M. Pierre-Philippe David



The relationship’s with Charlie’s family members Relationships with family members are very important in everyday lives.In Daniel Keys, Flowers for Algernon, Charlie’s relationship with his family isn’t portrayed positively.Specifically in the novel, Charlie’s relationship with his father Matt, his mother Rose, and his sister Norma is portrayed poorly.A fathers role in a sons life has a huge impact in a growing man life. In Flowers for Algernon Charlie Gordon’s relationship with Matt his father is portrayed positively. Although Matt tried to protect young Charlie from Rose’s hostility, he gave in too easily to her bullying.After Rose and Matt are arguing about Charlie, he gets scared Matt try’s to defend him. Charlie needs to go to the bathroom and makes in his pants. Charlie gets spanked by his motherCharlie gets an erection and Rose starts beating him and Matt is really trying to stop her. Norma Gets an A on her test and wants to tell her parents but Charlie runs in and shouts out the news before Norma gets a chance too and she gets angry. Matt try’s once again to defend his son.For God’s sake Rose, Leave him alone. You’ve got him terrified. You always do this, and the poor kid. P. 52Enough Rose! You’re killing him! Leave him!.... p.92. He can’t help it if he gets an erection. It’s normal he didn’t do anything wrong. P.93Now wait minute, young ladies”….. That’s no way to talk to your brother. P.96Every time Charlie gets yelled at or abused when he was a child, Matt is always here to defend him but always gives in too easily.Charlie’s relationship with Matt was basically the only one that was positive. But his relationship with Rose was negative.In the book Flowers For Algernon Charlie’s relationship with his mother is portrayed negatively. Charlie’s mother Rose is a domineering women who is ashamed of her son’s retardation. Rose did not want to accept that Charlie was abnormal then when Rose had another child she put all her focus and attention on her.Rose doesn’t want to accept that Charlie is retarded after the school teacher had told them to take him to a special institution.Rose used to beat Charlie when he ha erections.Rose would scare and yell at Charlie so much that Charlie would poop himself. “He’s not a dummy, He’s normal. He’ll just be like everyone else.” Rose P.61“He can’t learn to read and write, but he knows enough to look at a girl that way. I’ll beat that filth out of his mind.”-Rose P.92“Charlie go to the bathroom. Don’t you dare do it in your pants.” Rose P.61Every time Charlie did something bad or something that Rose doesn’t approve of, Rose mentally, verbally and physically abuses Charlie. Charlie’s relationship with his mother Rose was not the greatest. Same with Norma which brings us to our next argument. Charlie’s relationship with Norma was negative when they were children, but when they both became adults it turned positive.During Norma’s childhood, Norma resented Charlie and was mean and cruel. But when she reencounters Charlie as an adult she is happy to see him and regrets her mischiefs towards him.When Norma asks for a dog, her parents say no because he selfish and tear he test up in his face.When Charlie goes to visit his mother he speaks to Norma and she tells him that she regrets being cruel and mean to him. “I hate you, I hate you” –Norma P. 998 “Oh Charlie what a fool I was what a spoiled brat, I’m so ashamed” Norma P.222Charlies relationship with Norma was horrible when they were children because she hated him but when they meet when Charlie was visiting his mother she told him how happy she was to see him and how she was ashamed for what she did to him. Charlie’s relationship with his parents and his sister was presented negatively.Matt tried to defend Charlie but gave in to easily rose couldn’t accept the fact that Charlie was challenged therefore her hostility just made Charlie worse and Norma’s attitude towards Charlie made him scared of women.In conclusion Charlie’s relationship with his mother, father and sister wasn’t good at all. Almost to a point where they didn’t really care for him as long as if they looked good in the community they would be happy. But they had to eventually just get rid of Charlie because he was too much trouble for them. Without family you wouldn’t be that same person you are today. You need a family it plays a huge role in your life, like growing up and going through tough situations. You simply just need that love and affection that only a family can offer. Charlie Gordon’s relationships Before & After the experiment with…Donner’s BakeryCharlie Gordon was a janitor at Donner’s Bakery. Before the experiment, Charlie’s Co-workers would make fun of him and see him as a joke. The Co-workers would laugh behind his back and make him do dumb stuff. Charlie Gordon is unable to understand that he is the subject of mockery. He believes that his co-workers are his good friends.Before:They would get him Drunk.They leave him out in the rain by himselfThey make him use machines that he cannot use. Ex: The dough mixer. They urinated all over him when he was intoxicated.Even though they would make fun of Charlie they still sometimes care about him as a friend. Quotation: <<Joe Carp from the bakery brot me a chokilat cake from Mr Donner and the folks at the bakery and they hope I get better soon. At the bakery they think im sick because that’s what Prof Nemus said I shoud tell them and nothing about an operashun for getting smart.