Analyzing Daniel Keyes 'Flowers For Algernon'

American Lit 2

Flowers For Algernon
By Daniel Keyes
Pp. 149-216

Here is a quick overview of the plot for this section. Charlie goes back to the lab and he takes over the experiment. Burt tells Charlie that Algernon is losing his intelligence. Charlie goes to the Warren home to see what it is like. At the lab Algernon continues to decline and Charlie works hard to find out why. At a party Charlie gets into an argument with Nemur. Charlie comes up with his "Algernon-Gordon Effect" which explains his demented and Algernon's deterioration. Charlie visits his demented mother and sister. Things don't go very well with his mother but he knows he must forgive her. "… I must not hate Rose for protecting Norma. I must understand the
way she saw it. Unless I forgive her, I will have nothing." P. 192. Charlie then starts losing his intelligence faster. He finds happiness with Alice but knows it will be short. He soon is working back at the bakery, but realizes that people are feeling sorry for him so he moves into the Warren home.

In this part of the book Charlie seemed more believable when it came to the possibility of losing his intelligence. He was working very hard to find the cause of the reversal of intelligence. I was some what puzzled by the fact he did not want to reveal himself to his father but he did reveal himself to his mother and sister. I thought Daniel

Keyes used an interesting form of writing style and structure in writing his story.
The structure of the entire book in the form of journal entries Charlie writes that his doctors have asked him to write. The style of Keyes writing changed with his intelligence. When you read Charlies first progress report the writing is very simple with many misspellings. "I told dr Strauss and perfessur Nemur I cannot rite good…" p. 1 near the peak of his intelligence while in Chicago for a convention he writes, "Strauss dealt largely with the theory and techniques of neurosurgery… the mopping of hormone central centers…" p.111. This contrast in writing the journal writing of Charlie helps show his intelligence even more than what he writes about. At the end of the book Charlie again writes very poorly. "P.S. please tell prof Nemur not to be such a grouch when pepul laff at him…" p. 216. I think this form of structure was very good for the reader. It really made it easier to understand Charlie's changes. Another form of structure used was the flashback. Keyes uses the flashbacks to fill in to the reader what has happened to Charlie in the past. Keyes seems to use the past and present together to show why Charlie is like he is and what he has to deal
with.

The general tone of the book seems to be positive towards Charlie and those who have mental disability. I think after reading the book I am more aware of those who are disables. One area that may bother people, depending on their viewpoint, was the tone that Keyes promoted immoral relationships. It seemed a little funny that Charlie did not seem at all concerned about this.

The mood of the story starts out uplifting as Charlies intelligence increases. It quickly turns to sadness as you realize that his intelligence is only temporary. A question one must answer is, would I have the operations knowing I would eventually end up like I was before. Why not. If I could be the best soccer player in the world for a while, I sure would do it. I enjoyed the book, but it was a little sad. The science fiction part of it probably doesn't seem as strange today as it did in the sixties.