Daniel Keyes Flowers For Algernon Comparison

Decent Essays
In the story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes and the movie there were many similarities and differences. One similarity that happened in both the book and movie was when charlie had the surgery and ended up winning Algernon. They were similar because in the story charlie was very excited that he beat Algernon and in the movie he was really excited that he beat him. One difference was that in the story Charlie never told Miss Kinnian that he had feeling for her or that was attracted to her but, in the movie he told her and got her presents also he even kissed her even though she didn’t want him too. In the movie they fell in love and were happy until the end but in the book they never had any type of relationship other than a friendship.

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    The story Flowers for Algernon, and the movie Charly are based off the same man but they seem to have some differences when it comes to miss Kinnian and the end of the story or book, and some similarities when it comes to the operation. In the overall story or movie charly is given an operation so he could become “smart.” In both the story and the movie charlie becomes smart after the operation, but sadly then starts to become his old self. In the story charlie stated that he was leaving. At the end Charlie's process reports he stated that he was leaving town, but in the movie It just showed that he ended up being his past.…

    • 195 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Intelligence is something that everyone has in some sort of way, but some people may have more than others. In the story, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon isn’t necessarily the brightest person you’ll meet. He has a chance though to achieve his dream and become smart, but some risks may be involved with having the operation. Either way he would have chosen to go, he still may have not been happy with his decision. Charlie shouldn’t have had the operation for many reasons though.…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” ( Einstein ) This greatly applies to the story, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes which is about a young man named Charlie Gordon who unfortunately has a low intelligence level. Just like the quote, Charlie had the ability all this time to become very smart with an IQ of over 200 after a neurosurgery. Later on the story, Charlie’s operation backfires putting his IQ back down to sixty-eight.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Give it Your All You never know what you have until it is gone. “Flowers for Algernon” is a story about a middle aged man named Charlie. Charlie is living a battle between his level of knowledge and his mental condition. In the story Charlie is offered the chance to have an operation performed on himself.…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The story Flowers for Algernon in the movie version Charlie contained some extra details in it that the story didn’t have. For example, one of the differences is that Dr.Strauss is a female and she teaches kids with mental disabilities. Therefore it’s different from the story since in the story Dr.Strauss was a guy and he didn’t teach other kids with disabilities. Furthermore towards the middle of the movie Charlie tried to rape Mrs.Kinnian.…

    • 210 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ‘“You’ve got to find the answer inside you-feel the right thing to do”’ (Keyes 84). This quote from Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes occurs when the teacher of a cognitively impaired individual, Charlie Gordon, is explaining to him that he needs to make his own decisions after he asks her for advice. In the book, Charlie undergoes an operation, making him able to learn. He has many interesting encounters, and he meets a mouse named Algernon along the way who went through the same experiences as him. Flowers for Algernon follows the life of Charlie Gordon through the progress reports which establish Charlie Gordon’s society, the operation Charlie receives that creates change, and the change of Charlie becoming intelligent and then regressing…

    • 1096 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Being able to make a decision for oneself and acting upon it, despite overwhelming obstacles is an important quality when defining humanity. This quality allows humans to share how they feel and take a stand on certain situations. In the story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, a mentally stunted individual named Charlie proves his humanity when he makes his own decision and acts on it, even with overwhelming peer pressure. As Charlie is eating his dinner in a local restaurant one day, he notices a young dishwasher that is mentally stunted just like he was, not so long ago. This dishwasher drops some dishes, and the other customers, noticing this, make fun of him and use his situation to have some fun on their behalf.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Change—human beings experience change throughout life. All human beings have experienced change in different aspects of life. People have changed; they grow and learn from past experiences. In like manner, Charlie Gordon—an unintelligent individual—had gone through a surgery that changed several aspects of himself—physical and mental. Prior to the operation, he was a gratifying adult with a genial smile.…

    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    More than 3 million people are mentally impaired every year in the United States. Some people are mentally impaired and not able to understand basic things. “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, is about a mentally impaired man was able to become the smartest man in the world with an IQ over two-hundred in less than 2 weeks. Charley Gordon is a thirty-seven year old man who receives “a one of a kind surgeries” that allows his IQ to triple is a few weeks. He becomes the smartest man in the world and learns college subjects overnight.…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Handicapped for a Lifetime... Until Now Imagine someone who doesn't understand themselves, or their past. Picture them as frightened, yet the most determined man on earth. That person is Charlie Gordon. Thirty-two year old Charlie was born with an unusually low IQ; he has endeavored his whole life trying to be just smart as everyone else.…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Most people don't think about what it's like to be incapable of learning. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes features Charlie, a middle-aged man with a mental disability which prevents him from learning like most people. He is selected for an experiment to increase his intelligence. Indirect characterization is when an author indirectly describes a character. Keyes uses a variety of methods of indirect characterization to show that Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss are selfish, unconfident, and argumentative.…

    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Our Actions and Their Consequences Have you ever wanted to change yourself? You may want to rethink that. During the short story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Charlie undergoes a experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. The story is a collection of all of Charlie’s progress reports from before to after his surgery. He continually writes better and with more intellect, and then he begins to decline.…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Flowers For Algernon Argumentative Essay (Rough Draft) Intelligence is something that many people argue you need to thrive in the world. In the story Flowers for Algernon, the main character Charlie Gordon, has lived his whole life with a low IQ of sixty-eight. When two doctors picked him to have a surgery that would triple his IQ, it sparked some controversy whether or not he should have had the surgery. The doctors made a good choice choosing Charlie for the surgery, in the book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Charlie Gordon should have been chosen for this surgery because his emotional maturity grew with the progress of his IQ.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and the movie are both about a boy named Charlie Gordon has a learning disability, so his IQ is lower than other people. He attends a school for adults who also have learning disabilities. Charlie gets a surgery that can triple his IQ. The movie and book have many differences. In the book the movie takes place in the 60s but in the movie it takes place in the 80s.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Flowers for Algernon Argumentative Essay Being smart is not always a good thing. You might be happier being dumb rather than being smart. In the story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, a man named Charlie Gordon undergoes surgery to become smart. The surgery was a success and is tripled Charlie’s IQ of 68. As Charlie progressed, he learned that who he thought were his friends were always making fun of him.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays