Flowers for Algernon was a very intriguing read for me, as it very thoroughly explored the difference the in the perceptions of reality from the view of a retard and then, a genius.
Before the operation, Charlie, while being the butt of many cruel jokes, actually believed that he had many friends. Although he never stopped expressing his desire to learn, it can be said that at this point of time, he was happy. He was free from the many burdens that plague us, with simple wants that were easily satisfied. He wanted little more.
After the operation, however, his perception of reality changed. One of the most notable sentences i remember him saying is "I hate that mouse". At that point of time, he had just had the operation, and his feeling of hate towards Algernon was now due the the realization that he, Charlie Gordon, a human being, was in fact inferior mentally to a mouse. Upon further maturation, he began looking down on those less intelligent than him, falling into arrogance and self-pity. He seemed rarely as happy as before.
It seems that ignorance truly is bliss.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Nurul Atiqah (08s304)'s initial thoughts on Flowers
The one question that echoed in my mind throughout the process of reading Flowers: Is it okay to subject fellow human beings to an experiment, even if it is for the greater good?
I reckon that's what's good about Flowers. It tugs at your heartstrings (especially when the writer utilises dramatic irony) but most importantly, the author has created a work of fiction that's thought-provoking and oddly realistic.
How far should we go in the name of Science?
That question has been asked repeatedly for years. In Flowers, we explore that deep abyss "first-hand" through the eyes of the "guinea pig". It was somehow more than apparent that the author did not believe in treating a human being as scientists would treat a guinea pig. Through experiencing it "first-hand", we realise that in spite of Charlie's extreme low IQ, Charlie could feel. Charlie still had feelings. And as Charlie got increasingly intelligent, his thoughts grew more complex and so do his ability to analyse his emotions and wants. Eventually, Charlie grew indignant about being viewed as a mere guinea pig, and not a person of high intelligence.
And that was probably something Prof. Nemur had not thought of. He did think and hope that Charlie's intelligence would surpass that of "an ordinary man" (as Charlie puts it) such as himself but he had not (and most definitely could not) been prepared for the post-operation sequence of events that followed.
I mentioned that it was more than apparent that the author did not believe in subjecting human beings to experiments. I also thought that it was more than apparent that he had succeeded in making readers such as myself believe him, and that maybe, Charlie was somehow better off left alone.
I reckon that's what's good about Flowers. It tugs at your heartstrings (especially when the writer utilises dramatic irony) but most importantly, the author has created a work of fiction that's thought-provoking and oddly realistic.
How far should we go in the name of Science?
That question has been asked repeatedly for years. In Flowers, we explore that deep abyss "first-hand" through the eyes of the "guinea pig". It was somehow more than apparent that the author did not believe in treating a human being as scientists would treat a guinea pig. Through experiencing it "first-hand", we realise that in spite of Charlie's extreme low IQ, Charlie could feel. Charlie still had feelings. And as Charlie got increasingly intelligent, his thoughts grew more complex and so do his ability to analyse his emotions and wants. Eventually, Charlie grew indignant about being viewed as a mere guinea pig, and not a person of high intelligence.
And that was probably something Prof. Nemur had not thought of. He did think and hope that Charlie's intelligence would surpass that of "an ordinary man" (as Charlie puts it) such as himself but he had not (and most definitely could not) been prepared for the post-operation sequence of events that followed.
I mentioned that it was more than apparent that the author did not believe in subjecting human beings to experiments. I also thought that it was more than apparent that he had succeeded in making readers such as myself believe him, and that maybe, Charlie was somehow better off left alone.
DionneAlviedo08S402
What I liked about Flowers for Algernon is the way Charlie has developed throughout the story. His 'Progress Reports' not only showed us how his spelling and grammar improved, it also showed us how his view of the world changed as he began to understand his surroundings in a higher level. Flowers for Algernon, in my opinion, is a deeply sad and moving story. Firstly, the way it was written, in the first person, allowed us to go through the whole process with Charlie, yet it also allowed us to interpret for ourselves what Charlie was going through. In the first part of the story, when Charlie's IQ was still low, we saw how the people he considered as his "friends" made him a laughing stock. Still, he was not aware of this and he continued to trust and like them. This made us feel for Charlie as a character.
At first, I was not too keen to read the book, but as it is required, I had to. Plus, as I read through the first part, Charlie was such a likable character that I just had to know what happens to him.
As the story progressed, I felt sad for Charlie as he saw the world for what it truly is. A cruel world full of meanies. Putting myself in his shoes, I wondered how it must have felt like to realize that everything you knew no longer holds true. And all this took place in such a short period of time. Imagine going through mental 'puberty' at his age, the teenage awkwardness in a middle-aged man. We saw how Charlie progressed mentally and emotionally. But as we witnessed how hard it was for him to relate to people once he became a genius, we realize that science cannot do everything.
I think one of the themes of this story is the impact of science in our lives. Yes indeed, science and all the modern technology that comes with it is very helpful. It can cure previously incurable diseases, yet as we see in Flowers for Algernon, it shows that some of the 'sicknesses' are best left alone, for they may not even be a sickness at all; that maybe, the real sickness is within us, for even thinking that 'retards' are a lower form of human beings, and trying to change them.
