Many people in this world dream of being genii. The public esteem and recognition for your brilliance is enough to make many long for heightened intelligence. This is exactly what happens in the science fiction short story “Flowers For
Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. A mentally disabled man named Charlie Gordon gets the chance to receive a surgery that will triple his IQ. The surgery had been performed on a laboratory mouse named Algernon. At first the surgery appears to have been successful with Charlie’s IQ rocketing to over 200. Charlie begins to discover and learn things he would never have been able to experience before the surgery. All is well until Algernon begins to show signs of regressed intelligence, soon after this Algernon dies. Charlie …show more content…
I have already begun to notice signs of emotional instability and forgetfulness, the first symptoms of the burnout.“Charlie is already noticing signs of his deterioration which elucidates the impression that his death is not far behind, therefore he attempts to provide a record of his “burnout” as long as he has the ability to put his thoughts into writing. An additional reason as to why Charlie should not have consented to receiving the intelligence heightening procedure done to him is that Charlie has to go through the stress and trauma of losing his cherished intelligence. Charlie knows that his “burnout” is inevitable so he is dreading it. He begins to get nervous, pleading with god to let him keep some of his intelligence “I've got to try to hold on to some of it. Some of the things I've learned. Oh, God, please don't take it all away.” Charlie is panicking and praying because he is fearful of losing his intelligence. In addition, Charlie tries to fight the deterioration and knows that he learned a lot “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,
Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. A mentally disabled man named Charlie Gordon gets the chance to receive a surgery that will triple his IQ. The surgery had been performed on a laboratory mouse named Algernon. At first the surgery appears to have been successful with Charlie’s IQ rocketing to over 200. Charlie begins to discover and learn things he would never have been able to experience before the surgery. All is well until Algernon begins to show signs of regressed intelligence, soon after this Algernon dies. Charlie …show more content…
I have already begun to notice signs of emotional instability and forgetfulness, the first symptoms of the burnout.“Charlie is already noticing signs of his deterioration which elucidates the impression that his death is not far behind, therefore he attempts to provide a record of his “burnout” as long as he has the ability to put his thoughts into writing. An additional reason as to why Charlie should not have consented to receiving the intelligence heightening procedure done to him is that Charlie has to go through the stress and trauma of losing his cherished intelligence. Charlie knows that his “burnout” is inevitable so he is dreading it. He begins to get nervous, pleading with god to let him keep some of his intelligence “I've got to try to hold on to some of it. Some of the things I've learned. Oh, God, please don't take it all away.” Charlie is panicking and praying because he is fearful of losing his intelligence. In addition, Charlie tries to fight the deterioration and knows that he learned a lot “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,