flowers for algernon extended essay

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Analysis of Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on May 24, 2021

“Flowers for Algernon,” first published in 1959, is considered a landmark work in both science fiction and disability literature. It was expanded into a novel of the same name, which was published in 1966. Both the short story and the novel consist of a series of progress reports that track Charlie Gordon, a 37-year-old man suffering from mental retardation, through an experimental procedure designed to triple his I.Q. Charlie is the first human to receive the operation, though it has been successfully completed on a laboratory mouse, Algernon. Charlie’s early reports are riddled with spelling and grammatical errors; a month after the operation, the reports are grammatically correct. Within two months Charlie complains that the doctors in charge of the experiment cannot read Hindustani and Chinese. This rapid growth in intelligence from an I.Q. of 68 to triple that figure is accompanied by a crippling isolation from other people. A decline in his intelligence is first predicted by Algernon’s rapid regression, and Charlie soon conducts experiments into his own condition. He finds that his regression will be as rapid as his ascent to genius. The last progress reports are similar in style to those at the beginning, and Charlie closes the story by telling the doctors that he will be leaving New York, presumably to enter a state-operated home.

Experimentation is the predominant theme in “Flowers for Algernon.” At the height of his intelligence, Charlie complains that Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur, the doctors conducting the experiment, are not the mental giants he once perceived them to be. Some of his complaining can be accurately perceived as hubris—his aforementioned complaint about the professors’ knowledge of foreign languages is certainly unreasonable, considering their wide reading knowledge in Western languages. Much of Charlie’s observations about the doctors, though, can be interpreted as a nuanced critique on the medical establishment. The doctors argue at several points in the story, and the arguments reveal that they are often more interested in self-advancement than in Charlie’s development. Dr. Nemur is especially held to ridicule because he is primarily driven by his wife’s prodding. If the doctors are in a certain sense using Charlie, then the parallelism between him and Algernon takes on more significance. In the short story, Charlie is implicitly similar to Algernon because the doctors use him for advancement of their careers. The novel makes this theme more explicit through confrontations between Charlie and Dr. Nemur about the latter’s attitude toward the former. Dr. Nemur states that Charlie is a new creation of sorts, that he has achieved personhood through the experiment.

Daniel Keyes/Los Angeles Times

Charlie’s status as experimental subject comes into focus at the end of “Flowers for Algernon,” when he researches the consequences of the experiment conducted that made him a genius. The turning point in both the short story and the novel happens in a diner: A retarded young man breaks a plate and the customers, including Charlie, laugh at him. The moment defines the rest of the story because Charlie realizes how deeply he has isolated himself from other people during his ascent to genius. Although he has gained many gifts, he has also lost his meaningful relationships; thus, the connection with the retarded young man motivates Charlie to pursue research for the betterment of all who suffer from retardation. His research is set in opposition to the research of Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur because it is conducted solely to improve the lives of other people. Moreover, Charlie readily accepts his discouraging conclusion— namely, that the experiment conducted on him has no practical value because of the swift regression into retardation—and asks that the results be published. Charlie’s research can be read, therefore, as a commentary on medical experimentation and a call to consider the subjects involved—particularly those with limited abilities—as individuals.

The emphasis on experimentation in “Flowers for Algernon” can largely be explained by its roots in science fiction. Critics have observed that the experiment conducted on Charlie and his subsequent regression into mental retardation indicate that “Flowers for Algernon” properly belongs in the science fiction genre. Moreover, the short story and the novel won the most prestigious awards in science fiction (respectively, the Hugo award and the Nebula award).

“Flowers for Algernon” can also be classified as disability literature because its explorations delve into fundamental questions about the place of disabled people in modern American society. Charlie’s descriptions of other retarded people are telling—he speaks of vacant smiles and empty eyes. This perception is remarkably similar to Dr. Nemur’s assertion in the novel that Charlie did not properly exist as a person before the experiment. Disability remains an important public policy issue, which contributes to the enduring popularity of “Flowers for Algernon.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY Biklen, Douglas. “Constructing Inclusion: Lessons from Critical, Disability Narratives.” International Journal of Inclusive Education 4 (2000): 337–353. Clareson, Thomas D. Understanding Contemporary American Science Fiction: The Formative Period, 1926–1970. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1990, 231–233. Keyes, Daniel. Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer’s Journey. New York: Harvest-Harcourt, 2004. Moser, Patrick. “An Overview of Flowers for Algernon.” In Exploring Novels. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 1998. Rabkin, Eric S. “The Medical Lessons of Science Fiction.” Literature and Medicine 20 (2001): 13–25. Scholes, Robert. Structural Fabulation: An Essay on Fiction of the Future. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1975. Small, Robert, Jr. “Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.” In Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints, edited by Nicholas J. Karolides, Lee Burress, and John M. Kean, 249–255. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1993. Whittington-Walsh, Fiona. “From Freaks to Savants: Disability and Hegemony from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1933) to Sling Blade (1997).” Disability & Society 17 (2002): 695–707.

