Charlie Gordon, the main character of the story is mentally retarded but is determined to learn and be intelligent as much as he can. He thought being intelligent would gain him friends and would make him acceptable to the society, but more importantly to his family that has left him long ago. He volunteered himself to be part of an experiment conducted by several doctors and psychologists who so far successfully conducted the experiment on a mouse named Algernon. The experiment's aim is to increase the intelligence of Charlie just as it so far did on Algernon. The experiment was successful at first, but following the same pattern that happened on Algernon, it came to a point where their intelligence deteriorated with the same rate as it increased. Algernon died which brought to the scenario when Charlie gave flowers for Algernon almost everyday; thus the reason for its title.
One concept really struck me as i read the story. It was the concept of the capacity to feel when one is mentally challenged. Because of Charlie's poor comprehension skills, he could not understand nor interpret the laughter of people. The world for him was as if in black & white, and one-dimensional. When he sees people laugh, he never perceived of it as people mocking him, but people laughing with him. After the experiment, as his knowledge widened day by day, he slowly understood that he was being mocked before. It was only then did he feel empty and sad. It was the perfect example for "ignorance is bliss" because the less he knew about their mocking actions, the less he knew how he should react and feel about them.
His intelligence developed and progressed slowly, and was even way beyond the intelligence of most people. It was then when he realized that the people he thought as genius weren't so genius after all. He was intellectually matured, but he was emotionally immature because the feelings such as anger, sadness and frustration were all new to him. He achieved more than what he hoped for with his highly exceptional intelligence, but he gained no friends just as he thought he would. He even lost the friends he used to have as he became too arrogant and consumed in himself.
The story also had romantic aspects, but unfortunately, or fortunately for some, this is not a topic i'm interested in sharing. hehe.
The story was in a form of progress reports (or journal) that was asked of Charlie for the experiment. From these progress reports, you could see in his writing style how he changed from a person with low I.Q. to someone with superior I.Q. to a person who slowly changed back to who he was. The style of writing gives the reader a sense of ownership to the character, as if the reader himself is experiencing what he's able to read. I commend the book for its well thought and well written storyline.
And to spoil it even more, here is Charlie's last progress report:
"nov 21 --- I did a dumb thing today I forgot I wasnt in Miss Kinnians class at the adult center any more like I used to be. I went in and sat down in my old seat in the back of the room and she lookd at me funny and she said Charlie where have you been. So I said hello Miss Kinnian Im redy for my lessen today only I lossed the book we was using.
She started to cry and run out of the room and everbody looked at me and I saw alot of them wasnt the same pepul who use to be in my class.
Then all of a suddin i remembered some things about the operashun and me getting smart and I said holy smoke I reely pulled a Charlie Gordon that time. I went away before she cam back to the room.
That's why I'm going away from here for good to the Warren Home school. I dont want to do nothing like that agen. I dont want Miss Kinnian to feel sorry for me. I know evrybody feels sorry for me at the bakery and i dont want that eather so Im going someplace where they are a lot of other pepul like me and nobody cares that Charlie Gordon was once a genus and now he cant even reed a book or rite good.
Im taking a cuple of books along and even if I cant reed them Ill practise hard and mabye Ill even get a littel bit smarter then I was before the operashun without an operashun. I got a new rabits foot and a luky penny and even a littel bit of that majic powder left and mabye they will help me.
If you ever reed this Miss Kinnian dont be sorry for me. Im glad I got a second chanse in life like you said to be smart because I lerned alot of things that I never even new were in this werld and Im grateful I saw it all even for a littel bit. And Im glad I found out all about my family and me. It was like I never had a family til I remembird about them and saw them and now I know I had a family and I was a person just like evryone.
... (haba pala nito. iklian na)
Goodby Miss Kinnian and dr Strauss and evrybody...
P.S. please tel prof Nemur not to be such a grouch when pepul laff at him and he woud have more frends. Its easy to have frends if you let pepul laff at you. Im going to have lots of frends where I go.
P.S. please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard."
haha. this book is happiness *heart-shaped hand*
0 ruffleschmuffled:
Post a Comment