Flowers for Algernon by Daniel KeyesCharlie Gordon has now been through the operation and hasn't interacted with Algernon, the famous intelligent mouse, but he has interacted with people who he sees daily. Charlie has been realizing things about his "friends" in the bakery but has been kicked out of there because of them. He now understands why they decided to kick them out because he made them feel inferior with his knowledge and one of them actually mentions a reference to the bible. She says that he shouldn't know too much and mess with the plans of God, that's why Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden because they ate from the tree of knowledge. He is confused by that saying, yet in his mind, he knows what she means. Going into more detail about his love life. Charlie and Alice, Ms Kinnian, go on a date, two actually in this 3rd section, and various things seem to be happening. Charlie is so innocent in this aspect of love yet an adult in other subjects. He is still discovering ways how to love and is very afraid of Alice's response to his actions. Alice loves him back and has always been supporting and helping him all along. However, Charlie makes some brutal decisions as they discover new things and she considers his situation and tries to calm him down and help out. Charlie wants to be sure that he is the investment put into this desired relationship is being reciprocated and Alice's reassures that very often. Charlie wants to talk to Alice about where this is going and seems to not control himself and starts getting furious while talking about their feelings because he just wants to create form a relationship with him. Alice is bothered by his temper and reveals the truth, she is tired. She is tired of reading so much and trying to catch up to his knowledge, she has stayed up trying to find an answer for all the question he has but it is impossible it's beyond her reach and amount of knowledge. She just wants the old Charlie who was polite and honest and made everything a very nice story. Yet, his knowledge has changed him and she doesn't know if it's a good thing and believes he should let her figure it out before the move a step forward. If I was Charlie Gordon I would try to seek why things are happening. I know that a have therapy sessions with Dr. Staruss to talk about my problems and I believe that's an advantage. However, I should consider the situation of those who surround me, like Alice, Joe, Gimpy and Nancy. Even though Joe hasn't been the most respectful person in the world I would still see him as part of my growth, because of his actions I was able to recognize what evil intentions were towards those with disabilities. However, I would definitely would keep myself away from him while recognizing his help in some way, I know I would struggle to form a positive relationship with him. Gimpy, between good and bad, was able to show me what kindness looked like in the middle of the darkness. Even though there were times where I would change his way of thinking I forgot to thank him for defending me in those times of unknown disrespect. I would definitely try to keep a good relationship with him and try to talk to him about the changes in my life mentally and emotionally. Nancy, even though she told me that I should go back to the old disabled Charlie, told me that I shouldn't eat from the tree of knowledge because it could be dangerous. She took my side and was there when times where rough and I didn't know it. I would definitely consider her situation but keep my distance because she is ignorant in this change and aspect of growth and she would make me think differently religiously and control my mind in some way. Alice, lastly, I would definitely wouldn't stop pursuing her. She has been the best thing that has happened and has been the most influential on how I should see things and take decisions. I know that my growth has affected the current relationship we have but I hope I can find an explanation to this situation and go back to her. I know that she has impacted my life and wouldn't want to lose that positivity she transmitted into my life. Instead of holding me back she would make me grow and that is something I want.
I will comment on Paulina's and Jenny's blog posts.
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Flowers by Algernon by Daniel KeyesCharlie Gordon, the main character of this book, is a poor speller and doesn't have much understanding of life. He attends to Beekman College Center, a school for Retarded Adults, where Charlie takes Ms Kinnian's literacy class. He has been chosen to be on an operation because Ms Kinnian knows that Charlie is the only one that is truly passionate about learning. Charlie also works at Donner’s Bakery, where he has “friends”, with Joe Carp, Frank Reilly, and Gimpy. These “friends” aren’t really his friends, as they don’t treat Charlie with respect, except for Gimpy, who seems to defend him for most of the time. Before the operation is done, as Charlie keeps writing his reports, the audience is able to notice that he has problems remembering that he can't remember his own parent's names, except for his sister Norma, but he still doesn't remember much about her either. After the operation is performed you are able to see how his writing improves and is able to he is better at the understanding situation and remembers about his past. After some time and going to now specialized classes with Ms Kinnian he notices that he is catching feelings for her. He doesn't understand this new feeling and wants to know what is really going on. While he is still figuring out his love life, Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur discuss when to "display Charlie" to other scientists and psychologists. Charlie starts to feel like an experiment instead of a human being and starts to question their intentions. Charlie also later realizes that his friends are being disrespectful to him and starts to have bad memories about them. Even though Charlie knows that they're not the best people he really wants to tell them that he is smarter, but he can't because the directors of the operation told him it was a secret. His co-workers at the bakery start noticing a change in Charlie and don't know if it's a good thing. They try to pull a prank on Charlie, for April fools, and Charlie ends up making them look like fools. They ask him to fix one of the machines and to use it, and Charlie starts, fixes it and uses the machine perfectly as if he had already known how to. They are not happy about this, and Charlie wonders why. Charlie is learning new things all the time and his friends at the bakery started to feel inferior compared to his intelligence and they decide to tell Mr Donner about it so he can fire him. Charlie is surprised by the news, he is sad because he knows that when he wasn't smart they were mean to him but now that he talks to them like a normal person they are mad at him for it. Charlie is very confused by this situation and doesn't know what to do. I think that Charlie needs to know that when he talks to other people he needs to make sure he doesn't bring up a topic that will make others look ignorant. Alice, Ms Kinnian, also likes Charlie and tries to use all her intelligence to understand him, yet Charlie also makes her feel inferior with all his knowledge. She used to be such a big help to Charlie but know she feels like she knows nothing. She is able to explain this to Charlie, but that is still something he needs to understand more. He still experimenting new things but he needs to consider their situation at times.
I will be commenting on Paulina's and Jenny's posts. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes This book is about Charlie Gordon a thirty-two old year man with an IQ of sixty-eight and is a poor speller. Has a job at Donner’s Bakery, and takes Miss Alice Kinnian's literacy class three times a week at the Beekman College Center for Retarded Adults. Charlie is brought to a laboratory to do an experiment, whose goal is to make him smart. Charlie is ambitious and really wants to do anything to become intelligent like his friends at the Bakery. He is tested by the doctors to test his intelligence and to see where it is at the moment. Before they do the famous "operation" they do a Rorschach test, which Charlie thinks he failed. Later, he is asked to solve a maze, which he can't figure out for a while, and is taken to a room where they introduce Algernon, a very smart mouse who seems to always solve the maze before him. Charlie is very impressed by Algernon's abilities, yet he later gets mad at him for always beating him in the race. Dr Strauss, who along with Professor Nemur is the director of the experiment, has instructed Charlie to write everything he thinks and feels in progress reports. Chrlie is also introduced to a TV that will help him remember while he sleeps and doesn't understand it's purpose but ends up having a dream, and actually is a memory, which is a big chnage after the operation. In the beginning of this book you are introduced by the first progress report, and right away you're able to notice his grammar and spelling mistakes. You can see how later after the operation is done and he goes to school more often you are able to see his progress in his writing and thinking. This is a very interesting book, and I thought that it was a great way to portray progress, mentally, from an adults' infant perspective. I am really looking forward to see how his life changes emotionally and how his "friends" from the bakery react to his progress. I also want to find out how Charlie's emotional progress will affect his relationships with his "friends", since they don't treat him with respect due to his disability, and find out how they feel about his situation.
I will comment on Paulina's and Jenny's Post. |
AuthorPaola Toledo Real Archives
October 2018
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