It is often debated if ignorance is truly bliss. In the novel entitled Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes, Charlie, a mentally disabled man, undergoes an operation to make him intelligent. As he progresses, his relationships with others change, and he realizes many discrepancies about the world that he did not know about before. Going into this procedure, Charlie did not have the capacity to understand what kind of situation he was putting himself through. The surgery ends up turning his world upside down. For Charlie, ignorance is bliss; ignorance was his happiness. Charlie was better off before the surgery because he was not aware of the hardships his intelligence would bring. With rapidly growing intellect, Charlie’s relationships
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Charlie was not prepared for what he was about to experience. Going into the surgery, he did not have the capacity to understand the journey he was going to go through. Before the surgery, Charlie had the mind of a child and, “Children do not have the kinds of burdens that come with [...] the awareness of the complexities of life” (“Is Ignorance Bliss?”) His intelligence grew too quickly, and he learned too much about the world in a little amount of time. Before the operation, Charlie thought that Frank and Joe, his colleagues, were his friends. He thought that the pranks they pulled on him were meant in a friendly way, but with knowledge, Charlie learned that “Joe and Frank and the others liked to have [him] around just to make fun of [him]. Now [he knew] what they [meant] when they [said] ‘to pull a Charlie Gordon.’ [He was] ashamed” (Keyes 42-43). Because of his knowledge of the world around him after his surgery, Charlie leaned that all his coworkers who he thought were his friends, were actually just making fun of him. Without the surgery, he would have still thought they were his friends, which would have made him happy. Now, his life is full of sadness from his past. He felt that his, “memories that began as ripples now wash over [him] in high-breaking waves….” (Keyes 132). All of Charlie’s troubling memories are coming back to him too fast. He feels as if he is drowning, and he cannot make it back to the
Charlie was not prepared for what he was about to experience. Going into the surgery, he did not have the capacity to understand the journey he was going to go through. Before the surgery, Charlie had the mind of a child and, “Children do not have the kinds of burdens that come with [...] the awareness of the complexities of life” (“Is Ignorance Bliss?”) His intelligence grew too quickly, and he learned too much about the world in a little amount of time. Before the operation, Charlie thought that Frank and Joe, his colleagues, were his friends. He thought that the pranks they pulled on him were meant in a friendly way, but with knowledge, Charlie learned that “Joe and Frank and the others liked to have [him] around just to make fun of [him]. Now [he knew] what they [meant] when they [said] ‘to pull a Charlie Gordon.’ [He was] ashamed” (Keyes 42-43). Because of his knowledge of the world around him after his surgery, Charlie leaned that all his coworkers who he thought were his friends, were actually just making fun of him. Without the surgery, he would have still thought they were his friends, which would have made him happy. Now, his life is full of sadness from his past. He felt that his, “memories that began as ripples now wash over [him] in high-breaking waves….” (Keyes 132). All of Charlie’s troubling memories are coming back to him too fast. He feels as if he is drowning, and he cannot make it back to the