The story “Flowers for Algernon”

Categories: Charlie Gordon Flowers For Algernon

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If you were given the chance to triple your intelligence through surgery would you? In the story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, is about a man named Charlie Gordon who has a low I.Q. and has a chance to triple it through surgery. He is a 37 year old man and is keeping a diary to see if he will be used for the surgery. In this book two doctors give Charlie a chance to triple his intelligence through surgery.

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Charlie should not get the surgery because nobody likes him, everyone feel sorry, and he eventually gets sick of being smart.

Charlie should not have had the surgery because nobody likes him when he’s so smart. When he is smart no one can understand him. “Everybody seems frightened of me.” (232) At this time Charlie has had the surgery and he is so smart everyone is afraid of him. If he didn’t have this surgery everyone wouldn’t be frightened by Charlie.

Because of this surgery Charlie lost his job. “They have driven me out of the factory.” (235) Here Charlie’s workers don’t want him at the factory anymore. Ever since he had the surgery bad things have happened. Nobody wants anything to do with Charlie. “People don’t talk to me or kid around like they used to.” (232) Charlie is now finding out that no one likes him when he’s smart just because they can’t understand him. Without the surgery he would still have friends.

Since Charlie got the surgery it caused him to lose all the memory gained from the surgery. Because of the reason, he should not have had the surgery. Charlie has a job at the factory and “Everyone feels sorry for me at the factory.” (245) Without the surgery Charlie would not have lost his memory causing everyone to feel sorry. Charlie is finding that no one likes him and everyone feels bad. Charlie had an adult teacher Ms. Kinnian, since he lost his memory he went there and “She ran out of the room crying.” (243) This quote also shows everyones sorrow towards Charlie. During this quote Charlie lost his memory and went back to his old class. Charlie shouldn’t have had the surgery because everyone feels sorry for him and he lost all his friends. Without the surgery, he would never have lost his memory and friends.

The final reason why he should not have had the surgery, because he eventually sick of being smart. He had a job that he liked and since he had the surgery he doesn’t want to be smart, so he quit his job. “I’ve quit my job at Domangans Plastic Box Company.” (234) This is showing Charlie becoming depressed. Without the operation Charlie would still be living happily and would never have quit his job. Charlie had the surgery because he wanted to become smarter, but now he feels differently. “I don’t want to be smart anymore” (243) When he had the surgery he had overcome his low I.Q., but he eventually became too smart and no one understood him. They thought he was odd, so nobody spoke to him. He became sick of being smart and wanted to not be smart. If he didn’t have the surgery he would have never wanted to not be smart.

Charlie should never have had the surgery, because he gets sick of being smart, nobody cares for him, and everyone feels bad about him. The key points why he should not have had the surgery are, he lost his memory from the surgery, he quit his only job at the box company, plus nobody even understands him, he’s so smart. To conclude, these reasons clearly show why Charlie should not have had the surgery.