"Flowers for Algernon" (Sarah Reyes) by Sarah Reyes https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11 An analysis of "Flowers for Algernon." en-us 2017-01-27 16:24:58 UTC 2026-01-14 17:37:15 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lightdecrease.png Theme sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149929834 "IQ measures knowledge, not happiness."

-PROOF-
"You used to be a good, dependable, ordinary man- not too bright maybe, but honest. Who knows what you done to yourself to get so smart all of a sudden. Like everybody around here been saying, Charlie, it's not right."

"I have checked and re-checked my results a dozen time in the hopes of finding an error. I am sorry to say that the results must stand. Yet for the sake of science, I am grateful for the little bit I have to add to the knowledge of the function of the human mind and of the laws governing the artificial increase of human intelligence."
]]> 2017-01-27 16:40:07 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149929834 Summary sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930060 Charlie Gordon is a 37 year old man living in New York in 1965, who severely struggles with his lack of intelligence. But because of his desperate wish to become intelligent, and his "Motor-Vation" to do so, Charlie participates in a study where he will undergo surgery that is said to increase his IQ by three times the amount. As he goes through this process, he writes "Progress Reports" for study, that shows his struggles and experiences. He faces many challenges, and internal conflicts as his intelligence rises, personality shifts, and relationships evolve. In the end, Charlie develops amnesia, and loses the intelligence that he gained, and decides to move away from New York to start a new life, which allows the reader to reflect on how this experiment effected him, and the impact of intelligence. ]]> 2017-01-27 16:40:45 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930060 Point of View sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930205 POV: First Person Point of View.
You can tell that Flower's for Algernon is written in first person POV B/C, Charlie uses words like I, and the story is written from his personal perspective ONLY.]]> 2017-01-27 16:41:09 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930205 Conflict sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930247 Conflict Type: Man Vs. Self

I feel like this story has somewhat of multiple conflicts, the nature of the human mind, his friends that tore him down, and how he feels like he needs to fit in, but I feel like this all circles back around to the anxiety he feels about all of this that truly causes the problems in his story.]]> 2017-01-27 16:41:16 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930247 Character Traits sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930459 1 Trait Before the Surgery:
-Insecure: Charlie is very insecure about his intelligence (Or lack of intelligence). For example, during the inkblot test he is told to try to make depictions of what the ink blots could mean, and he does't see anything in the pictures. Because of this he becomes frustrated, and tries to lie about what he sees in the images. His innocence and anxiety surrounding the test shows how bad his disability makes him feel.
1 Trait After the Surgery:
-Arrogant: Charlie has become somewhat too smart for his own good after the surgery is performed, and you can tell by the fact when around Dr. Strauss and Nemur, they find themselves somewhat uncomfortable with his intelligence, and the reader can predict this sprouts from the fact Charlie is beginning to make them feel insecure, without even realizing it, however I wouldn't say he is truly 

presumptuous.

]]> 2017-01-27 16:41:56 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930459 Language sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930809 Metaphor: "Algernon bit me."
I believe this is a metaphor for how this experiment may negatively effect Charlie's attitude.
Imagery: "We went through the cards slowly. One of them looked like a pair of bats
tugging at something. Another one looked like two men fencing with swords.
I imagined all sorts of things. I guess I got carried away. "
When talking about the inkblot tests I feel like I can really imagine the images coming alive to him, and the "I imagined all kinds of things," really made ME imagine a lot of stuff that could be going on in the picture, and for some reason made me feel like the pictures were moving, and it just made it feel more creative and real.]]> 2017-01-27 16:42:54 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149930809 Vocabulary sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149931028
"At the end of Flowers for Algernon Charlie's intelligence goes through deterioration."

"The new doctor was too incompetent to perform this surgery."

"You could tell during the charade game that John was very incoherent."]]> 2017-01-27 16:43:29 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149931028 Plot sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149931180 Exposition:

Setting - New York, 1965
Situation/Climate: Charlie Gordon is a man living in New York 1965, who wants to undergo a surgery that will make him smart.
Characters: Charlie Gordon, Ms. Kinnian, Dr. Strauss, Dr. Nemur, Algernon

Protagonist Vs. Antagonist:
Charlie Vs. His Intelligence

Rising Action:
- Charlie is selected to have a surgery performed on him that will increase his intelligence by three times the amount B/C he "passed" the inkblot test and the test with Algernon that would see if he qualified for this study (Because of his lack of intelligence).
-Charlie begins to develop intelligence quickly, and realizes how his friends are treating him is wrong.
-Charlie laughs at mentally restarted man and realizes just how much he has changed from the experiment.

Climax: Charlie gains amnesia.

Falling Action:
-Decides to continue the study alone
-Algernon Dies
-Becomes a janitor again
-Intelligence deteriorates
-Decides to move away from NY
Resolution: 
-Charlie decides to move away from NY and you can infer because Algernon dies, that Charlie dies as well.

:(]]> 2017-01-27 16:43:47 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/149931180 sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150304416 2017-01-30 16:59:46 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150304416 sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150304791 2017-01-30 17:00:46 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150304791 sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150305919 2017-01-30 17:03:44 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150305919 sreyes5 https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150311087 2017-01-30 17:17:21 UTC https://padlet.com/sreyes5/n870kvnovu11/wish/150311087