Flowers for Algernon

Giang Hồ Thị Hoàng

This blog is a forum for your group and your classmates to have a conversation about Daniel Keye’s fascinating and poignant character study, Flowers for Algernon.  Working with your group, find significant details in the story. Look for a specific passage, a pivotal event, or an important symbol. Explore the author’s use of language, mood and tone.  Consider the relationship between the characters.  Think about the way that the characters are described, their characteristics, the conflicts that they face, the actions they take, and their emotional reactions. Investigate the setting – pay attention to descriptive words and details that are used to describe the place and time of the story.

Finally, find something that grabs your interest and that you want to examine carefully. Investigate the story completely — make it your own. Learn everything you can about it, and then develop a well written post.  Use hypertext to connect to ideas and provide context for your writing.  You may want to find or create images and other media to express your ideas.  As you and your group members contribute posts, read each others’ ideas and make thoughtful comments.

Daniel Keyes uses  Algernon to compare to Charlie and the maze represents his life in which  gave up.

There are four main phrases you can see this from the first one being

“The doctor says they can make me smart I hope I pass.”

Now  if you think about it the mouse couldn’t pass the test at first either it doesn’t say it in the story but if you take a moment to think about it, I doubt he was that smart in the beginning.

The second example is “Algernon and I were presented to the American Psychological Association sitting in convention with the World Psychological Association.”

In this piece he  is being shown off as  Algernon is and this makes comparing them even easier because they get treated the same as Charlie  and  they are both treated like lab rats .

” I had a test today against algernon today and I won!”

So here you can see Charlie  has made progress and has gotten smarter just as Algernon once again making the sense of Algernon symbolizing Charlie once again.

“He told me Algernon is so smart that every day he has to solve a test to get his food.”

In this section you can see how it compares how Algernon is a constant fighter just as Charlie  the thing

about  this also is how he fights for his meals  just the same as Algernon .

“I knew Algernon’s end would soon be mine”

In this piece  you can see how the symbolism comes into play as Algernon dies you ca see that Charlie will to.
The reason I picked symbolism is it gives you something to think about and it goes deep as theme does and you really get a feeling out of this story

During the story of Flowers for Algernon, I was eager to see the next part of the story each day. It was a very well written story. The story does invoke some sadness in the mind but overall just has a dark overtone throughout the story. The story also had some kind of anticipation of Charlie getting smarter for the first half of the story. Then has a sadder mood of depression and sadness during the other half.

“Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart.”

This is one of the tips to the reader that later in the story, something will happen to Charlie. This might make the read keep reading to find out what happens to him. They might want to see if Charlie really does get smarter or if he doesn’t.

“I had a test today. I think I faled it.”

This is one of the story’s main appeals, the spelling and grammar. You can tell how smart he gets throughout the story by how well his spelling is. You can tell he’s dumb in the beginning then, as he gets smarter, his spelling and grammar gets better. Then, at the end, he slowly gets dumber, and his spelling gets worse and worse.

“Algernon died two days ago.”

This is one of the signs of depression. Algernon dies from the surgery decreasing his motor skills and his brain functions, which shows that Charlie will too. Algernon was the animal who had gone the longest before the intelligence goes away, and death. Charlie realized that he was going through the intelligence drop, and he knew that he was going to die.

“I put Algernon‘s body in a cheese box and buried him in the back yard. I cried.”

This is probably the best example of depression (it is also the climax of the story’s plot overall). Algernon has died, and it’s had a major effect on Charlie. Algernon was the only one he could sympathise with. Algernon also had the surgery, and Charlie eventually realized that he was going to die soon, too.

The story, is overall its stongest point, even though it might get a little hard to understand Charlie when he is smartest. The story is linked in this blog, somewhere, if you wish to read it again. It is also a really old story. Written in 1959 as a short story then republished into a novel in 1966.  I found it to be very well written with tons of forshadowing and an interesting characters.

My first thoughts about Flowers for Alegernon was sympathy, because I have a lot of sympathy for Charlie because I feel his pain. He gets made fun of because he isn’t really intelligent. During the reading, the procedure was going good for him, but after it got good, it got bad.
After the reading I was really sad about how the mouse died, because that was like Charlie’s best friend.

” Anyway that test made me feel worser than all the others because they did it over 10 times with different amazeds and Algernon won every time “

Charlie feels worthless, defeated and like he can’t do anything.
He keeps trying over and over again and fails. I would feel really disappointed If I kept doing something and failing it and somebody kept making me do it. Since the point of view is from charlie and it tells the story in a personal way.

 “ You’re coming along fast, Charlie.”

That made me feel good. After the lesson I went down and played with Algernon.

We don’t race any more. “

“ You’re coming along fast, Charlie.”

That made me feel good. After the lesson I went down and played with Algernon. We don’t race any more. “ Charlie feels neutral, his feelings are in the middle. It could be worse it could be better.
Charlie feels neutral, his feelings are in the middle. It could be worse or it could be better.

“Why can’t I remember? I’ve got to fight. I lie in bed for days and I don’t know who or where I am “

Charlie feels defeated, the procedure took over him. He lays in bed and doesn’t move for days. he’s helpless of the situation he is in. The end of the story, the mouse passes away. The procedure took over charlie and the mouse. Charlie can’t get out of bed, he can’t function himself he doesn’t remember who his self is. This sets the mood of the story by almost having everything not going the way it should go. The imagery that charlie is giving us on how he doesn’t eat and lays in bed for days is so descriptive. I can picture him just laying in bed helpless. Daniel sets the mood off for flowers for Alegernon by using charlies point of view in the story.

In the beginning of Flowers For Algernon, I was confused, I didn’t know what was going on because it didn’t tell us what was happening, but, as I read on I learned what was happening and where he was and why he was the way he was. And the end of the story is the same as the beginning, confusing, and it makes you want to read on.

In the beginning Charlie wants to be smart, here is an example

 “Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. “

In the quote he says,

 “Maybe they can make me smart,”

which proves that he wants to be smart because if he didn’t want to be smart, why would he say that? I chose this piece of evidence because he says himself that he wants to be smart, what could prove it more than that?

Around the middle of the story Charlie starts to get smarter, he does not know it, but he is, he says himself

 “Now I know what it means when they say ‘to pull a Charlie Gordon’… I am ashamed”

In the beginning he says that he knows and he did not know what it meant whenever they said ‘to pull a Charlie Gordon’ but he now does. This is evidence because he says he knows, and if he didn’t know, it wouldn’t be evidence because it would prove me wrong. It is evidence because he says he knows, and before they mad him smart he didn’t know what it meant when they said ‘To pull a Charlie Gordon’.

In the end, he is again dumb, but just before that he got a taste of smartness, before he is dumb again he says

 “As you can see, my experiments are completed,”

and if you are dumb, you will not be able to do experiments. But, after he is again dumb he says

 “I dont know why Im dumb agen or what I did wrong maybe its becaus I dint try hard enuff.”

And as you can see, he spells many words wrong an even says he does not know why he is dumb again, or what he did.

Charlie in the beginning was dumb, as you can see by my first piece of evidence saying he said

 “Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart.”

And In the middle, he is smarter, but in the end, he is again dumbfounded on everything.

In the beginning, he is dumb. He can’t spell, write, or even read. It explains in the book on how he cannot do anything right and that is why they say to ‘pull a Charlie Gordon’. In the middle people can see that he is in fact, getting smarter. But near the end, before he is dumb again, nobody wants to talk to him because he is too smart nobody can understand what he is saying.

The mouse is looking in a mirror which reminds me of the change Charlie and Algernon go through.

Keyes uses conflict to create mood in the story Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes. In short, Flowers For Algernon is about a 37 year old man named Charlie Gordon. Charlie has an I.Q of 68 and is recommended to a procedure that would increase his intelligence by three times. While reading this story I felt as if I was on the verge of tears throughout the entire story. The mood and feelings being portrayed are so strong that the reader feels as if they are right there with him, walking with him through every step on his sad journey. The moods engulf you, as you pick through Keyes’ perfect words. As a reader you really feel the impact while reading, they really make you think about the way you act in everyday life. This story seemed to have an impact on me personally, I believe it changed me. Mood is huge in this story so much so that without it the impact would be gone. Mood is significant in this story and it is usually revealed in the midst of a conflict. Keyes also shows strong tone, point of view, foreshadowing and theme.

“I had a test today. I think I faled it. and I think that maybe now they wont use me… He rote somthing down on a paper and i got skared of faling the test.”