>>A quotation that Supports Our argument : <<Some times somebody will say hey look it Frank, or Joe or even Gimpy, he really pulled a Charlie Gordon that time>> PR 8 p. 17When the co-workers at Donner’s Bakery say << You pulled a Charlie Gordon>> They are stating that you’ve done something stupid or wrong.After:They still continue to treat him with disrespect. They are jealous of Charlie because he is becoming more intelligent. Quotation: "I never knew before that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around just to make fun of me. Now I know what they mean wen they say 'to pull a Charlie Gordon.' I'm ashamed." PR 9, pg. 30 Charlie is finally realizing that his co-workers are really his friends and that he is there to be made fun of.Quotation: "It had been all right as long as they could laugh at me and appear clever at my expense, but now they were feeling inferior to the moron. I began to see that by my astonishing growth I had made them shrink and emphasized their inadequacies. I had betrayed them, and they hated me for it." PR 10, pg. 74He is realizing that now that he is more intelligent than his co-workers they are starting to dislike him because they are inferrior to him.Miss Kinnian The relationship between Miss Kinnian and Charlie was different from others. Their relationship was a sort of teacher-student and parent-child like relationship before the operation. Then after it became more of a love like relationship.Before:Miss Kinnian was Charlie’s tutor/teacher.She treated him like a child.She thought of him as a friendShe thought he was something special and unique.Quotation: "Now I want you to look at this card, Charlie. What might this be? What do you see on this card? People see all kinds of things in these inkblots. Tell me what it makes you think of..." PR 9, pg. 41 After:Once Charlie became intelligent they started to gain feeling for one another.They started to show affectionCharlie starts to notice how beautiful Miss Kinnian is.They go to dinner and a movie together.Short quotation that supports our argument: << Why haven’t I ever noticed how beautiful Alice Kinnian is? She has pigeon-soft brown eyes and feathery brown hair down to the hollow of her neck. When she smiles, her full lips look s if she’s pouting>>. This quote shows that he’s starting to notice her, and is starting to feel affection towards Miss Kinnian. Something he could not do before the Professor Nemur & Dr. StraussProfessor Nemur and Dr. Strauss were the two men in charge of Charlie Gordon’s experiment. They were the two that came up with the operation to gain Charlie’s intellectual level.Before:Professor Nemur & Dr. Strauss treat Charlie like a Lab experiment.They see him as a test subject.They treat him as if he was a mouse like Algernon.They make him do progress reports without him wanting to. Quotation: “He makes me feel that before the experiment was not really a human being." PR 12, pg. 79After:They were jealous of Charlie, because his intelligence exceeded there’s.They started to get annoyed with Charlie.Even after the experiment they treated Charlie like a test subject instead of a human being. Quotation: "Our relationship is becoming increasingly strained. I resent Nemur's constant references to me as a laboratory specimen”. PR 12, pg. 79Quotation: We were the main attraction of the evening, and when we settled, the chairman began his introduction. I half expected to hear him boom out: Laideezzz and gentulmennnnnn. Step right this way and see the side show! An act never before seen in the scientific world! A mouse and a moron turned into geniuses before your very eyes! PR. 13 p. Intro:Families are important in people’s lives.Relationships with different members can impact your life.In the book “Flowers for Algernon” Charlie’s relationship with his mom, dad, and sister were all impacting on his life.Charlie’s relationship with his mother was the most scaring one.Development:Argument #1: - Charlie’s relationship with his mother was the most scaring - She was abusive toward Charlie for his mental disabilityProof: - At the doctors when he was young. - When he dirties his pants because he is scared of his mother and matt arguing. - Flash back of his sister getting undressed, he got beat for peeking. -Quote: “He feels the wetness and the stickiness around his legs, and the odor tells him that his mother will punish him with the spanking and the corner for making in his pants.”Explanation: Rose would beat Charlie for anything that wasn’t normal for that age like:- Making in his pants under stress- Anything sexualTransition: His relationship with his sister was different.Argument #2: - His sister was selfish and spoiled cause she was normal. - Relationship with his sister was exciting for Charlie but abusive and unfair.Proof: - When he was playing with his sister, jumping on the couch. - When he tried to hold his sister because she was crying as a baby. - When they wanted a dog. Transition: Matt, his father would always be on his side.Argument #3: - His father was always supportive and accepting of his retardation - He would always end up doing what Rose wantedProof: - Flash back of at Charlie’s school, when Rose was refusing to send Charlie to adifferent school for help. Matt accepted it. - They wants a dog Rose says yes to Norma but not to Charlie and Matt make’s it fair by not getting one.Transition: Matt was the most supportive and accepting of Charlie’s retardation then anyone else in his life.Conclusion:-Charlie’s relationship with his family was very scaring and impacting on him when he was a child.- His mother was abusive and unsupportive- His sister was spoiled and unfair with Charlie- His father was supporting and accepting but never did anything to help him.STUDY NOTESComparing the 60s version and the book·The guys at the bakery pull a prank on Charly, they put raw dough in his locker (doesn’t happen in the book).·Miss kinnian asks Charly if she can see his apartment (doesn’t happen in the book).·After a few drinks, Gimp tells Charly to wait on the corner for the snow. In the book Gimp tells Charly to go hide because they`re going to play hide and seek.·Dr.Strauss is a woman in the movie.·They brought Algernon to Charly’s place (without him knowing) in the movie.·Charly gets Algernon birthday cheese (doesn’t happen in the book).·Miss Kinnian wants to resign and says to Dr.Strauss that she’s only going to stay till the convention (doesn’t happen in the book).·If there is a Mr.Donner they don’t talk about him.·Charly’s ¨friends¨ at the bakery make a petition to get Charly fired and it worked.·Miss Kinnian and Charly eat lunch near the water (doesn’t happen in the book).· Dr.Strauss made Charly paint pictures and they become more and more disturber..Charly forces himself on Miss Kinnian - She calls him a moron.Charly has some kind of freak out (LSD trip?) and goes crazy. Hes on a motorcycle. Miss Kinnian and Charly ru away together for a bit.At the convention ; Charly goes on stage (doesnt in the movie) people ask him questions, he answers them all.Charly trips out and starts see some guy (moron Charly) around every corner he turns.Miss Kinnian asks Charly to marry her. He said no, told her to leave, she leaves.He returns to the old CharlyComparing the French version with the bookCharly's a janitor at a high school (not at a bakery)"Miss Kinnian" is a man.Its medication (needle) he takes, no surgery.It's up to "Mr. Kinnian" if he wants Charly to take the medication (not up to his sister).Dr. Strauss is a girl.The guys at work feel intimidated buy the new Charly (smarter).Charly does kids' homework for them, they clean for him.Charly goes and lives at a different place, he get's taught lots of things there, several different teachers go there and teach him. (Chinese, English, Math etc... ).Charly has glasses but ne doesnt need them anymore.He learns how to play the piano.He meets a girl (the piano teacher) her name is ALICE.He asks "Mr. Kinnian" to tell him abou this familly; dad = barber ; mom = housewife (she has alzheimers).He goes to visit his mom at the mental hospital but cant do it and he leaveDoes the same thing again.Strauss says its too early in the experiment to do a presentation, Nemur refuses to wait any longer. ( same as the book)Charly meets Alice's parents at dinner. Charly walks infront of a moving car - the guy stops the car and gets out - Charly beats him ( for no reason)Charly dreams about Algernon.He's back to his old self.What's in the book and not in the moviesCharly wants to be smart like the students from college and have smart conversations with them (and like the professors)Charly has a nightmare about a bloody knife.Charly has lots of dreams and memories (about his childhood).Charly has a sister (younger sister Norma) in the book.There's a Special to the daily press and they talk about how Norma thought Charly had died at the Warren State Home.Charly runs away (from the conference) with Algernon, he takes a plan home. Lives in a hotel for a few months with Algernon.Charly meet a girl (his neighbour at the hotel) her name is Fay The child Charly always watches the intelligent Charly.Algernon looses his smarts.Charly returns Algernon.Mr.Nemur has a cocktail party and Charly makes a scene at it.Charly meet his sisterCharly looses his intelligence.He sends himself to the Warren State Home Symbolism and its meaning flowers for Algernon Introduction: Symbol is something which represent and idea a physical or a process but is distinct it. The process of symbol is to communicate meaning. Ex: a red actogan may be a symbol for STOP. The symbols in the book (Flowers for Algernon), they presents different things. The maze: a maze is a tour puzzle in the front of a complex broaching passage through which the solver must find a route. The flowers: when Algernon pass away, Charlie always go to Algernon grave and put for him some flowers. Algernon: Algernon was a god mouse for Charlie; I mean that he was a good friend for Charlie. A maze is a tour puzzle in the front of a complex broaching passage thought which the solver must find a route. Development: Charlie is trying to find him self like how Algernon trying to find he’s cheese. So Charlie he’s trying to find him self and he’s trying to find:He’s motherHe’s fatherHe’s sisterHe’s loveHe’s sexualAnd try to find how he is. The maze: the maze it’s a game that makes u find your route, is like how Algernon find he’s cheese. What is a real maze? The real maze is a tour of puzzle in the form of a complex broaching passage though which the solver must find a route. That Charlie is a mouse and with he’s maze that he’s trying to find who he is. That before the operation, Charlie couldn’t beat Algernon on the maze game. But after the operation, Charlie could best Algernon at the maze game for the first time. Situation: how did we know if he beat Algernon, because after the operation they show us and tell us that Charlie beat Algernon for the first time and that mean that Charlie he start being smart and normal like other normal human bean. Flowers: the flower mean that, when Charlie was mad at Algernon he was really mad, one person spoke to Charlie and tell him if u want to feel better about yourself, you have to go and t give Algernon some flowers and like that you feel better. Proof: that when Charlie was mad at Algernon, and after he want that Algernon be happy, like he doesn’t want him to be mad at him so Charlie went and he give Algernon some flowers. Conclusion: The maze: it’s a game that makes you know or find your route. Algernon: was a good friend for Charlie. Flowers: that when Charlie was mad at Algernon, he went a get him some flowers, just to tell him that he’s sorry. Summarize the main points from the body: STUDY NOTES-Charlie Gordon is very simple minded in the way of a child.-Charlie is childish in the way of reading and writing he also is very easy to manipulate and believed everything he was told.-In is first few progress reports he shows is lack of ability to spell and punctuate properly.-In one of Charlie progress reports Joe tells Charlie to go wait around the corner to see if it was raining but they ended up ditching him.-Charlie gets a once in a life time opportunity to become smart. This starts his change in his life. -Once Charlie has the operation is I.Q escalates and is childness slowly disappears as time progress. -His spelling and punctuation improves to perfection. -He notices that his “friends” were actually just using him for their entertainment.-In is progress report you can see his improvement in his spelling and punctuation.-When they invited Charlie over and spiked his cola and made him dance on a girl and they laughed at him. -For every change in someone’s life, there’s always a reason for them.-A human goes through many changes in his life like puberty, adolescence, maturity, ect…-He goes from happy, social, and ignorant to lonely, unhappy, resentful, and aware that people are making fun of him.-His memories start to come back to bring on repressed memories of his mother, Father, and his sister Norma.-Before the operation Charlie was happy when he was at the bakery with his “Friends” Joe and Gimpy but not knowingly being made fun of. -When the operation comes he finds that his “friends” aren’t really his friends and they end up pushing him away for he was now more superior then them intelligently. -Therefore he becomes unhappy and lonely in his own way.-When his memories come back he goes from liking his sister to hating her and when he meets her, he finds out that she does like and miss him.-In the book Charlie goes through many changes and events that lead to changes from his initial self. -Charlie was once a simple minded, happy go lucky guy but the operation changes his personality for him to become unhappy. -The mind does not change like you change your clothes you can’t just up and decide in one day that you change your personality, it takes time to change and lots of thought.A theme is the ideas and the opinions of the author about certain subjects. Themes are concepts of the story expressed by the author. The author of Flowers for Algernon explored many themes in his book. The three themes shown in Flowers for Algernon are Genetic Manipulation and its effects, the long search for oneself and the loss of innocence. Our first theme, Genetic manipulation, has many effects on certain humans, such as Charly Gordon and also Algernon.Charly and Algernon become much more intelligent after the brain surgery given by Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur. They both become more intelligent from the surgery by showing many improvements in various tests and Charly’s life. Charly’s progress reports