At first, I was not too keen to read the book, but as it is required, I had to. Plus, as I read through the first part, Charlie was such a likable character that I just had to know what happens to him.
As the story progressed, I felt sad for Charlie as he saw the world for what it truly is. A cruel world full of meanies. Putting myself in his shoes, I wondered how it must have felt like to realize that everything you knew no longer holds true. And all this took place in such a short period of time. Imagine going through mental 'puberty' at his age, the teenage awkwardness in a middle-aged man. We saw how Charlie progressed mentally and emotionally. But as we witnessed how hard it was for him to relate to people once he became a genius, we realize that science cannot do everything.
I think one of the themes of this story is the impact of science in our lives. Yes indeed, science and all the modern technology that comes with it is very helpful. It can cure previously incurable diseases, yet as we see in Flowers for Algernon, it shows that some of the 'sicknesses' are best left alone, for they may not even be a sickness at all; that maybe, the real sickness is within us, for even thinking that 'retards' are a lower form of human beings, and trying to change them.
Siti Zakiah 08S304 Progress Report 1
Reading Flowers for Algernon has certainly evoked a lot of feelings. As cheesy as it may sound, Flowers is a very moving story and it certainly made me shed a few tears towards the end of it.
Set in the Big Apple in the 1960s, it is based on the diary, or progress reports, of Charlie Gordon- an intellectually disabled man who becomes the first human being to become smart through surgery. And in the short span of three months, you could vividly picture Charlie getting smarter, more curious and clearly in search of his true self.
I liked how Daniel Keyes potrayed Charlie in his various stages of develpoment. The way he writes Charlie's progress reports from the beginning, complete with spelling and punctuation errors, has got me believing that it was indeed a person with low IQ who wrote it. Slowly, Keyes developed the character, through the progress reports no less, and showed readers the steady progress Charlie is making.
Flowers also highlights the theme of the burden of intelligence and makes readers question-- Does being smarter make you happier? Perhaps more favourable? Judging from Charlie's progress, it is unlikely that higher IQ equals to happiness. I can see how Charlie becomes obssessed with learning and wanting to prove the scientists wrong. It seems that the more smarter he is, the more complex the world becomes. Charlie suddenly has no friends and is withdrawn from the world.
In my opinion, one of the most heart-wrenching scenes was his last progress report on November 21st. It finally shows the readers of his regression and how he is back where he first started; his short memory, innocence and inability to spell and use punctuation. This clearly indicates the start of his stay at the Warren State Home, true to his own prediction.
On the whole, Flowers for Algernon tells us about the fallibility of science and proves that Charlie Gordon may be a happier and peaceful person if he was left alone.
Set in the Big Apple in the 1960s, it is based on the diary, or progress reports, of Charlie Gordon- an intellectually disabled man who becomes the first human being to become smart through surgery. And in the short span of three months, you could vividly picture Charlie getting smarter, more curious and clearly in search of his true self.
I liked how Daniel Keyes potrayed Charlie in his various stages of develpoment. The way he writes Charlie's progress reports from the beginning, complete with spelling and punctuation errors, has got me believing that it was indeed a person with low IQ who wrote it. Slowly, Keyes developed the character, through the progress reports no less, and showed readers the steady progress Charlie is making.
Flowers also highlights the theme of the burden of intelligence and makes readers question-- Does being smarter make you happier? Perhaps more favourable? Judging from Charlie's progress, it is unlikely that higher IQ equals to happiness. I can see how Charlie becomes obssessed with learning and wanting to prove the scientists wrong. It seems that the more smarter he is, the more complex the world becomes. Charlie suddenly has no friends and is withdrawn from the world.
In my opinion, one of the most heart-wrenching scenes was his last progress report on November 21st. It finally shows the readers of his regression and how he is back where he first started; his short memory, innocence and inability to spell and use punctuation. This clearly indicates the start of his stay at the Warren State Home, true to his own prediction.
On the whole, Flowers for Algernon tells us about the fallibility of science and proves that Charlie Gordon may be a happier and peaceful person if he was left alone.
08s416howengsiong
M i not the LAST!? Rite.. so basically i feel thAT flowers is a pretty good read and it really makes me reflect and think about this central question present in the short story. Is intelligence the downfall of man?
what is also interesting of the change of point of view when charlie changes from a retard to an intellectual superior.
as charlie became smarter, he grew more and more self centred and aloof, and also viewed many people whom he thought as smart once e.g. the professors with what is known as through a superiority complex. This made people slowly starting to shun him and he himself meets with a lot of problems and feels frustrated at this "complex" world he is living in. On the other hand, when he had a low IQ, or was a retard, he appeared to have more friends, or at least from his point of view. Even though as a reader, we know that many of his so called friends at the beginning of the story most probably treated him as a laughing joke, but through his eyes, the world he sees is a simple world with innocence and happiness, like a fairytale.
On the author's writing style, the diary form that this story is written in is extremly effective as it enables the author to express charlie's thoughts in a way he would otherwise be unable to, except through the arkwardness of dialouge between intellectual unequals.
Besides the main questions, this story made me ponder on several other questions, namely, his charlie's only true friend Algernon? Or maybe whether charlie is used my everyone in a way or another except by Ms Kinnian? I'm still thinking for answers for these questions so lets all ponder together ... =)))
what is also interesting of the change of point of view when charlie changes from a retard to an intellectual superior.
as charlie became smarter, he grew more and more self centred and aloof, and also viewed many people whom he thought as smart once e.g. the professors with what is known as through a superiority complex. This made people slowly starting to shun him and he himself meets with a lot of problems and feels frustrated at this "complex" world he is living in. On the other hand, when he had a low IQ, or was a retard, he appeared to have more friends, or at least from his point of view. Even though as a reader, we know that many of his so called friends at the beginning of the story most probably treated him as a laughing joke, but through his eyes, the world he sees is a simple world with innocence and happiness, like a fairytale.
On the author's writing style, the diary form that this story is written in is extremly effective as it enables the author to express charlie's thoughts in a way he would otherwise be unable to, except through the arkwardness of dialouge between intellectual unequals.
Besides the main questions, this story made me ponder on several other questions, namely, his charlie's only true friend Algernon? Or maybe whether charlie is used my everyone in a way or another except by Ms Kinnian? I'm still thinking for answers for these questions so lets all ponder together ... =)))
Russell Chan 08S304 Progress Report 1
Written in first-person, Flowers for Algernon is an intrepid work of Keyes that delves into the humanly ideals of intelligence and perfection. In this text, readers are presented with the current popular notion of humans wanting to play God. Charlie, a mentally retarded individual, undergoes an operation to make him smarter. This parallels current advances in science such as genetic engineering, the more popular being cloning and genetic alteration in babies. As Charlie gets smarter, the world he perceives gets more and more intricate, which in turn greatly affects his emotional state of mind. Keyes attempts to bring across the idea that as we humans try harder to play the role of God, the more others will be affected emotionally as morality steps in.
The novel also touches on the typicalities of human nature. Being deprived mentally and socially, Charlie is portrayed as an individual who would strive his hardest in order to achieve his goal of getting smarter, and never giving up even when the odds are all against him. However, other normal humans such as his colleagues at the bakery, who are given what Charlie did not have, take things for granted.
The book takes readers through a turbulent ride of emotion, leaving them thinking, after all that Charlie had gone through, whether Charlie's desire and efforts to get smarter was ever worth it in the first place.
The novel also touches on the typicalities of human nature. Being deprived mentally and socially, Charlie is portrayed as an individual who would strive his hardest in order to achieve his goal of getting smarter, and never giving up even when the odds are all against him. However, other normal humans such as his colleagues at the bakery, who are given what Charlie did not have, take things for granted.
The book takes readers through a turbulent ride of emotion, leaving them thinking, after all that Charlie had gone through, whether Charlie's desire and efforts to get smarter was ever worth it in the first place.
All in all, I think Flowers for Algernon is a great story. It was heartbreaking for me, especially towards the end as Charlie's mind deteriorates at a fast rate.
The story evoked a lot of emotions in me such as anger, pity and sadness.
It taught me a great deal about the wonders of science however I have to admit some of them do not seem realistic. It also taught me how to value the things I'm blessed with such as the capability of my brain. We should not take our brains for granted because people like Charlie desperately want to have a normal brain so that they can learn.
We should also treat people like Charlie with respect although they are very different from us.
This is because they are human beings too and have feelings. We cannot simply chuck their feelings aside and treat them like dirt, like what his supposedly friends did to him.
It was moving for me as Charlie got to experience love but then it was short-lived. But it's better to receive a little than not get any. He savoured every moment of it when he had high IQ. He saw the world through a new window and appreciated every little thing, even those that we tend to disregard. I pitied him because he was just a subject of an experiment. Anyhow, it was for a good cause and he acknowledged that fact.
I could feel his anger and sorrow when he came to know that all his life, his so-called friends were making a fool out of him, for their pleasure.
I could see the transformation in his character after the experiment. A bittersweet ending.
Overall, the story is worth reading. I would love to go on ranting but time's catching up fast!
Nurul Syazwani Akhbar
08S416
Prog report 1
The story evoked a lot of emotions in me such as anger, pity and sadness.
It taught me a great deal about the wonders of science however I have to admit some of them do not seem realistic. It also taught me how to value the things I'm blessed with such as the capability of my brain. We should not take our brains for granted because people like Charlie desperately want to have a normal brain so that they can learn.
We should also treat people like Charlie with respect although they are very different from us.
This is because they are human beings too and have feelings. We cannot simply chuck their feelings aside and treat them like dirt, like what his supposedly friends did to him.
It was moving for me as Charlie got to experience love but then it was short-lived. But it's better to receive a little than not get any. He savoured every moment of it when he had high IQ. He saw the world through a new window and appreciated every little thing, even those that we tend to disregard. I pitied him because he was just a subject of an experiment. Anyhow, it was for a good cause and he acknowledged that fact.
I could feel his anger and sorrow when he came to know that all his life, his so-called friends were making a fool out of him, for their pleasure.
I could see the transformation in his character after the experiment. A bittersweet ending.
Overall, the story is worth reading. I would love to go on ranting but time's catching up fast!
Nurul Syazwani Akhbar
08S416
Prog report 1
Amelia Chow 08S304 Progress Report 1
Reading Flowers for Algernon has shown me how people, despite the odds stacked against them, never stop trying. Charlie had the worst cards anyone could draw in life. Mentally challenged, it cost him a chance to normal life, and his mother’s love. His mother failed to love him for who he was, and tried persistently to prove to herself and the world that Charlie was ‘normal’. In the process, she neglected to provide Charlie with emotional support, and instead, used violence to try to force him to be someone he could not. To be deprived of a mother’s love is one of the most tragic events that could happen to a child, no matter if the child was normal or not. As I read about the earlier events that happened in Charlie’s life, I pitied him. The workers at Donner’s Bakery were never true friends towards him. He was their clown. In a way, I felt that his life was made up of lies. Nothing was as Charlie thought it was. Yet I also envied him. His perspective of the world was so simple, everyone was a friend. This way, his disability had made his life a peaceful and happy one.
I feel that the book places most emphasis on Charlie’s quest to find out the truth of his past, in order for him to come to terms with himself and find his identity. It was sad to see that after all his efforts to locate his family, there was nothing left for him there. All it brought was more sorrow, especially since Charlie knew that he could not be there for his sister and mother. However, it also showed him coming to terms with his mother as he forgave her. It was this overcoming the shadows of his childhood that finally allowed him to have a romantic relationship with Alice. To me, this was a symbol of his growing up.
Charlie’s regression back to his original mental state was an emotional part in the novel. For him to be the one to discover the flaw and yet be unable to stop it was excruciating. On the whole, I feel that it was better for Charlie to have had this operation. Although it did not last, it allowed him to experience things he normally would never be able to. Also, in the last progress report, it shows his pride at being able to contribute to society and the people like him, proving that his life was not for nothing.
I feel that the book places most emphasis on Charlie’s quest to find out the truth of his past, in order for him to come to terms with himself and find his identity. It was sad to see that after all his efforts to locate his family, there was nothing left for him there. All it brought was more sorrow, especially since Charlie knew that he could not be there for his sister and mother. However, it also showed him coming to terms with his mother as he forgave her. It was this overcoming the shadows of his childhood that finally allowed him to have a romantic relationship with Alice. To me, this was a symbol of his growing up.
Charlie’s regression back to his original mental state was an emotional part in the novel. For him to be the one to discover the flaw and yet be unable to stop it was excruciating. On the whole, I feel that it was better for Charlie to have had this operation. Although it did not last, it allowed him to experience things he normally would never be able to. Also, in the last progress report, it shows his pride at being able to contribute to society and the people like him, proving that his life was not for nothing.
chan hui yu 08S416 progress report 1
my initial impressions of Flowers for Algernon is that it is a very unusual book because it is written with a lot of spelling, punctuation and grammar errors. Another striking aspect of the book is that it is a record of a science experiment.The protegonist of the book is Charlie Gordon who is a retard with a strong desire to learn. i think that charlie's strong desire to learn might be attributed to his mother's treatment towards him. charlie wants to be smart so that his mother will like him. the author starts the story with charlie being a retard before the operation and shows his progress after that and finally his declination of his intelligence at the end. here, we can witness charlie's progress and the changes in him. the book explores the theme of the treatment of retarded people. it shows that retarded people are not treated like human beings and are being looked down upon. ironically, charlie himself, after being a genius after the operation, also look down upon people who have lower level of intelligence than him. charlie was not treated like a human being when he was a retard and even after being a genius he was treated like a laboratory animal. charlie and algernon the rat develop a friendship because charlie was able to identify with algernon who also undergoes the experiment. the author uses flashback to retell charlie's childhood and we are able to see how charlie has been treated by his family because of his low level of intelligence. the author makes us sympathise charlie due to the treatment he received. charlie's character changed after being a genius and he starts to suspect others and eventually pushes others away from himself. in the end, the declination of charlie's level of intelligence is obvious and is as fast as how his level of intelligence increased. he burns out and ended his progress report with asking to leave flowers for algernon. the ending of the book hints the demise of charlie gordon. i think the book is thought-provoking as it explores the inter-relationship between human and is definitely worth a read.
Shall I call it homework?
First and foremost, I think that parts regarding Alice and Fay should not have been left out, so that we could better understand the story. It is possible that there was important conclusions we could have drawn from those parts.
That aside, I find the story interesting and it brings the message across to me quite deeply that once one has experienced something good or high class, he will dread going back to a situation where the standard of living is worse off. We see the genius Charlie clinging onto the last of his genius-ness, not wanting to revert to his old stupid self despite the fact that it was inevitable.
And of course, the story revels very well that as you get more intelligent or smarter, the world becomes harder to understand, problems get more complex and you generally feel more troubled. Indeed, ignorance is bliss.
Alvin Tan
08S402
'Aida 08S416 Progress Report 1
I thought the book "Flowers for Algernon" was written beautifully, even though the story was a little slow at times. I liked seeing Charlie Gordon's progress and deterioration through his progress reports. His earlier progress reports were interesting to read as I had never come across a book written in such a way. Even though Charlie was a simpleton, he was lovable and kind. After Charlie became a super genius, I was taken aback by his aloof behavior towards other people, even his friends. When Charlie regressed, I felt my heart break for him as he had lost the people he thought were his friends from when he treated them like they were lower than him. After all was said and done, he was worse off than when he started.