Through this conflict mood is being revealed. Strong pity and hopefulness for Charlie is being created here in the first conflict of the story. Point of view is also revealing Charlies thoughts which present a deeper understanding of his thoughts and how that reflects mood.

“ Anyway the test made me feel worser than all the others because they did it over 10 times with difernt amazeds and Algernon won every time. I dint know that mice were so smart… Maybe someday ill beat Algernon. Boy that would be something.”

In this conflict pity is still being created towards Charlie. Theme could also be revealed here, revealing that pity and sadness are huge aspects of this story. Charlie is obviously very hopeful that he will beat Algernon some day. From this, sympathy and hope are huge moods being created here.

“ Im glad im going back to work because i miss my job and all my frends and all the fun we have there… We had a lot of fun at the factery today. Joe Carp said hey look where Charlie had his operashun what did they do Charlie put some brains in… Then Frank Reilly said what did you do Charlie forget your key and open your door the hard way. That made me laff. Their really my friends and they like me. Sometimes somebody will say hey look at Joe or Frank or George he really pulled a Charlie Gordon. I dont know why they say that but they always laff.”

This conflict creates strong feelings of mood because the reader can see what Charlie can not. The author has put this small conflict to display moods/feelings of sadness and almost anger towards the current situation. Strong mood is being revealed here through the situation Charlie is in and what he feels towards it. The mood is being created because the reader sees whats really going on and that creates even more empathy towards Charlie.

“Once again now I have the feeling of shame burning inside me. This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I knew and once loved Before, they laughed at me and despised me for my ignorance and dullness; now, they hate me for my knowledge and understanding.”

At this point in the story Charlie has been pushed away from all his “friends.” He is slowly approaching a stage of utter sadness and depression. The mood is very different, Charlie had this great knowledge and the mood being put off here is sadness and irony in a way. Irony because the one thing he craved the most is the thing hurting him the most. Sadness because he is finally at content with himself but nobody else is. This shows his mind is even more powerful than anyone around him now.

“ And I had almost forgotten. I’d hidden the picture of the old Charlie Gordon from myself  because now that I was intelligent it was something that had to be pushed out of my mind. But today in looking at that boy, for the first time I saw what I had been. I was just like him! Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined with them in laughing at myself. That hurts most of all.”

The mood this conflict sets off is anger. Charlie is certainly changed. The mood is almost sharp with guilt and disappointment. The reader feels as if Charlie is someone completely different than who we met in the beginning. Its almost setting off a feeling of betrayal and darkness as we the reader watches as Charlie breaks down. Charlie is going through stages of complete sadness, he is upset with himself for changing so much but so hurt that his new knowledge is only making things worse.

“Miss Kinnian came to the door but I said go away I don’t want to see you. She cried and I cried too but I wouldn’t let her in because I didn’t want her to laugh at me. I told her I didn’t like her any more. I told her I didn’t want to be smart any more. Thats not true. I still love her and I still want to be smart but I had to say that so shed go away. She gave Mrs Flynn money to pay the rent. I dont want that. I got to get a job. Please . . . please let me not forget how to read and write. .”

Charlie is in the process of losing all his gained intelligence and once again the mood  is very glum and sad. You feel hope for Charlie that he won’t lose everything. This proves my claim because through the conflict, Charlie’s sadness and anger with himself is revealed to the reader. You watch as Charlie falls apart thread by thread. His brain is starting to have an opposite effect, which is creating tension in the story.

“Thats why Im going away from New York for good. I dont want to do nothing like that agen. I dont want Miss Kinnian to feel sorry for me. Evry body feels sorry at the factery and I dont want that eather so Im going someplace where nobody knows that Charlie Gordon was once a genus and now he cant even reed a book or rite good.”

The mood portrayed at the end is sadness like almost any other part of the book. I could almost say sadness is a theme of Flowers For Algernon. The mood is almost hollow at this point. Numb from the disappointment and melancholy that floods your head in this story.The reader feels deeply almost sorry for Charlie and what all happened to him. Through this conflict of him leaving New York City it presents a mood of extreme fearfulness that Charlie may not be okay.