improve daily with his grammar and spelling skills, eventually he’d become too smart which would then make everyone else around him feel stupid. He gets flashbacks of his child hood memories then would learn emotions that he isn’t ready for because he wouldn’t be mature enough to deal with them. Quote #1: “Anyway, now I know I’m getting a little smarter every day. I know punctuation, and I can spell good.” Quotation that proves that Charly’s progress reports grammar gets better. Charly realizes that he’s becoming much smarter by seeing that his punctuation and grammar has evolved rapidly. Quote #2: I stood up and closed my eyes and saw Charlie myself-six or seven years old, sitting at the dinner table with a schoolbook, learning to read, saying the words over and over with my mother sitting beside him, beside me..."Try it again." 201 "See Jack. See lack run. See lack see.""No Not See Jack see! It's Run Jack run!" Pointing with her rough-scrubbed finger."See Jack. See Jack run. Run Jack see.""No! You're not trying. Do it again!" Do it again... do it again... do it again... "Leave the boy alone. You've got him terrified.""He's got to learn. He's too lazy to concentrate." Run Jack run... run Jack run... run Jack run... run Jack run.. "He's slower than the other children. Give him time.""He's normal. There's nothing wrong with him. Just lazy. I'll beat it into him until he learns." Run Jack run... run Jack run... run Jack run... run Jack run... And then looking up from the table, it seems to me I saw myself, through Charlie's eyes, holding Paradise Lost, and I realized I was breaking the binding with the pressure of both hands as if I wanted to tear the book in half. I broke the back of it, ripped out a handful of pages, and flung them and the book across the room to the corner where the broken records were. I let it lay there and its torn white tongues were laughing because I couldn't understand what they were saying.I've got to try to hold onto some of the things I've learned.Please, God, don't take it all away.Quotation that proves that Charly’s having flashbacks with his mom which proves that his memory is improving.Quote #3: "I've got to go. I'll call you." And before she could np me, I pulled away. I had to get out of that building re everything caved in. Thinking about it now, rm certain it was a hallucination. Dr. Strauss feels that emotionally Fm still in that adolescent state where being close to a woman, or thinking of sex, sets off anxiety, panic, even hallucinations. He feels that my rapid intellectual development has deceived me into thinking I could live a normal emotional life. But 71 I've got to accept the fact that the fears and blocks triggered in these sexual situations reveal that emotionally I'm still an adolescent sexually retarded. I guess he means I'm not ready for a relationship with a woman like Alice Kinnian. Not yet.Quotation that proves that Charly’s gaining emotions for Alice Kinnian because of the surgery which would make him smarter, but unfortunately he is unable to deal with them.As you can see these three quotes furthers my arguments that Charly had become much smarter. From the surgery, after becoming smarter, it still wouldn’t make Charly capable of finding his true self. The long search for oneself isn’t an easy task, especially for a mentally disabled human. In Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon, Charly tries to search for his oneself but fails and isn’t able too. Charly is lost and feels confused about who he is, he also doesn’t know how he feels for Alice and is confused about his feelings for her.Quote #1: What the hell am I searching for?" The more I talked, the more upset she became. "What can I do to help you, Charlie?" "I don't know. I'm like an animal who's been locked out of his nice, safe cage." She sat beside me on the couch. "They're pushing you too fast. You're confused. You want to be an adult, but there's still a little boy inside you. Alone and frightened." She put my head on her shoulder, trying to comfort me, 77 and as she stroked my hair I knew that she needed me the way I needed her. "Charlie," she whispered after a while, "whatever you want... don't be afraid of me.. " I wanted to tell her I was waiting for the panic.Quotation that proves that Charly is lost with the search of his oneself because he compares himself as an animal who’s been locked out of his nice, safe cage. Quote #2: But as I walked away I felt a kind of simmering, then cooling, and finally a relief. I walked so fast I was drifting along the streets, and the feeling that hit my cheek was a cool breeze out of the summer night. Suddenly free .1 realize now that my feeling for Alice had been moving backward against the current of my learning, from worship. To love, to fondness, to a feeling of gratitude and responsibility. My confused feeling for her had been holding me back, and I had clung to her out of my fear of being forced out on my own, and cut adrift.Quotation proves that he is also confused with his emotions in his inner self for Alice Kinnian because he realizes that his feelings have been moving backwards for her and that his confused feelings for her have been holding him back for searching for his oneself. Charly had also become upset about being confused with the search for his inner self. He gets frustrated about his feelings for Alice because he isn’t mature enough to deal with them. Charly Gordon never accomplishes to find his oneself because the surgery had wore off on him before he ever got the chance, also because the surgery had worn off, it would show both sides of Charly.The loss of Innocence is shown in many ways by the main character of Flowers for Algernon, Charly Gordon. He shows his innocence while mentally disabled but does the opposite while mentally gifted. Waiting at the corner in the rain, Charly is gullible so he is innocent when his so called “Friends” at the bakery pull a prank on him. After the surgery, Charlie loses his innocence by acting rudely to the people who care about him the most. Quote #1: I dont remember how the party was over but they asked me to go around the corner to see if it was raining and when I came back there was no one their. Maybe they went to find me. I looked for them all over till it was late. But I got lost and I felt bad at myself for getting lost because I bet Algernon coud go up and down those streets a hundrid times and not get lost like I did.Quotation proves that Charly had been pranked by his co-workers at Donners bakery which would then make him gullible because of his mental disability, also proves that he is innocent. Quote #2: She slammed down a book she was holding. "All right. You want to know? You're different. You've changed. And I'm not talking about your I. Q. It's your attitude toward people-you're not the same kind of human being-" "Oh, come on now! Don't--2' "Don't interrupt me!" The real anger in her voice pushed me back. "I mean it. There was something in you before. I don't know... a warmth, an openness, a kindness that made everyone like you and like to have you around. Now, with all your intelligence and knowledge, there are differences that-" I couldn't let myself listen. "What did you expect? Did you think I'd remain a docile pup, wagging my tail and licking the foot that kicks me? Sure, all this has changed me and the way I think about myself. I no longer have to take the kind of crap that people have been handing me all my life." "People have not been bad to you." "What do you know about it? Listen, the best of them have been smug and patronizing-using me to make themselves superior and secure in their own limitations. Anyone can feel intelligent beside a moron." After I said it, I knew she was going to take it the wrong way. "You put me in that category too, I suppose."This quotation proves that Charly had changed since the surgery and loss his innocence when he practically calls Miss Kinnian a moron. Charly gains back his innocence after the surgery wears off which causes the author to express that the theme of genetic manipulation negatively. In conclusion, many authors cover many different aspects of themes throughout their books. Daniel Keyes reveals his opinions and themes of Genetic Manipulation, the long search for oneself and the loss of innocence through the main character Charly Gordon. Are the themes shown by the authors of their novels represented through their opinions?Flowers for algernon note for symbolismArgument 1:The Maze:Big part of the storyMany different symbols put into oneThe maze symbolized Charly’s progress.As Algernon got smarter, the maze got easierAs Charlie got smarter, he started understanding things more and seeing life more clearlyThe maze also symbolized the obstacles and frustration that Algernon and Charlie had to go through.Algernon stopped wanting to go through the mazeHe started refusing to do itHe became really violent→ biting Fay With Charly getting smarter:He started drinkinghe started getting mad → he was understanding his past because of his constant flashbacks→ he realized that people he thought we’re his friends we’re really only making fun of him. Ex: when Frank Reilley and Joe Carp brought Charly to the party. They made fun of him then ditched him at the end of the night.Argument 2:The FlowersBeginning of the end of the storyThe flowers symbolize Charlie’s final goodbye to Algernon and to his intelligenceCharlie’s relationships Before the ExperimentCharlie was the janitor at Donner’s bakery before the operation.Charlie was used as entertainment at the bakery, M. Donner was the only one who respected him.M. Donner was a friend of Charlie’s uncle and so, gave him a job.“He brought you in here and he asked me to let you work here and look after you as best I could…. So don’t worry about me bringing in somebody to take your place.”- M. Donner P. 16-17On many occasions, pranks such as:Getting him drunk and tripping him while he dancedSpiking his drink and making him wait outside all night and ditching him were pranks played on him by his co-workers.They also yelled at him a lot but Charlie still thought that they were his friends.“… Gimpy hollers at me when I do something rong but he reely likes me because hes my frend. Boy if I get smart wont he be surprised.”- Charlie Gordon P. 4After the ExperimentBut after the operation Charlie slowly comes to the cold realization that his “friends” are not actually his friends and they’re just keeping him around to insult him.“How many times had he used me as a go-between to deliver packages to her, undercharging her so that later they could split the difference? Had he used me all these years to help him steal?”- Charlie Gordon P. 62For example: they convince Charlie to use the mixing machine in hopes that it would break and they would get the day off. It turns out that Charlie has been able to learn and therefore he is able to operate the mixer better that anyone else and the joke backfires, Charlie gets 5$ raise and earns the position of dough mixer.The employees are jealous of Charlie’s newly acquired intelligence. Therefore they act differently towards him and eventually they petition to get him fired. “…you come in here with all your ideas and suggestions making the rest of us look like dopes but I’ll tell you something to me you’re still a moron!”- Gimpy P. 74Miss Kinnian’s relationship with Charlie before and after the operation.Miss Kinnian is a teacher at Beekman`s College for retarded adults.Charlie treats Miss Kinnian as a student should, with respect. Miss Kinnian treats Charlie like a student and she recommends him for a scientific operation to make him smart. "she likes me a lot because I try very hard to lern everything not like some of the pepul at the adult center who don’t reely care. She wants me to get smart. I know” pg 9 Charlie realizes that he needs help. Charlie also notices that Miss Kinnian is willing to help. Miss Kinnian is showing empathy and Charlie shows respect to her opinion. After the operation Charlie notices some changes. He slowly realizes that Alice is beautiful. “why haven`t I ever noticed how beautiful Alice Kinnian is? She has apigeon-soft brown eyes and feathery brown hair down to the hollow of her neck. When she smiles her full lips look as if she`s pouting “pg54 Charlie is later at the movies with Alice and he sees other couples get close to one another. Alice's arm and legs brush against him. Charlie would like to put his arm around her and yet he's afraid to get close to her. "it became such an ordeal—so painful that I forced myself to take my mind off her”pg54 As a young boy, Charlie’s mother always punished him whenever she thought he looked at girls. She told him to be a good boy; to keep his hands and his eyes to himself.After Charlie becomes more intelligent the two become mutually attracted. At one point they are in the park. Charlie pulls Alice close to her to kiss her. But suddenly, his anxiety becomes unbearable. Charlie carries too much guilt from when he was mentally retarded and had been shamed about the idea of sexual feelings.?"when I touched her shoulder she stiffened and trembled but I pulled her towards me. Then it happened. It started as a hollow buzzing in my ears… an electric saw… far away. Then the cold; arms and legs prickly and finger numbing. Suddenly, I had the feeling I was being watched." Pg 70 He shuts down his interactions with Miss Kinnian . Alice notices that Charlie has is no longer a kind gentlemen he is being selfish and arrogant "You're different. You've changed. And I`m not talking about your I.Q. It's your attitude toward people---you`re not the same kind of human being-----"pg 85 Tension is creeping in the relationship. Charlie doesn't notice his changed attitude clearly.A little later in the story Charlie is in Alice living room. They are kissing and Charlie becomes anxious. The possibility of being intimate with Alice is just too much and he again runs away.Charlie knew as soon as he saw side effects from Algernon that he would go back to his old self. Charlie turns back to the retarded kid he once was.. Charlie’s most common reality checksBy: Gabrielle Charrois and Fabio NoceraArgument 1Charlie’s life as a young childRose Gordon was the mother Charlie looked up to before Norma’s birthHis curiousness bothered RoseRose thought Charlie affected Norma’s lifeRose had sent Charlie to a warren state homeCharlie’s father Matt leftLater affected Charlie as an intelligent manArgument 2Charlie had his first real love emotion towards Harriet at schoolHe wanted to give Harriet a letter and locket for Valentine’s DayHis “friend” Hymie wrote the letter in a different wayCharlie gave the letter and locket to HarrietHarriet avoided Charlie and he was beaten by her brother and other boysThis later affected Charlie in various waysArgument 3Charlie has a reality check when Algernon diesEveryone had known of the side effectsCharlie was pleased yet frightenedHe was a lonely and depressed manHad his last moments aloneOnce his old self everything changed at the bakery as he got a job there ................
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