The Pros And Cons Of Charlie Gordon's Knowledge

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.

It has been said that intelligence and/ or knowledge can be both a curse and a blessing. The book “Frankenstein” portrays this idea perfectly. Intelligence can be a wonderful gift that brings many great things, but at what cost? Would you seek all the knowledge in the world if you knew that it would bring you only pain and suffering? These two questions help qualify the validity of the statement that intelligence or knowledge can be both a curse and a blessing.

In the novel, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, it is focused around the ironically unforgettable journey of Charlie Gordon. He is a 32 year old man who has an extremely low IQ, that qualified him to be a subject for an experimental surgery to help him raise his IQ, by a lot. Before the surgery, he had very little memories of his childhood, was very forgetful, and his inability to read or write made his want for knowledge even stronger. I picked this character because not only was he the main focus throughout the book, he has changed and has not changed at the same time and I found that rather unusual.Charlie has changed because after the surgery he got what he wanted, to be smart. But by the end of the book he lost his intelligence, along

Charlie was a man that did not know how to stand up for himself. He allowed his peers to bully him, and treat him like he is worthless. Charlie thinks that if he allows people to laugh at him, and tease him, they will become his friend. He thinks “Its easy to make frends if you let

Learning about the world is challenging enough, but to unlearn it knowing what is being lost is even more burdensome. Charlie Gordon is a man that learned the world and lost it all. Is knowledge admirable while it can be retained or is ignorance bliss when it can’t? Knowledge is excellent, even if it is only for a little while, even if it is retained for a short period because people know what the world is, even when that knowledge is lost, people will retain a certain understanding of the world before they “unlearned” it. Some say “ Knowledge is a wonderful tool in life, but if a man acquires knowledge, but soon “unlearns” the knowledge yet understands how the world should be, and then loses it, ignorance is bliss so the man does not know how people treat them in atrocious ways, and it shall stay that way for his/her benefit.”. All people deserve to acquire Knowledge, so they have the experience of how life should be. Charlie Gordon acquires knowledge of how the world is and how people treat people who have mental setbacks. To come from a position where he is made fun of, to know this, and then back to being treated as a person that has a mental disability, knowing how he is treated has multiple pros including some cons.

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

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”

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

He is functional, but moderately mentally disabled. Charlies main goal is to learn so he can be smart like everyone else. When he was suggested by his teacher for an operation that could make him smarter, he got excited because he actually had a chance. Before the surgery Charlie is completely innocent. Being innocent is defined as simple and naive. He has no experience because he has been under circumstances that did not allow him. He is a generally happy person that values companionship. Charlie sees the good in everybody and is nice to all, even when some are not particularly nice to him. Before the surgery Charlie is very ignorant to the jokes and slurs his “friends” express to him. He always enjoys going to work to see his friends because he likes how they joke around and laugh with him.

Charlie Gordon's doctor did not act ethically when they performed the surgery to make him smarter. Ethics is not really what is correct but what is write to do or not. Being ethical is staying in the law requires, it also has to do with feeling and how you feel. Charlie was not in the right conditions to make such a life changing decision witch will alter his way of life for as long as he lives being smart or not smart. The doctors were not being ethical at all when they performed the surgery.

After Charlie goes through the surgery to improve his intelligence, he begins to see the world as it truly is. Charlie is not very intelligent. He is aware of his mental deficit and wants to become smart. When asked about the reason he wants the surgery, Charlie states, “I told them becaus all my life I wantid to be smart and not dumb (Keyes 286). Charlie, “Cant wait to be smart like my best frends Joe Carp and Frank Reilly (Keyes 290).” Therefore, he was not satisfied with his life before the surgery. Furthermore, Charlie’s mental deficit makes him not very smart about his relationships with his coworkers. He is unaware that his coworkers make fun of him. At first, Charlie believes, “Their really my friends and they like me” (Keyes 289). Others, however, realize that the coworkers aren’t treating Charlie well. Referring to his kind teacher, Charlie says, “I said all my frends are smart people but there good. They like me and they never did anything that wasnt nice. Then she got something in her eye and she had to run out to the ladys room” (Keyes 291). After the surgery, Charlie comes to understand people more and to understand what is a true friend. Charlie later learns, “Now I know what it means when they say ‘to pull a Charlie Gordon.’ I'm ashamed” (Keyes 293). Charlie also sees his doctors in a new light when he says, “It was as if I'd

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.