I found his relationship with the mouse Algernon very touching as well. It was one that most of us will probably never experience; a bond that could transcend death. How Charlie still remembered it he said to remember to put flowers on Algernon’s grave when he went back to being “retarded” was heartwarming.
Overall, the book was an engaging read that takes the reader on an emotional journey together with Charlie. It is a book that I will remember and reflect upon for a long time to come.
I found his relationship with the mouse Algernon very touching as well. It was one that most of us will probably never experience; a bond that could transcend death. How Charlie still remembered it he said to remember to put flowers on Algernon’s grave when he went back to being “retarded” was heartwarming.
Overall, the book was an engaging read that takes the reader on an emotional journey together with Charlie. It is a book that I will remember and reflect upon for a long time to come.
Sabri 08S304 Progress Report 1
Woots! I'm 5th! Lols :D
My initial impression on Flowers For Algernon was that it is a very touching and mindful story. In my opinion,the author cleverly depicts Charlie's startling progress and eventual decline through the ever-changing sentence structure, spelling, and vocabulary of Charlie's journal entries.
Charlie begins his report on March third, expressing hope that Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur will choose him for an operation capable of raising his IQ to that of a genius. I think that Charlie is good-natured and hard-working, and he wants more than anything to be smart so that he can understand what's happening around him. However, he did not contemplate the fact that life gets more difficult when you are smarter. Charlie only realises this after he became a genius. He faced problems in his social life, such as his relationships with Fay and Alice, his commitments in finding what went wrong for the operation and also his past,which includes meeting his family after a very long time. In addition, when he realises that he was the object of frequent jokes among his friends, he broke down emotionally and decides not to trust anyone. This decision contrasted his old character, one who's very amiable and friendly. Nevertheless, the most critical problem appears to be the fact that his intelligence is temporary. He found out that it will deteriorate soon enough,as what happened to Algernon which led to its death.
Tragically, Charlie's regression proves nearly complete. Unable to bear everyone's pity, Charlie plans to go away to the Warren State Home and Training School. He closes his progress report on November 21st, in the same poor language that he used in the beginning of the story, urging everyone not to feel guilty and reminding his friends to lay some flowers on Algernon's small backyard grave. I believe that it is to honour Algernon's death,for it has gone through everything that he himself has faced.
SLEEP TIGHT PEOPLE! :D
My initial impression on Flowers For Algernon was that it is a very touching and mindful story. In my opinion,the author cleverly depicts Charlie's startling progress and eventual decline through the ever-changing sentence structure, spelling, and vocabulary of Charlie's journal entries.
Charlie begins his report on March third, expressing hope that Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur will choose him for an operation capable of raising his IQ to that of a genius. I think that Charlie is good-natured and hard-working, and he wants more than anything to be smart so that he can understand what's happening around him. However, he did not contemplate the fact that life gets more difficult when you are smarter. Charlie only realises this after he became a genius. He faced problems in his social life, such as his relationships with Fay and Alice, his commitments in finding what went wrong for the operation and also his past,which includes meeting his family after a very long time. In addition, when he realises that he was the object of frequent jokes among his friends, he broke down emotionally and decides not to trust anyone. This decision contrasted his old character, one who's very amiable and friendly. Nevertheless, the most critical problem appears to be the fact that his intelligence is temporary. He found out that it will deteriorate soon enough,as what happened to Algernon which led to its death.
Tragically, Charlie's regression proves nearly complete. Unable to bear everyone's pity, Charlie plans to go away to the Warren State Home and Training School. He closes his progress report on November 21st, in the same poor language that he used in the beginning of the story, urging everyone not to feel guilty and reminding his friends to lay some flowers on Algernon's small backyard grave. I believe that it is to honour Algernon's death,for it has gone through everything that he himself has faced.
SLEEP TIGHT PEOPLE! :D
Loretta Ho 08S304 Progress Report 1
Flowers of Algernon dwells into the concepts of both science and life. In this book, Keyes takes a daring attempt to portray humans playing god and tweaking the human mind, of scientists and their follies and humans with their ingrained emotions (whether genius or not). Human morals are tested; should one tweak with god-given intelligence? Would it be a marvel of science or another one of those science experiments that go horribly wrong?
Keyes writes the novel in a first-person view therefore carefully portraying the mind of a retarded. We see the transition of Charlie Gorden from being a retarded man to a super brainiac. From his inability to string a proper sentence to complex sentences. What I see most dominant in the story, is his ability to keep trying, whether with brains or not. To me, trying is what makes things possible, and of course for progress to be achieved. Throughout the whole experiment, Charlie is faced with much more adversity in a short period of time than a normal human being would face in his life time. Fortunately, equipped with the intelligence the brain managed to increase, solving problems and even finding answers to his own questions was easy. Ironically, it was also because of this intelligence, that resulted in more problems arousing. For example, self-esteem, over confidence and impatience.
Reading Flowers for Algernon was like reading a child's diary - ever since he was kid to when he starts growing up, and then to being an adult, only that the reports ended up as what it was at the beginning. Innoncence to learning to impressing to annoyance, and back to innocence once again. Charlie learned how to use punctuations, where to put capital letters to learning many different languages and most incredibly, finding the error in the whole experiment. Algernon was a reflection or model of Charlie, only smaller. In the middle of the story, Charlie, still a genius, saw himself in Algernon. Unfortunately, not the postive side of the experiment but rather the negative, or hard part. Seeing himself deteriorating was torture for him, the torned books all piled up in a corner showed his anger, and that evoked sympathy for him. I couldn't help but teared a little when I reached the end of the book.