Overall, Flowers For Algernon uses many literary devices to heighten the reader’s deeper understanding of the well-written plot. Laced within Daniel Keyes words is where the reader may find a world of technique. The haunting story, filled with its beautiful sadness, changes you. The grip it has on you from the moment you start to read releases you in the end with a chilling, gloomy sense of mind, leaving you reeling with sorrow. Keyes’ gracefully yet powerfully intertwines literary devices throughout the plot. Carefully creating mood through conflict, revealing character throughout the plot, foreshadowing through point of view and showing tone through Charlie’s thoughts. Flowers For Algernon is a well pieced together story with many devices being put into play that intensify the readers comprehension of the plot.  

My choice of stories was Flowers for Algernon. Throughout the story Keyes uses point-of-view to develop mood.  The narrator is a man who can barely function as a human being.  His IQ is only 68, making it hard for him to comprehend simple things such as spelling and grammar.  His name is Charlie and he suffers from phenyketonuria.  I love this character because of his journey throughout the story.  Because of the fast pace, it was easy to dive into the story head first.  I love that Keyes introduces something that all of us are fascinated by.  Charlie is able to experience becoming more intelligent at a very rapid rate.  It’s so interesting because he holds onto his memories from being mentally challenged.  He is able to see what an improvement his new life is when compared to his old one.

“Dr. Strauss says I shud rite down what I think and evrey thing that happins to me from now on, I dont know  why but he says its importint so they will see if they will use me. I hope they use me.  Miss Kinnian says aybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart.”

Charlie is beyond vulnerable in the beginning of the story.  He is lost and unable to tell up from down.  He begins writing progress reports after being offered an operation to improve his intelligence.  Though optimistic, he does not fully understand the consequences of his decision.  All he knows is that he might have the chance to triple his IQ.  His story is not one that anyone can relate to.   I think this is the reason he uses the progress reports instead of an omniscient view.  Not only are we able to see the transformation in his spelling and grammar, we are also able to see his feelings and thoughts throughout the story.  In the first few progress reports you can barely tell what Charlie is trying to write.  His knowledge of writing is minimal, even though he is a 35 year-old grown man.  All you can feel for this defenseless character is sympathy.  He only wants to know why he is unable to function at the same degree of his peers.  The point of view helps you to connect to Charlie on a whole new level.  Watching his progress through the ordeal is astounding.

“Seeing the past more clearly, I have decided to use my knowledge and skills to work in the field of
increasing human intelligence levels. Who is better equipped for this work? Who else has lived in both worlds? These are my people.  Let me use my gift to do something for them.”

This piece of evidence makes me appreciate Charlie even more.  He could do anything he could ever want to do, but instead he turns to help those who are not as fortunate.  I love that he chooses other people over himself, which to me is a show of his integrity.  This man is one of the smartest people in the world, but he shoves his own life aside to help the people who cannot find their own way, people like the old Charlie.  When he begins to improve at a very rapid rate, I see a change in the feeling of the entire story.  The mood goes from lighthearted to intense within a matter of a few paragraphs.  His IQ increases by leaps and bounds until he is able to surpass even his doctors.

“Dr. Strauss came to see me again. I wouldn’t open the door and I told him to go away. I want to be left to myself. I have become touchy and irritable. I feel the darkness closing in. It’s hard to throw off thoughts of suicide.”

Keyes is somehow able to force you into empathy for a character who is experiencing something completely unique to his own journey.  It is utterly heartbreaking when he learns that he has never had any friends.  The only person he has to turn to is his former teacher, Miss Kinnian.  The two are torn apart as he learns that he is destined to die.  Algernon, the little white mouse fell to the evils of an unfair world.  Charlie slowly begins to fade, like a child nodding off to sleep.  Confusion takes him and there is nothing anyone can do.  He is utterly alone as he realizes that the operation was not successful, the Charlie he was before the operation.  This is the climax of the story, when he begins to realize that it really was too good to be true.  It’s so heartbreaking to know that there is nothing you can do in the face of death.

For me, the moral of the story is to enjoy the world around you, to savor even the roughest of moments. Charlie accomplishes his mission to help the less fortunate.  This story is  incredibly uplifting, even for one with such a sad ending.  Through the use of foreshadowing, Keyes helps us to predict Charlie’s coming troubles.  Algernon is more than a mouse, he is the warning of our hero’s coming conflicts.  By making Charlie himself the narrator of the story, we are able to feel as he feels as the story unfolds.  For the time it took to read the story, I was able to put myself in Charlie’s shoes.  It has helped me to appreciate the life that I have.

I chose this because it symbolizes a brain that Charlie got the operation on.

In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, I was captivated by how Keyes used Irony to show the characterization that created the mood of the story. I had a very strong reaction to this story. It made me feel sad and pity towards Charlie. It made me feel sad that people could tease someone about something they can’t control ( Charlie and his disease) and by the end of the story I really pitied Charlie.

“I told them becaus all my life I wantid to be smart and not dumb”(222). “It’s a funny thing I never knew that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around all the time to make fun of me. Now I know what it means when they say ‘to pull a Charlie Gordon.’ I’m ashamed.” (231).

Keyes shows the irony in this piece of evidence by the one thing that Charlie wanted most in life was the thing that would hurt him the most. He really wanted to become smart and so he did but he lost all his “friends” in the process. If he didn’t become smart he wouldn’t have known that they didn’t like him that they just wanted him around to make fun of and he wouldn’t have stood up for himself resulting in the loss of all his friends. When Keyes put this in the story  it enhanced the characterization of  Charlie’s “friends”. It showed that Joe and Frank were mean, cold people that would tease someone who can’t help what he is doing and can’t help what he is. Keyes made the supporting characters mean to create the mood of the story. Pity and sadness is the mood. Sad because what kind of person would tease someone about something they can’t help and pity because I felt bad for Charlie and that he was so embarrassed to know that people teased him for his disease. When you go deeper into the story you realize that Keyes uses more characterization to enhance the mood.

“And I had been laughing at him too.
Suddenly, I was furious at myself and all those who were smirking at him. I jumped up and shouted, Shut up! Leave him alone! It’s not his fault he can’t understand! He can’t help what he is! But for God’s sake… he’s still a human being! The room grew silent. I cursed myself for losing control and creating a scene” (237).

In this paragraph there is a lot of characterization. Keyes shows the character of Charlie by making Charlie say

“Shut up! Leave him alone!”

This shows that Charlie is a kind person and is able to stand up for what he thinks is wrong. Then Keyes shows that Charlie has empathy and can understand what he is going through. He shows this by saying

“It’s not his fault he can’t understand! He can’t help what he is! But for God’s sake… he’s still a human being!”

Charlie can relate to the boy and have empathy for the boy because he went through the same thing the boy did. He knew that this was wrong and he did what no one else would do for him. But this piece of evidence also show that Charlie cares about what other people think about him and that he is a people pleaser.

“The room grew silent. I cursed myself for losing control and creating a scene.”

This shows that he is a people pleaser by he didn’t want the other people in the cafe to be mad at him or to think that he was weird for standing up for the boy. In this paragraph Keyes does more than just showing the character of Charlie, he also shows the character of everyone else in the story. Keyes shows the character of the other people in the cafe as mean cold people. He does that by saying

“And I had been laughing at him too. ( the too implying that more than just him who was laughing at the boy, all the other people in the cafe) Suddenly, I was furious at myself and all those who were smirking at him”.

When Keyes says “him” he means the boy. Smirking can come when people are laughing at someone or something they think is stupid and silly. It makes them seem superior than the person that made the mistake. For example the boy in the dinner dropping the plates. This shows that the character of the people in the cafe were mean. Doing all this makes the mood sad and full of pity. Keyes shows the pity by making the reader pity Charlie for him feeling like he shouldn’t have stood up for the boy that was being treated unfairly. It makes the reader feel sad that people would tease someone for something they can’t control and treating him like their better than him. Later in the story Keyes uses even more irony to show  characterization that enhances the mood.

“One of the new men who came to work there after I went away made a nasty crack he said hey Charlie I hear you a very smart fella a felt quiz kid. Say something intelligent. I felt bad but Joe Carp came over and grabbed him by the shirt and said leave him alone you lousy cracker or Ill break your neck. I didn’t expect Joe to take my part so I guess hes really my friend” (243).

Near the end of the book Keyes uses another example of irony. It is ironic that the man that used to tease and pick on Charlie would be the one who stands up for him in the end. Keys shows this by saying

“I didn’t expect Joe to take my part so I guess hes really my friend”

When Keyes makes it ironic that the guy that used to tease Charlie was the one who stood up for him he showed the character of everyone in the scene. Keyes made the new guy mean and cold by showing him making fun of  Charlie about his intelligence level. When he did this he enhanced the mood. He made the reader feel bad for Charlie that yet again he is getting teased and picked on. Also he made the reader pity Charlie and allowed people to have empathy for Charlie. Keyes showed the character of Charlie as calm and smart.

“I felt bad.”

This shows that he is calm by he didn’t get mad and didn’t retaliate he just stood and knew that if he engaged the new guy it would only turn out worse proving that he is smart.

Throughout the story Keyes uses Irony to enhance characterization that creates the mood. He shows irony in many ways. He shows it by making the thing that Charlie wants most in life was the thing that hurt him the most (becoming smart). Keyes also shows irony by making the guy who in the beginning of the story was mean and picked on Charlie was the one who stood up for him in the end. When Keyes uses irony it enhances the characterization of the story. It makes the reader realize what the characters in the story are like. He makes the Character of Charlie as strong by not letting his friends tease him and pick on him, he also is shown as mean when he laughs at the kids mistake. Charlies character is also shown as calm and smart when he doesn’t fight back or make the situation worse when that new guy is teasing him. Keyes also shows the character of the bystanders in the book as mean, heartless people by laughing at a boys mistake when he can’t help making the mistake. Showing this enhances the character of Charlie even more. The character of Charlie’s “friends” is shown as mean and cold when they laugh at Charlie for something he can’t help. When Keyes uses irony to enhance the characterization in the story he creates the mood. The mood of the story is sadness and pity. Its sad that people are mean to Charlie and that the thing he wanted most in life was the thing that hurt him the most and when this happens the reader can’t help but to feel bad for Charlie, pity him. This is how in Flowers for Algernon, Keyes uses irony to enhance the characterization that creates the mood.

The flowers Charlie wanted to put on Algernon’s grave.

In ‘Flowers for Algernon’ Daniel Keyes reveals
characterization by using imagery.
As Keyes gives a good detailed description of the scene or what’s happening, Keyes always tells what the character looks like, is feeling like or is acting by giving a good description.

 

“My name is Charlie Gordon I am 37 years old and 2 weeks ago was my birthday. I have  nuthing more to rite so I will close for now.”

I really think Keyes shows characterization by using imagery because, when Charlie write and says that he’s 37 years old but he misspells a lot of words, you can tell that he’s mentally challenged. The way you can tell that Keyes is trying to explain how Charlie is , is by having him misspell words when he writes. I chose this because, it really matches my claim and it just stuck out to me.

“But I got a headache and I got a big lump on my head and
black and blue all over.”

When Charlie talks about the lump on his head you can tell that maybe he got beat up for not being like everyone else, I think this because in the real world people do get made fun of for being different or having problems or even not being so socially active. So I think that he gets made-fun of by his co-workers because they know that he won’t be able to fight back or even know what’s going on. Keyes reveals characterization of the co-workers because their making fun of Charlie by showing that he has a lump on his head.

“I showed them and everybody laffed…”

Charlie says that everybody laughed a lot throughout that one paragraph/scene that shows people at his job doesn’t care about the care he needs. This shows characterization because, it shows how his ‘friends’ really treat him and they know that he doesn’t know what it means or why they are doing it. So to me it makes them seem/look like the bad guy weather they are trying to be or not. I chose this because, it really shows how much Charlie gets made fun of in this story and it makes you really feel for him, I know I do.

“ Ernie for godsake what, are you trying to be a Charlie Gordon.”

When Charlie overhears his boss tell one of the employees that

Things that happen in Charlie Gordon’s life.

he’s trying to be “a Charlie Gordon” that shows that the BOSS not
only the employees but the boss even makes fun of Charlie.
The  characterization shown in this scene
really tells how the boss feels about Charlie and his employees because,
he tells them that their acting like Charlie. This shows how rude and disrespectful
the boss is not only to Charlie but to his employees too. I chose this one because, it shows how much the boss hates (I’d say) Charlie for being born the way he was.

I chose all of these to show you that Daniel Keyes reveals
characterization by using imagery. The quoted text I put is important because, it shows how rude and messed up Charlie’s life was because other people put him through hell, not caring.There are good times in the book like when Charlie gets smart and there are bad times like when Charlies co-workers make-fun of him.

“I think I’m going to be friends with Algernon”

Flowers for Algernon is a wonderful, deep yet sad story about a man’s dream and it’s connection to a mouse. Foreshadowing is key in the plot’s progression. Without it, the story and even some of the other literary deviceswould be confusing.

“Algernon, I see that although he is in his physical infancy, he has regressed mentally”

(The above meaning: Although he is not yet elderly, he is losing memory.)

Before this, everything seems okay. Charlie’s dream is finally fulfilled. This quote, however, tells us that the surgery clearly is not as great as it seems. Since Algernon and Charlie had the same surgery, you can assume that whatever happens to Algernon must also happen to Charlie.

“Suddenly, time has become very important to me.”

We all know that things that are plentiful tend to not be important. So, this tells us that time is running out for Charlie. Also, using the previous foreshadowing, we know what time is running out for. Emphasizing the sympathetic mood of this story.

“Algernon died two days ago.”

When Algernon dies it greatly sets the mood and makes you feel sorry for Charlie even more from then on, because you know that he’ll die too. If there was no foreshadowing, we would not know that Charlie would die. So when he trails off as he did we would not know why. The reader would have less pity for him because the mood was never set by the foreshadowings and we’re too busy trying to figure out why this happened and what it has to do with the theme and tone.

“I see that even in my dullness I knew that I was inferior and that other people had something I lacked – something denied me.”

  These simple phrases were not random outbursts of thought coming from the main character, they were planned. They are meant to help you understand the story. Without them, all this story would be is a bunch of rambling on and on some guy’s a strange story. Foreshadowing, however, makes you think.
“Why did he say that?”
“What does it mean?”
“How does this relate to what he said earlier?”
It keeps you interested. It makes you curious. It’s what made this story so great.

This is an example of what is going on in Charlies head.

In the book “Flowers for Algernon”,by Daniel Keyes,I was amazed with the foreshadowing that was put into this book. Keyes found a way a to put foreshadowing in every sentence of the book. The foreshadowing really brings out the emotions in the book,which reveals the mood the author put in the book making you feel for Charlie and what he does. For example,

“I had to say that so shed go away.”

This shows the foreshadowing in the story. Charlie was really intelligent from an operation. After a while he starts going back to being mentally challenged and it shows in the sentence as Charlie does not how to spell how to “she’d” right.
This shows mood by showing the reader a glimpse into the future. It shows you that Charlie is going back to being mentally challenged and loosing all of his intelligence that he work so hard for. This makes you have pity for Charlie. You see where hew had a chance at being normal at every one else but then loses his chance.

 

“It takes a long time to write that way but I only have to look up once and after that get it right.”

This shows that Charlie is getting smarter but it doesn’t tell you. It shows you that Charlie is getting better at constructing sentences and has better spelling. Also he says that he looked at a word one time and could spell it correctly. So he is not having trouble with reading and writing. This gives you a mood of happiness for Charlie. He is starting to become smart and has a chance of being normal like everybody else. He starts learning to read and write better and you feel happy and a sense of hope for Charlie. He actually has a chance of a normal life and have people stop making fun of him.

“Then I realized I could no longer read German.I tested myself in other languages. All gone.”

This shows you a glimpse into the future of Charlie’s fate. He is starting to lose what he learned. So all chances for being normal is lost. This gives the reader the feeling of being sad. Charlie is starting to lose his intelligence and everything he has learned. This makes you sad because the reader starts to putting clues together that makes you feel sorry for Charlie. Charlie won’t be able to live a normal life.

The Lit.Devices in this story is what makes this story so excellent and gets the reader caught up in the story. This story really made me feel different emotions. I felt sad for Charlie at the beginning of the story. It made me sad because Charlie wanted to be normal and get smart. He wanted to read and write and be able to be like every one else. Then towards the middle of the story I felt hope and happiness for Charlie. Charlie was becoming smart and is reading and writing without trouble. He is starting to be able to live a normal life and not have everyone make fun of him because of his disabilities. Then towards the end of the story Charlie loses all intelligence he once had. Everything he learned and was taught was gone. His chances of having a normal life and having people stop making fun of him are gone. This makes me sad because Charlie had a real chance at a normal life and a chance to being smart and all of it is gone. The emotions that is put in the story is what make this great and a passionate story.