Charlie Gordon, 32 years previous, IQ 68 is the star of Daniel Keyes’s iconic science fiction novel, Flowers for Algernon.
With unusually low intelligence for an grownup, Charlie is inept at studying social cues, can not perceive or management some bodily capabilities, and struggles to learn and write. He works as a cleaner at Mr Donner’s bakery who employed Charlie 17 years in the past as a favour to his shut good friend, Charlie’s uncle. Whereas Mr Donner is type to him and pays him pretty, he’s typically the butt of different’s worker’s jokes and he interprets their laughter and taunts as affords of friendship. Lengthy estranged from his household, Charlie has been picked up by scientists who need to make him “sensible”. He’s completely satisfied to play the guinea pig so long as he might be like “different pepul” so he can have “numerous frends who like me.”
The docs have inspired him to maintain a “progress report” to document his journey, emotions, and potential mental improvement. Charlie’s reviews, although stuffed with spelling and grammatical errors and no punctuation, are a captivating perception into an atypical mind. Keyes forces the reader to decelerate and one is compelled to consider the guidelines of language. Charlie spells phrases as he hears them – the phonetic logic is difficult to discredit. What he writes is simple to grasp. Naturally, one wonders if language additionally performs a job in shutting out Charlie and others like him who don’t perceive its guidelines and situations.
Changing into human
Charlie isn’t alone on this experiment. Algernon, a white mouse, is his companion. He’s rewarded with cheese for his intelligence whereas Charlie will get to be extra “human”. The irony isn’t misplaced on him – earlier than he simply existed however the success of the operation has made him human. In addition to buying literacy, he’s applauded for creating emotions of anger and suspicion, the “first response” to the world round him. He remembers his dad and mom’s names – Rose and Matt – and in a vivid third-person voice, recollects the recollections of his childhood.
Whereas Matt was extra favourably disposed in the direction of him, Rose had little endurance for his “slowness”. He writes that even in his “dullness” he knew he was “inferior”. The mom’s cruelty is exhibited by means of flogging, shaming, and threatening the kid. Her perception that the kid is “regular” doesn’t stem from optimism however the deep misery she experiences from the seems to be and rebukes of these round her. Younger Charlie’s unhappiness is compounded by the arrival of his sister (of regular mind capability) who additionally punishes him by refusing to play with him or acknowledging him as her older brother. The household is torn aside by Charlie’s incapacity. Keyes’s remark seems to be according to the overall angle in the direction of the disabled within the Nineteen Fifties, the last decade throughout which the guide was written. High quality care was out of attain for many middle-class households and the lack to manage was typically perceived as private failure.
Within the span of some weeks, Charlie’s intelligence soars and he gathers data that takes a human being a lifetime to accumulate. He devours books on varied topics, develops a scholarly understanding of most complicated subjects – the results of which is an inflated ego and disdain for many who aren’t as clever as him. Those that was once his “associates” are confused – they don’t perceive what has modified. However the mind alone doesn’t make us human, it’s our coronary heart that does so. “I’ve to like somebody,” Charlie writes in his progress report, to develop into absolutely human.
His encounters with ladies are awkward, infantile even. He finds it tough to look them within the eye or contact them. Closely shamed for his sexuality as a baby, he finds it tough to start out afresh in his new life. He believes he’s in love however intercourse and its varied manoeuvers stay annoyingly incomprehensible. Younger Charlie appears to look at him whereas he makes an attempt to be intimate with ladies. The novel doesn’t hush up youngster sexuality and conveys the significance of treating it with dignity and care if we’re to assist youngsters develop into adults who can have wholesome relationships with themselves and others. Keyes’s progressive views on youngster sexuality may also be influenced by his occupation as a highschool instructor the place he taught mentally challenged college students and noticed rising youngsters intently.
Changing into humane
All of the bookish data on this planet proves ineffective when he finds himself disregarded of friendships and at a loss to make amends with these he has damage for his egoistical nature. The docs had warned him of a potential reversal to his unique state and as Algernon’s behaviour turns into erratic, Charlie accepts that is to be his destiny too. No good factor lasts ceaselessly.
The story of a “retard’s” transformation into a person with tremendous synthetic intelligence faucets into the trendy man’s main concern – can intelligence be an alternative to feelings? Nearly each sentient being is able to kindness, curiosity, and love however people really feel it most intensely and even the dullest of them possess the potential to intellectualise their emotions. Throughout a time when synthetic intelligence threatens to take over jobs and substitute actual human connections, we should ask ourselves if such “intelligence” is price risking our humane selves for.
A deeply felt story that may transfer probably the most unsentimental of us to tears, Flowers for Algernon reminds us of the everlasting values of hopefulness, compassion, and empathy over valuing progress that measures human life in arbitrary scales and numbers.
Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes, W&N Trendy Classics.