Last of all, I'd like to say something about the title of the story - Flowers for Algernon. The book was titled after the rat, instead of the protaganist (Charlie Gorden, himself), different from most books I've read where the book is usually titled after the main character of the story (example, Macbeth). Algernon, though only a rat, was the root of the whole experiment, which I suppose is the most significant value. Charlie had a chance to experience what people would take a lifetime to learn, thanks to Algernon. At the end of the story, "...put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard." was probably a very very sincere thank you to Algernon from Charlie for all that he'd gained. Hence the title.
I thought the book was rather monotonous, I didn't find any climax of the story, did you? But nonetheless, a book thats different from other kinds of books I've read. It's always the ending that determines what I feel for the book, and I can honestly say, that I did enjoy the book. So yes, I liked the ending. It was sweeeet! (so corny so cheesy hahahahaha!)
Keyes writes the novel in a first-person view therefore carefully portraying the mind of a retarded. We see the transition of Charlie Gorden from being a retarded man to a super brainiac. From his inability to string a proper sentence to complex sentences. What I see most dominant in the story, is his ability to keep trying, whether with brains or not. To me, trying is what makes things possible, and of course for progress to be achieved. Throughout the whole experiment, Charlie is faced with much more adversity in a short period of time than a normal human being would face in his life time. Fortunately, equipped with the intelligence the brain managed to increase, solving problems and even finding answers to his own questions was easy. Ironically, it was also because of this intelligence, that resulted in more problems arousing. For example, self-esteem, over confidence and impatience.
Reading Flowers for Algernon was like reading a child's diary - ever since he was kid to when he starts growing up, and then to being an adult, only that the reports ended up as what it was at the beginning. Innoncence to learning to impressing to annoyance, and back to innocence once again. Charlie learned how to use punctuations, where to put capital letters to learning many different languages and most incredibly, finding the error in the whole experiment. Algernon was a reflection or model of Charlie, only smaller. In the middle of the story, Charlie, still a genius, saw himself in Algernon. Unfortunately, not the postive side of the experiment but rather the negative, or hard part. Seeing himself deteriorating was torture for him, the torned books all piled up in a corner showed his anger, and that evoked sympathy for him. I couldn't help but teared a little when I reached the end of the book.
Last of all, I'd like to say something about the title of the story - Flowers for Algernon. The book was titled after the rat, instead of the protaganist (Charlie Gorden, himself), different from most books I've read where the book is usually titled after the main character of the story (example, Macbeth). Algernon, though only a rat, was the root of the whole experiment, which I suppose is the most significant value. Charlie had a chance to experience what people would take a lifetime to learn, thanks to Algernon. At the end of the story, "...put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard." was probably a very very sincere thank you to Algernon from Charlie for all that he'd gained. Hence the title.
I thought the book was rather monotonous, I didn't find any climax of the story, did you? But nonetheless, a book thats different from other kinds of books I've read. It's always the ending that determines what I feel for the book, and I can honestly say, that I did enjoy the book. So yes, I liked the ending. It was sweeeet! (so corny so cheesy hahahahaha!)
Jasmine Low 08S416 Progress Report 1
okay so I'm like the forth to post?? Its like Saturday 06:35pm hahas ok((:
The book flowers for Algernon i would say that it is a very touching and really a very interesting way from the author to write the book in such a manner that the words spelled during the process of the entire book changes according to charlie's ability. The book is touching because it is written from the point of view of a retarded adult who constantly wants to achieve a higher standard of intelligence no matter how high the risk could have been if the experiment of being clever have failed which may even resulted Charlie to be far worst then what he is presently now. It kind of made me think of how we normal human being take for granted the simplest thing that God has given us, intelligence, which other who unlucky was not able to have that gift but constantly yield for it. I felt very happy at first when Charlie went through the operation and apparently it succeeded because it fulfilled charlie greatest wish of having intelligence. The things that charlie did made me pity him because he could not really communicate well with the people around him and he suddenly realise that he was actually being made fun of when he was in the retarded state. Charlie was then able to realise many different sort of feelings that he did not experience it before. He also have this enthusiasm of finding out who he really was so he tried every way to find his parents even though he was once being abundant by them. At the point where he realise that his intelligence was 'fading' he quickly took out books and started reading to gain back all the information he once knew, it was then i felt a pain in me that it was really very unfair for him as he has to go back to the original state that he was in which no one wants. I felt very sad when it was close to the ending where his progress report started making the errors in spelling he once did in the first few entries. But maybe this could be a better ending for Charlie as we can see the smarter people gets the responsibility will be greater as people wont take you as a retard and make life easier for you((:
OK that's all for my entry((:
The book flowers for Algernon i would say that it is a very touching and really a very interesting way from the author to write the book in such a manner that the words spelled during the process of the entire book changes according to charlie's ability. The book is touching because it is written from the point of view of a retarded adult who constantly wants to achieve a higher standard of intelligence no matter how high the risk could have been if the experiment of being clever have failed which may even resulted Charlie to be far worst then what he is presently now. It kind of made me think of how we normal human being take for granted the simplest thing that God has given us, intelligence, which other who unlucky was not able to have that gift but constantly yield for it. I felt very happy at first when Charlie went through the operation and apparently it succeeded because it fulfilled charlie greatest wish of having intelligence. The things that charlie did made me pity him because he could not really communicate well with the people around him and he suddenly realise that he was actually being made fun of when he was in the retarded state. Charlie was then able to realise many different sort of feelings that he did not experience it before. He also have this enthusiasm of finding out who he really was so he tried every way to find his parents even though he was once being abundant by them. At the point where he realise that his intelligence was 'fading' he quickly took out books and started reading to gain back all the information he once knew, it was then i felt a pain in me that it was really very unfair for him as he has to go back to the original state that he was in which no one wants. I felt very sad when it was close to the ending where his progress report started making the errors in spelling he once did in the first few entries. But maybe this could be a better ending for Charlie as we can see the smarter people gets the responsibility will be greater as people wont take you as a retard and make life easier for you((:
OK that's all for my entry((:
Elithea Tan 08S304 progress report 1
My initial impressions of Flowers of Algernon is that it is a touching and thought-provoking novel.the novel depicts Charlie's struggle to be "normal",and the extremes he is willing to go just to fit in.In Charlie's simple mind,he feels that if he is normal,the world would accept him better and he would be more well-liked by those around him.He also wanted to prove to his mother that he could be normal just like how she always wanted him to be.Sadly,when he finally became much more than a normal person,she could not bear witness to it.Charlie's desire to be intelligent was driven by his quest to be accepted and approved of by his mother.Charlie's desire and actions raises the question, that does society accepts those like Charlie whom are labelled as "retarded"? And does intelligence really makes one more socially acceptable or does it just brings along with it the burden of intelligence?So,can a person be judged upon how high one's IQ may be? I think not,as though Charlie may have become more intelligent, it did not make him a better person.In fact he became self-centered, paranoid and even had a superiority complex,as he began to despise those around him.
When he still had a low IQ,he thought everyone was his friend,laughing with them although the joke was on him.He found it easy to make friends and not when he became intelligent that he felt all the friends he had were at some point just superficial friends .His intelligence had somehow managed to isolate himself from everyone.He became a lonely person who had lost the innocence he once had.
The novel is touching as it explored the human relationships in Charlie's life and how he dealt with the relationships before and after he was intelligent.Charlie found a friend in the most unlikest form, a lab mice named Algernon.Charlie probably identified with it and sympathised with it as they were sharing the same fate. Ironic too, as after what Charlie had gone through just to be intelligent, he was back to where he started,if not worse.All he had risked and worked for was all gone within a short period of time.Was all that he have done worth it?
When he still had a low IQ,he thought everyone was his friend,laughing with them although the joke was on him.He found it easy to make friends and not when he became intelligent that he felt all the friends he had were at some point just superficial friends .His intelligence had somehow managed to isolate himself from everyone.He became a lonely person who had lost the innocence he once had.
The novel is touching as it explored the human relationships in Charlie's life and how he dealt with the relationships before and after he was intelligent.Charlie found a friend in the most unlikest form, a lab mice named Algernon.Charlie probably identified with it and sympathised with it as they were sharing the same fate. Ironic too, as after what Charlie had gone through just to be intelligent, he was back to where he started,if not worse.All he had risked and worked for was all gone within a short period of time.Was all that he have done worth it?
Ernest Goh 08S416 Flowers For Algernon Review
Looks like im the second to post...had to go through the book once to remember what went on...so here goes...
The first time i read the book i thought it was a mistake. There were typing errors every other sentence. It was an interesting way to write a story. I have never read something along this genre before and it was intriging to follow the whole story. I wanted to find out more about this Charlie Gordon Guy.
In progress reports. That was how it was written. In a way it was like documenting a living science experiment. How the subject was feeling. How the subject felt. What the subject went through.
Charlie was a retard who decided upon himself to want to be a learned person. He thought that if he became smart, people would respond and relate better to him. That he would make more friends. I guess its in everyone of us to make friends. To find someone who can relate to you. To find a place in society. No one wants to be left out. In a world of billions of people, how can one person possibly survive on their own?
Well the roller coaster ride of Charlie didn't stop there. He became smart. A Genius. His change was extraordinary. I was not convinced that such a procedure existed. However i left space for imagination. Taking the story as it is. Before he was smart he had emotional swings. Even after that when his brain slowly deteriorated he became emotional once again.
The ethics of such a procedure would leave people questioning whether it was right or wrong. Should we really be tampering with our natural selves? Why are we always pursueing perfection, when all we need is right here in front of us. Is it human nature to want to be perfect? To always look for progress? I think we should slow down every once in awhile to explore the Earth's natural beauty, rather than move even quicker forward. The more we have, the more we have to lose.
Well i guess i will write up to here...looking forward to read everyone else's views.
The first time i read the book i thought it was a mistake. There were typing errors every other sentence. It was an interesting way to write a story. I have never read something along this genre before and it was intriging to follow the whole story. I wanted to find out more about this Charlie Gordon Guy.
In progress reports. That was how it was written. In a way it was like documenting a living science experiment. How the subject was feeling. How the subject felt. What the subject went through.
Charlie was a retard who decided upon himself to want to be a learned person. He thought that if he became smart, people would respond and relate better to him. That he would make more friends. I guess its in everyone of us to make friends. To find someone who can relate to you. To find a place in society. No one wants to be left out. In a world of billions of people, how can one person possibly survive on their own?
Well the roller coaster ride of Charlie didn't stop there. He became smart. A Genius. His change was extraordinary. I was not convinced that such a procedure existed. However i left space for imagination. Taking the story as it is. Before he was smart he had emotional swings. Even after that when his brain slowly deteriorated he became emotional once again.
The ethics of such a procedure would leave people questioning whether it was right or wrong. Should we really be tampering with our natural selves? Why are we always pursueing perfection, when all we need is right here in front of us. Is it human nature to want to be perfect? To always look for progress? I think we should slow down every once in awhile to explore the Earth's natural beauty, rather than move even quicker forward. The more we have, the more we have to lose.
Well i guess i will write up to here...looking forward to read everyone else's views.
Chia Kai Xin 08S416 Progress Report 1
OMG. It's Saturday and I'm still the first posting the lit review... I was thinking that I would be the last student posting. Never mind, I shall start...
After reading Flowers of Algernon, I was amazed. The book was beautifully written.With Charlie seeing the world in another perspective when he was a retard and when he was a genius was so contrasting. When he had low IQ, everybody was his friend, even those who laughed at him. He felt well-loved, as he thinks that everyone in the bakery actually cared for him. When he became a genius, he became cynical, suspicious of the world. He became lonely, frustrated and the world around him becomes selfish and power hungry.
I pondered about the whole text after reading it. Was intelligence a curse or a blessing to Charlie
? It's true that intelligence enabled Charlie to understand the world, things like Economics, Mathematical concepts, and even see through human emotions and truths in the world. But there's still a bittersweet feeling at the last part of the story. It was bitter because he lost his intelligence, which initially may seem quite a pity. Couldn't he just continue being a genius writing mathematical concepts, questioning things in economics? Personally, I feel that clarity of the world has isolated him. It was also sweet as intelligence was just like a burden to Charlie. He became worried about all the complexities of life, not trusting anybody anymore, isolating himself, being selfish and frustrated in not revealing his past. Is Charlie better off working in the bakery, laughing at himself with others, or making research in the lab alone? I feel that the writer has conveyed the message that intelligence could take away precious things in life, like friends, trust and smiles. I think life may be just like that. You gain some, you will lose some. We just can't get the best out of both worlds.
In the text, it's so well written that we can clearly see the difference in Charlie's emotional and intellectual growth. When his mind was growing more intellectually, his emotional growth could not catch up with his intellectual growth. This caused him to become unable to control his emotions, being confused at time, about people, about women, and even his own emotions.
This is more or less my initial reactions to the book. Hopefully, the contents of my review have enough depth. I've never taken literature before you see. Thanks for reading.
Kai Xin =]
After reading Flowers of Algernon, I was amazed. The book was beautifully written.With Charlie seeing the world in another perspective when he was a retard and when he was a genius was so contrasting. When he had low IQ, everybody was his friend, even those who laughed at him. He felt well-loved, as he thinks that everyone in the bakery actually cared for him. When he became a genius, he became cynical, suspicious of the world. He became lonely, frustrated and the world around him becomes selfish and power hungry.
I pondered about the whole text after reading it. Was intelligence a curse or a blessing to Charlie
? It's true that intelligence enabled Charlie to understand the world, things like Economics, Mathematical concepts, and even see through human emotions and truths in the world. But there's still a bittersweet feeling at the last part of the story. It was bitter because he lost his intelligence, which initially may seem quite a pity. Couldn't he just continue being a genius writing mathematical concepts, questioning things in economics? Personally, I feel that clarity of the world has isolated him. It was also sweet as intelligence was just like a burden to Charlie. He became worried about all the complexities of life, not trusting anybody anymore, isolating himself, being selfish and frustrated in not revealing his past. Is Charlie better off working in the bakery, laughing at himself with others, or making research in the lab alone? I feel that the writer has conveyed the message that intelligence could take away precious things in life, like friends, trust and smiles. I think life may be just like that. You gain some, you will lose some. We just can't get the best out of both worlds.
In the text, it's so well written that we can clearly see the difference in Charlie's emotional and intellectual growth. When his mind was growing more intellectually, his emotional growth could not catch up with his intellectual growth. This caused him to become unable to control his emotions, being confused at time, about people, about women, and even his own emotions.
This is more or less my initial reactions to the book. Hopefully, the contents of my review have enough depth. I've never taken literature before you see. Thanks for reading.
Kai Xin =]
Monday, January 14, 2008
Progress Reports @ Literary Beginnings
Hello H1 Literature Students,
Post your "Progress Reports" online now~
Due date -- 19/01/08, 10.00 pm
Length -- min. 150 words
Ms Pang Shi Hua
Post your "Progress Reports" online now~
Due date -- 19/01/08, 10.00 pm
Length -- min. 150 words
Ms Pang Shi Hua
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