Owned by SiOptimum-Pride
What I think of Flowers for Algernon
I will only make my own recap of this story so please, bear with me.
When I started reading the story I was so angry at the wrong spelling of each word until my teacher explained that it as some kind of study regarding humans can still read misspelled words as long as they have the starting and ending letter correct. I also got angry when the teachers are making us read things with countless errors and that we have wrong answers when we misspell a word or two! I let my mom read it she said that it’s like Uncle Tom’s Cabine (I haven’t read it yet but I still believe her.)
Doctors Nemur and Strauss were looking for a way to heighten intelligence and experimented on a mouse named Algernon. Algernon is a white mouse who that was the first successful test subject for an experimental operation that can increase his intelligence. So, the next character is a human named Charlie. He has a very low IQ and wanted to be smart. They conducted multiple tests on him namely the Rorschach inkblot tests, a Thematic Apperception Test, and “amazed” tests which involves Algernon. Charlie’s teacher, Miss Kinnian recommended him to be the next test subject for the experiment. But, both doctors were arguing about him being the next test subject Dr. Nemur was worried about using Charlie though, Dr. Strauss told him Miss Kinnian recommended him because he was the best from all the people she was teaching. They don’t know if the result of the experiment will be permanent bus there’s a chance. They also argued about his motivation which Algernon possessed too.
Before the operation, the doctors didn’t feed Charlie due to unspecified reasons however, Dr. Strauss said that he can eat after the operation.
Now that the operation is done, Charlie continued with his tests and different races with Algernon. Dr. Strauss said Charlie needs to play those games, he has redo the inkblot tests some time, and the pictures (he likes to draw a picture of a man and a woman but he won’t make up lies about people.)
Dr. Strauss lent Charlie a device that looks like a little telivision but it’s not. Charlie was told by him to turn it on when going to sleep. Charlie doesn’t want to do it but if he wants to get smart, he should follow what Dr. Strauss says.
Charlie won’t go back to class at Miss Kinnian’s school but soon she will come to the hospital to start and teach him special things (I think).
The device kept him up all night. The device keeps on yelling things in his ears with “nutty” pictures. He doesn’t know what it says when he’s up and how’s he going to kno when sleeping. Dr Strauss says it’s ok and he told him that Charlie’s brain is learning when he’s asleep and that will help Miss Kinnian starts teaching him in the hospital. Charlie won’t notice for a while that he isn’t gettign smart but soon he will.
Dr. Strauss showed Charlie how to keep the TV turned low so now he can sleep. Fortunately, he doesn’t hear a thing though, he still doesn’t understand what it says. A few times he replays it in the morning to find out what he has learned while he’s sleeping and he doesn’t think so. Miss Kinnian says maybe it’s another language but most times it sounds like english.
Obviously people can get annoyed so Charlie asked Dr. Strauss what good is it to get smart in his sleep because he wants to get smart while awake. He says it’s the same thing and he has two minds they are called the subconscious and conscious- Both of these explain how he’s getting smart. The device influences influences/feeds knowledge to his subconscious and little by little, he gets smart based on the improving spelling of this part of the story.
Charlie finally beat Algernon! Then the second time he lost because he got so excited he fell off his chair before he finished. After that, Charlie won 8 more times.
Miss Kinnian started to teach Charlie! He read Robinson Crusoe, learned to spell better, and using proper punctuation.
Near the end of the story, Algernon bit Charlie and started to show bizarre behavior. He was less cooperative, refuses to run the maze anymore; general motivation has decreased. And he hasn’t been eating.
They’ve been feeding Algernon, who now refuses to work the shifting-lock problem. Charlie started researching this.
Charlie’s been given a lab of his own and permission to go ahead with the research. He works there day and night so he he had a cot moved into his lab. Most of his writing time is spent on the notes which he keeps in a separate folder.
Charlie is cramming a lifetime of research and thought into a few weeks instead of taking a rest. He is trying to find the reason for the sharp regression in Algernon and what will happen to him.
Letter To Dr. Strauss (Copy)
Dear Dr. Strauss: Under separate cover I am sending you a copy of my report entitled, “The Algernon-Gordon Effect: A Study of Structure Function of Increased Intelligence.” which I would like to have you read and published.
As you seem ny experiments are completed. I have included in my report all of my formulae, as well as mathematical analysis in the appendix. Of course, these should be verified.
Because of its importance to both you and Dr. Nemur (and need I say to myself, too?) I have checked and rechecked a dozen times in the jope of finding an error. I am sorry to say the results must stand. Yet for the sake of science, I am grateful for the little bit that I here add to the knowledge of the function of the human mind and of the las governing the artificial increase of human intelligence.
I recall you once saying to me that and experimental _failure_ or the _disproving_ of a theory was as important to the advancement of learning as a success would be. I know that this is true. I am sorry, however, that my own contribution to the field must rest upon the ashes of the work of two men I regard so highly.
Yours truly,
Charles Gordon
encl.:rept -----
This letter shows to us that Charlie has confirmed his research about the results ofartificially increased intelligence.
Let’s continue the story.
As Charlie revies the records and data on Algernon, he sees that although he is still in his physical infancy, he has regressed mentally. Motor activity is impaired; there is a general reduction of glandular activity; there is an accelerated loss of coordination. There are also strong indications of progressive amnesia. His formula can be predict these and other physical and mental deterioration syndromes can be predicted with statistically significant results when applied.
The surgical stimulus to which we were both subjected has resuted in an intensification and acceleration of all mental processes. The unforseen development, which I have taken the liberty of calling the Algernon-Gordon Effect, is the logical extension of the entire intelligence speed-up. The hypothesis here proven may be described simply in the following terms: Artificially increased intelligence deteriorates at a rate of time directly proportional to the quantity of the increase.
Algernon died two days ago and his brain was dissected and the its weight decreased and there was a general smoothing of cerebral convolutions.
These are the other symptoms Charlie experiences:
- Absent-minded
- Touchy
- Irritable
- Suicidal thoughts
- Memory loss
- Senility
- Confusion
- Mood changes
- Remembering things that happened a long time ago
- Impaired motor activity
- Bad coordination
- Feeling unwell
I made this to compare it with Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Note: I’m going to write here what I recall from the show, okay?
Both works are somewhat similar. They both have scientists researching to make people intelligent or maybe because the Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ scientists are finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, experiment on animals and humans, and both end up failing.
The protagonist is a scientist from TROTPOTA (short for Rise of the Planet of the Apes for convinience’s sake) he works in a Gen-Sys (the fictional research organization) Laboratory researches a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and finds that the ape he was experimenting on is showing signs of increased intelligence. Sadly, the ape ends up getting shot when it breaches security to protect its offspring and the scientist took her offspring and took care of it. I forgot what happened next but let’s just get straight to the point. So, he tried to steal a sample of the virus from the facility, and injects it to his father who also has the some of the symptoms Charlie from Flowers for Algernon has. His father becomes better but regressed after a few days (I guess). However, the ape lived and became more and more intelligent!
Both characters (Charlie and the scientist’s father) have the same disease that is called DEMENTIA. It is unclear what type of dementia Charlie has than the father who has Alzheimer’s.
And there you have it, my thoughts about Flowers for Algernon mixed up with a movie titles Rise of the Planet of the Apes!
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