Individuality In Daniel Keyes Flowers For Algernon

There are certain things about a person that makes them stand out, that’s their individuality. Happiness will come from people embracing their unique characteristics and surrounding themselves with people that accept them. In the book Flowers for Algernon,
Charlie wants to be happy and the only way he thinks he can be happy is to be smart. Charlie wants to fit in with everyone, he wants to be normal. Charlie doesn’t understand that he doesn’t need to be smart to be happy, he just wants to be accepted. He ends up getting an operation that will make him smarter. Daniel Keyes shows that although Charlie had gotten smarter after the operation, he lost his uniqueness and didn’t have the impact he thought he would have on people because of his drastic change. …show more content…
He was chosen to have an operation on him for research to see it would make him smarter. Charlie willingly agreed to the operation because he understood that it would make him smarter, that’s exactly what he wants. In progress report 7, Charlie describes how he feels after having the operation done. He doesn’t quite understand why he has to write the progress reports but he understands that it’s important. Charlie writes, “Then when I am smart they will talk to me and I can sit with them and listen like Joe Carp and Frank and Gimpy do when they talk and have a discushen about important things” (Keyes 15). Charlie is describing to the reader about how he struggles with everyday life, he can’t understand conversations so he’s usually left out. Charlie doesn’t want to be left out he wants to be included; Even though he’s excited after the operation the reader can feel the sadness he’s felt. Having this operation done changes everything that made him special but to him this operation will make him so