85. Count Your Blessings

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If you are reading this post and find it worthy of attention, you are one of the millions of fortunate people who are doing well in life for reasons that you are well aware of, or that you mostly ignore. But wait, that's not the point: the important fact is that you do find it interesting enough to go on reading and that, when you get to the end of it, chances are you will also glimpse the message in between the lines.

 By now everybody who finished reading the whole short-story text should be able to give right answers to questions ‘hidden’ in the text below, highlighted in italics. They will represent the basis for the comprehension test on Flowers for Algernon, and as many reasons for debate.

  1. Charlie’s age at the beginning of the story was important when he was accepted at the special school for adults. There was something absolutely peculiar about Charlie’s desire to get smart, which made him a candidate for scientific experiments. But becoming smart is not a miracle taking place form morning till night. What is more, the idea of intelligence can hardly be reduced to what his IQ may represent: by extension, intelligence can and does manifest through all the facets of Charlie’s development, from academic performance to full enjoyment of his nature – body, soul and spirit.

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   2.  It is through writing that Charlie’s progress is observed and measured. Never has this technique been applied so systematically and successfully as in Flowers for Algernon. How can someone prove that he/she has made progress but through demonstrating that studying has been assimilated into memory, and that what was ignored is now known – therefore learned? 

  3. Learning through reading, learning from books [what on earth happened to reading – I wonder – for it to stop being a means of ‘getting smart’?!]. It’s not by chance that the first hard book Charlie reads is an adventure book speaking about civilization.

  4. Charlie’s coming into being occurs both for him and for those with whom he comes into contact. There’s Donner (Donnegan in the film) and the team of peevish, down-to-earth workers, with their petty thefts and smart-Alec attitude; there’s Fay (in the audio), who helps Charlie discover that there’s pleasure in the union of a man and a woman – everything his mother had punished him for. And – of course – there’s Alice, the love of his life.

  5.  At the Scientists’ Convention, Charlie forecasts a grim outcome for the future of humanity. Perhaps his speech was too short for such an important scenario in which upgrading people’s minds would take place thanks to research.

  6.  At the peak of his cognitive abilities, Charlie launches his own theorem, which would explain why he will soon go back into nothingness, a resident at a centre for retarded adults. In this way he leaves a legacy for humanity – just in time, for soon forgetfulness will wipe out the languages he had learned, the insights into all the domains of human enquiry, and the skills that he had developed: reading, writing, and growing inside as a complex being, Universal Man.

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  7.Look at this picture: what do you think science should focus on?

84. A Challenged Book

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It turns out that there are two versions of Flowers for Algernon: a short story (the one that has been uploaded in 14 successive posts) and a novel, whose contents have been presented through the 146 audio episodes (don’t miss out on them: it is there that you’ll find the ‘real’ Charlie. Make sure you’ve saved them all, and listen to them again and again.). The short story and the novel share many plot points but the novel expands significantly on Charlie's developing emotional state as well as his intelligence, his memories of childhood, and the relationship with his family and Miss Kinnian. Still, more important for the outcome of such an experiment is what made Flowers for Algernon a “dangerous book”:

Censorship

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Flowers for Algernon is on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999. The reasons for the challenges vary, but usually centre on those parts of the novel in which Charlie struggles to understand and express his sexual desires. Many of the challenges have proved unsuccessful, but the book has occasionally been removed from school libraries, including some in Pennsylvania and Texas.

In January 1970, the school board of Cranbrook, British Columbia, as well as Calgary, Alberta, removed the Flowers for Algernon novel from the local grade-nine curriculum and the school library, after a parent complained that it was "filthy and immoral". The president of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation criticized the action. Flowers for Algernon was part of the British Columbia Department of Education list of approved books for grade nine and was recommended by the British Columbia Secondary Association of Teachers of English. A month later, the board reconsidered and returned the book to the library; they did not, however, lift its ban from the curriculum. 

Banned books - Flowers for Algernon

Fifteen words have been removed from the summary below, only to be offered, together with five ‘intruders’, for you to consider. Re-insert the ones which render the text meaningful and then check your answers.

Short story summary

The story is told through a series of journal entries written (1) _ the story's protagonist, Charlie Gordon, a man with an IQ of 68 who works as a janitor in a factory. He is selected to undergo an experimental surgical technique meant to (2) _ his intelligence. The surgery, already successfully tested on a mouse, is also a success and Charlie’s IQ triples.

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Charlie falls in love with his (3) _ teacher, Miss Kinnian, but as his intelligence increases, he surpasses her intellectually and they become unable to relate to (4) _ other. He also realizes that his co-workers at the factory, whom he thought were his friends, only liked him to be around so that they could make fun (5) _ him. His new intelligence scares his co-workers at his job; they start a petition to (6) _ him fired but when Charlie finds out about the petition, he quits. As Charlie's intelligence peaks, Algernon (7) _ declines — losing his increased intelligence and dying shortly afterward, to be buried in a cheese box in Charlie's backyard. Charlie discovers that this is, also in his case, only temporary.

He starts to experiment to find (8) _ the cause of the flaw in the experiment, which he calls the "Algernon-Gordon Effect". Just when he finishes his experiments, his intelligence begins to degenerate, to (9) _ an extent that he becomes equally as unintelligent as he was before the experiment. Charlie is (10) _ of, and pained by, what is happening to him as he loses his knowledge and his ability to read and write. Despite (11) _ to his former self, he still remembers that he was once a genius. He tries to get his old job (12) _, and tries to revert back to normal but he cannot stand the pity from his co-workers, landlady, and Ms. Kinnian. He decides to go (13) _ _ New York to live at the State-sponsored Warren Home School, where nobody knows about the operation. His (14) _ wish is that someone put flowers on Algernon's grave.

The novel opens with an epigraph discouraging people (15) _ _ at those who are perplexed or weak of vision. The epigraph is taken from Plato’s The Republic, part of which reads:                                                         

“

Google Images Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eye are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind's eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye.

”

AT – AWARE – AWAY FROM – BACK – BY – EACH – FOR – FORMER – FROM LAUGHING – HAVE – INCREASE – LAST – OF – ON TO – OLD – OUT – REGRESSING – SUCH – SUDDENLY – TO LAUGH     

83. Back into Darkness

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This is where Charlie’s adventure into Consciousness comes to an end. While feeling grateful for having been smart for a time, Charlie leaves a message of hope for the future of all those people that might come into being thanks to the advances of science.

The questions that have been asked along the deliveries of the short story are – with very few exceptions – left unanswered. Since I really find it difficult to go on writing without receiving feedback, chances are that I will soon sign out of this blog.

The last upload of audios and video episode 9 accompany the rest of the short story text. But wait, there’s more to it – saved for the next post: a cloze test which will check knowledge on details of the story, and the comparison between the (abridged) short story text and the audio novel.

Flowers for Algernon (14) #

Daniel Keyes

[Motor activity impaired. I keep tripping over things, and it becomes increasingly difficult to type.] 

June 23—I’ve given up using the typewriter completely. My co-ordina­tion is bad. I feel that I’m moving slower and slower. Had a terrible shock today. I picked up a copy of an article I used in my research, Krueger’s Uber psychische Ganzheit, to see if it would help me under­stand what I had done. First I thought there was something wrong with my eyes. Then I realized I could no longer read German. I tested my­self in other languages. All gone.

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June 30—A week since I dared to write again. It’s slipping away like sand through my fingers. Most of the books I have are too hard for me now. I get angry with them because I know that I read and understood them just a few weeks ago.

I keep telling myself I must keep writing these reports so that some­body will know what is happening to me. But it gets harder to form the words and remember spellings. I have to look up even simple words in the dictionary now and it makes me impatient with myself.

Dr. Strauss comes around almost every day, but I told him I wouldn’t see or speak to anybody. He feels guilty. They all do. But I don’t blame anyone. I knew what might happen. But how it hurts.

July 7—I don’t know where the week went. Todays Sunday I know be­cause I can see through my window people going to church. I think I stayed in bed all week but I remember Mrs. Flynn bringing food to me a few times. I keep saying over and over lye got to do something but then I forget or maybe its just easier not to do what I say Im going to do.

I think of my mother and father a lot these days. I found a picture of them with me taken at a beach. My father has a big ball under his arm and my mother is holding me by the hand. I dont remember them the way they are in the picture. All I remember is my father drunk most of the time and arguing with mom about money.

He never shaved much and he used to scratch my face when he hugged me. My mother said he died but Cousin Miltie said he heard his mom and dad say that my father ran away with another woman. When I asked my mother she slapped my face and said my father was dead. I dont think I ever found out which was true but I don’t care much. (He said he was going to take me to see cows on a farm once but he never did. He never kept his promises. . .)

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July 10—My landlady Mrs Flynn is very worried about me. She says the way I lay around all day and dont do anything I remind her of her son before she threw him out of the house. She said she doesnt like loafers. If Im sick its one thing, but if Im a loafer thats another thing and she wont have it. I told her I think flu sick.

I try to read a little bit every day, mostly stories, but sometimes I have to read the same thing over and over again because I dont know what it means. And its hard to write. I know I should look up all the words in the dictionary but its so hard and Im so tired all the time.

Then I got the idea that I would only use the easy words instead of the long hard ones. That saves time. I put flowers on Algernons grave about once a week. Mrs Flynn thinks Im crazy to put flowers on a mouses grave but I told her that Algernon was special.

July 14—Its sunday again. I dont have anything to do to keep me busy now because my television set is broke and I dont have any money to get it fixed. (I think I lost this months check from the lab. I dont remember)

I get awful headaches and asperin doesnt help me much. Mrs Flynn knows Tm really sick and she feels very sorry for me. Shes a wonderful woman whenever someone is sick.

July 22—Mrs Flynn called a strange doctor to see me. She was afraid I was going to die. I told the doctor I wasnt too sick and that I only for­get sometimes. He asked me did I have any friends or relatives and I said no I dont have any. I told him I had a friend called Algernon once but he was a mouse and we used to run races together. He looked at me kind of funny like he thought I was crazy.

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He smiled when I told him I used to be a genius. He talked to me like I was a baby and he winked at Mrs Flynn. I got mad and chased him out because he was making fun of me the way they all used to.

July 24—I have no more money and Mrs Flynn says I got to go to work somewhere and pay the rent because I havent paid for over two months. I dont know any work but the job I used to have at Donnegans Plastic Box Company. I dont want to go back there because they all knew me when I was smart and maybe they'll laugh at me. But I dont know what else to do to get money.

July 25—I was looking at some of my old progress reports and its very funny but I cant read what I wrote. I can make out some of the words but they dont make sense.

Miss Kinnian came to the door but I said go away I dont want to see you. She cried and I cried too but I wouldnt let her in because I didnt want her to laugh at me. I told her I didn’t like her any more. I told her I didnt 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.

July 27—Mr Donnegan was very nice when I came back and asked him for my old job of janitor. First he was very suspicious but I told him what happened to me then he looked very sad and put his hand on my shoulder and said Charlie Gordon you got guts.

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Everybody looked at me when I came downstairs and started work­ing in the toilet sweeping it out like I used to. I told myself Charlie if they make fun of you dont get sore because you remember their not so smart as you once thot they were. And besides they were once your friends and if they laughed at you that doesnt mean anything because they liked you too.

One of the new men who came to work there after I went away made a nasty crack he said hey Charlie I hear your a very smart fella a real 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 didnt expect Joe to take my part so I guess hes really my friend.

Later Frank Reilly came over and said Charlie if anybody bothers you or trys to take advantage you call me or Joe and we will set em straight. I said thanks Frank and I got choked up so I had to turn around and go into the supply room so he wouldnt see me cry. Its good to have friends.

July28—I did a dumb thing today I forgot I wasnt in Miss Kinnians class at the adult center any more like I use to be. I went in and sat down in my old seat in the back of the room and she looked at me funny and she said Charles. I dint remember she ever called me that before only Charlie so I said hello Miss Kinnian Im redy for my lesin today only I lost my reader that we was using. She startid to cry and run out of the room and everybody looked at me and I saw they wasnt the same pepul who used to be in my class.

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Then all of a suddin I rememberd 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 come back to the room.

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.

Im taking a cuple of books along and even if I cant reed them Ill practise hard and maybe I wont forget every thing I lerned. If I try reel hard maybe Ill be a littel bit smarter than I was before the operashun. I got my rabits foot and my luky penny and maybe they will help me.

If you ever reed this Miss Kinnian dont be sorry for me Im glad I got a second chanse to be smart becaus I lerned a lot of things that I never even new were in this world and Im grateful that I saw it all for a littel bit. I dont know why Im dumb agen or what I did wrong maybe its becaus I dint try hard enuff. But if I try and practis very hard maybe Ill get a littl smarter and know what all the words are. I remember a littel bit how nice I had a feeling with the blue book that has the torn cover when I red it. Thats why fin gonna keep trying to get smart so I can have that feeling agen. Its a good feeling to know things and be smart. I wish I had it rite now if I did I would sit down and reed all the time. Anyway I bet fin the first dumb person in the world who ever found out something importent for sience. I remember I did somthing but I dont remember what. So I gess its like I did it for all the dumb pepul like me.

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Good-by Miss Kinnian and Dr. Strauss. and evreybody. And P.S. please tell Dr Nemur not to be such a grouch when pepul laff at him and he woud have more frends. Its easy to make frends if you let pepul laff at you. Im going to have lots of frends where I go.

P.P.S. Please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bakyard ... 

CHARLY (X)

82. A Walk in Amnesia

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Flowers for Algernon (13)

Daniel Keyes

June 19—Sometimes, at night, I go out for a walk. Last night I couldn’t remember where I lived. A policeman took me home. I have the strange feeling that this has all happened to me before—a long time ago. I keep telling myself I’m the only person in the world who can describe what’s happening to me.

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June 21—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. Then it all comes back to me in a flash. Fugues of amnesia. Symptoms of senility—second childhood. I can watch them coming on. It’s so cruelly logical. I learned so much and so fast. Now my mind is deteriorating rapidly. I won’t let it happen. I’ll fight it. I can’t help thinking of the boy in the restaurant, the blank expression, the silly smile, the people laughing at him. No—please—not that again.

June 22—I’m forgetting things that I learned recently. It seems to be following the classic pattern—the last things learned are the first things forgotten. Or is that the pattern? I’d better look it up again.

I reread my paper on the Algernon-Gordon Effect and I get the strange feeling that it was written by someone else. There are parts I don’t even understand.

[Motor activity impaired. I keep tripping over things, and it becomes increasingly difficult to type.]

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Looking forward to receiving your answers to the questions above.