FLOWERS FOR

ALGERNON

THEMES

FRIENDS CAN BE MISJUDGED

This theme encompasses all aspects of friendship:
- expectations, perceptions, and the importance of it.
Charlie's friends at the bakery are the ideal studies in
the perception of friendship.
Before the surgery, these men were Charlie's best
friends.
After the surgery, Charlie is able to view their
relationship in a different light and comes to realize is
that these men were not friends but only made fun of
him.
However, as Charlie is failing intellectually, he returns to
the bakery, and it is these "friends" are who welcome
him back, having accepted him for who he again is.

THE STRONG AND SPECIAL BOND

BETWEEN CHARLIE AND ALGERNON
Algernon offers Charlie what he needs most in this world:
unconditional friendship.
Charlie shares the experience of the experimental surgery with
Algernon, and Charlie discovers his own fate through Algernon.
When Charlie has regressed to a point that is below where he
began, we see the strength of friendship, not only in the
friendship that existed between Algernon and Charlie, but also
in the friendship that Charlie offers to those around him.
In the end, he chooses to move to the Warren State Home out
of consideration for his friends because he realizes his
regression was upsetting to others.
-Truly a loyal friend himself, Charlie's final entry in his progress
report requests that someone please remember to put flowers
on Algernon's grave.

THE ULTIMATE FAILURE IN THE

CONCEPT OF MAN PLAYING GOD
Charlies personal odyssey spans a period of nine
months, which is a both plot technique and a
representation of human gestation period. In conclusion
on Charlies nine-month development, however, no new
individual is born. Rather, readers witness the REBIRTH
of the ORIGINAL Charlie.
A few people discuss about tampering with mans
intelligence which has already been determined by God
- The first nurse tells Charlie that if God had wanted
him to be
smart, God would have made him that way.
- Even Professor Nemur admits that he had made a
mistake by

THE ROLE OF INTELLIGENCE IN

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Charlies social self suffers both as an individual of low
intelligence and also high intelligence.
Eg: He expects that increased in intelligence will please his
friends and increase the number of friends that he has.
However, things turned out the other way around. His friends
are disturbed by the sudden change in him. Charlie Gordon
also lost his job because the employees of the factory signed
a petition to fire him.
- As a genius, he only mix around with people like him and
become even less able to make and maintain friendships
than he
was as the original Charlie.
However, Charlie did not regret being part of the experiment

HUMAN ORDINARILY BELIEVES

IN FAITH
Charlie believes his faith in luck is the rabbit's foot,
horseshoe and lucky penny.
Faith of religion involving God.
A nurse's faith tells that Charlie should accept what God
gives him but not eating from the Tree of Knowledge like
Adam and Eve.

CHARLIE WAS MADE TO BELIEVE THAT HE

WAS MAKING PROGRESS JUST FOR THE
SAKE OF THE EXPERIMENT
Progression of Charlie written on his journal including
his IQ increases, the physical boundaries of his world
enlarge, his interaction with other people becomes
more sophisticated, and his imagination flourishes.
Charlie cuts off Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss and
having a relationship with Alice Kinnian.
The effect of the surgery is temporary.

THE TENSION BETWEEN INTELLECT

AND EMOTION
Charlie tries to find balance between between intellect and
emotion
Before operation, he was initially warmhearted and trusting.
After operation, his intellect and emotion started to develop. His
personality changed as he grows cold, arrogant and disagreeable.
The more he understands the about the world, the more
distances himself from human contact.
Conflict represented in the opposing characters of Nemur and
Alice.
Professor Nemur believes that nothing besides intellect matters
and that mental disability makes an individual less human.
Alice, represents the opposite perspective; the idea that kindness
and feeling are more important than intelligence.

THE PERSISTENCE OF THE PAST IN

THE PRESENT
Charlie slowly recovers his childhood memories
Learns that he is unable to be with women because of
something that his mother said.
Cannot move forward with his emotional life once he
becomes genius until he deals with trauma of his
childhood

Charlies mother, Rose is also controlled by the past

Still resents Charlies lack of normallacy even after the
surgery
Rose attempt to stab Charlie with a knife; shows that
past emotions influenced her actions in the present.

MISTREAT OF THE MENTALLY

DISABLED BY THE SOCIETY
Family: mistreatment from Charlies mother, in his
childhood, his high strung mother slaves over his
education, determined to make him normal, even by
force. The birth of Charlies sister shows the difference of
treatment between Charlie and his sister who is not
mentally disabled.
Friends: Charlie is constantly pushed around by the
insensitive workers. They patronize Charlie, with no
respect for the retarded person as a human being.
The researchers: Their aim is supposed to be about
improving the sad lives of mentally retarded people,
instead they treat Charlie as an object.

THE OVERWHELMING NEED FOR

LOVE IN EVERY HUMAN BEING
Charlie is compelled towards one of the few women who
has cared for and cherished him Alice Kinnian
Alice knows both sides of Charlie and still accepts
him,this propels him to love her. Alice too returns his
feeling.
Fay ,depicted Alices opposite. Charlie is aware that he
loves Alice but Fay and he share a mutual attraction

THE END
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME