gordon learns valuable life lessons about acceptance and tolerance throughout this book in the short time that he is able to comprehend. “There is a plan and a purpose, a value to every life, no matter what its location, age, gender or disability” (Sharron Angle). Acceptance is a huge necessity in life just as it is in “Flowers For Algernon”. Everyone, no matter what they look like or act like, should live in a world where they are accepted as who they are even if they do not fit into the “normal”

What defines intelligence? Is it how much you know? Or could it be how much you want to learn? These are the questions that Charlie Gordon was probably thinking before his fatal destiny. All he wanted was to know what is was like to be perceptive. He became envious of his peers and the world around him. Charlie thrived to understand the world through the eyes of a genius. However, he truly should've been careful with what he had wished for.

Charlie Gordon has faced isolation his entire life. His family had given up attempting to increase his intelligence. His coworkers laugh at him, but Charlie doesn’t understand that he is

Some people receive a life changing operation that will change them after surgery. Charlie Gordon changed a lot before and after surgery. One might argue Charlie Gordon was better off before the surgery or he was better after his life changing surgery. Charlie Gordon was better off not having his life changing operation. Before surgery Charlie Gordon had an IQ of 68 but after surgery he had an IQ of 300 far past genius status. Charlie’s IQ was not permanent. Later as Charlie’s IQ returns to 68 his look on the world changes.

Charlie had a chance to learn and do things that most people wouldn't have a chance to do in a lifetime, even if it was for a short time. After Charlie's regression he continued to try to become intelligent again, however, Charlie had said himself that he was grateful when he said, "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 little bit (Keyes 245) [Sic]." You have to understand that, with a mindset like this, you know you have done the right thing. Charlie was grateful for his chance to be smart and was thoroughly pleased with his decision. Nothing can be more favorable than the joyous feeling of gratitude. It can be compared to getting the gift you always wanted for Christmas, or when someone gives you a sincere smile that will brighten any bad day. This must have been what Charlie had been feeling in order to be this grateful. Another piece of evidence to prove this point is when Dr Nermur had said that Charlie was, "trying to cram a lifetime of research and thought into a few weeks (Keyes 238)." Both Charlie and Dr. Nemur both know that he was capable of this, and so much more. After the operation Charlie was super intelligent and grew the ability to understand more things socially, which is what he wanted the most, to be able to understand his friends and be smart like them, two of his greatest desires in one stone.

The Temporary Genius Man The death of a human being is not worth intelligence. Charlie Gordon is a thirty-seven year old, mentally handicapped, with a childlike but very kind personality. Charlie goes to doctors, Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur, to get a life-altering surgery. Knowing that Charlie is not fully aware, I feel they take advantage of Charlie.

Sometimes one decides upon something that is not the best decision. One is blinded by the positive aspects but does not keep in mind the consequences that he/she might have to face. These decisions result in a horrible outcome or product. This relates to a thirty-seven-year-old man named Charles Gordon who is mentally challenged. He wants to become intelligent like his friends at the factory. Therefore, Charles decides to get a surgery done which will triple his Intelligence Quotient. This surgery has already been tried on a mouse named Algernon, making him the most intelligent mouse in history. Without seeing any complications in the surgery, the doctors carry out the experiment surgery on Charles Gordon. In the end, Charles Gordon was happiest before the surgery.

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.