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Flowers for Algernon Theme Analysis

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Introduction:, intelligence as a double-edged sword:, the loss of innocence and emotional growth:, the fragility of identity:, conclusion:.

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Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Essay

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The novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is devoted to serious social and ethical topics – disabled people and the ethics of medical experiments. The author presents the story of a mentally disabled man who wants to become similar to others and agrees to undergo an innovative procedure. He obtains superior intellect but does not become happy. The book covers the problems of friendship, human relationships, and the ethics of experiments. This paper will provide a summary of the novel and an analysis of its main characters and themes. In the end, the author’s opinion on this book will be provided.

The novel is in the name of Charlie Gordon. He is 32 years old, and he is mentally disabled. Charlie works as a floor sweeper and performs other easy tasks. He obtains an opportunity to be rid of his mental problems through surgery. Charlie agrees to participate in the experiment because he sees remarkable results for a laboratory mouse, Algernon, who had a similar procedure (Keyes 286). He writes progress reports regularly to describe the fundamental changes and everything that is done to him by scientists (Gale 1). Charlie hopes to become a genius and to improve his life. However, the reality is different, and he is not happy. Charlie is selected just for the experience, similarly to that mouse, but not to make him a happier person.

Charlie understands the past issues with his family members and friends, which he was not able to study before because of mental disability. Charlie wants to improve his mind to read, write, and to communicate with others. However, in reality, he is similar to a laboratory mouse, and the scientists use him to test a new invention. The operation turns to be unsuccessful, and gradually, Charlie loses his intellect, and his state becomes even worse than it was before the operation. He decides to spend the remaining years of his life in a house for mentally disabled people and asks to put flowers on Algernon’s grave.

The main character is Charlie, and the whole story is connected with his transformations, feelings, and thoughts. At the beginning of the story, he is portrayed as a disabled man who is not happy with his life and wants to become smarter. He looks like a child, but actually, he is ambitious and optimistic. Charlie is much focused on his dreams of a better future, which motivates this character to agree to participate in a risky experiment. By passing this surgical procedure, he hopes to become smarter and happier in his life. However, the reality seems different to him. The author also shows Charlie as a person who wants to love and to be loved, as he lacks those feelings in his current life. His love for Alice makes him happier, but not for an extended period. Charlie’s life story is a tragedy that makes sense of the whole novel, and all other characters are related to Charlie.

Alice Kinnian is a teacher in the school for Retarded Adults where Charlie studies. She wants her students to participate in the experiment because she notices his desire and high level of motivation to become smart and to read and write correctly. She is responsible for Charlie and wants everything to be well during the experiment. For this reason, she remains with Charlie after the operation and assists him at different moments. Alice is sympathetic to her student, and she feels the need to be close to him. Their friendship transforms into love. When Charlie returns to his old mental state, Alice decides to terminate their relationship because it is excruciating for her to see disappointed Charlie.

Matt is Charlie’s father, and he seems to be one of the most loyal members of his family. He tries to protect his son from the abuse of his mother. However, his treatment for Charlie is rather neutral, and he does not want to improve Charlie’s life. After transformation, Matt is not interested in changing relationships with his son. Rose is Charlie’s mother, and her treatment is mostly abusive. She refuses to accept her son and calls him normal. Norma is a younger sister of Charlie, and her treatment of him is similar to her mother’s. Generally, family members of Charlie are indifferent to him and do not provide any assistance. All other main characters, such as Dr. Jayson Strauss, Dr. Guarino, and Mr. Winslow, are specialists working with Charlie during and after the experiment. Initially, they seem to be interested in his improvement and making his life better. Charlie trusts them and does everything they want, but then he understands that they are interested in him only as in a laboratory animal, not a person. Scientists are pragmatic and not humanistic.

The novel covers the theme of ethics in human relationships and science, including the ethics of experimentation on humans. The author shows that scientists use Charlie not to help him or make him happier, but to conduct an experiment. According to Ghoshal and Wilkinson, the changes in Charlie’s mental and emotional state were not considered by scientists, and “were a source of significant distress for him throughout the book” (194). The scientists treat Charlie as an animal or a robot, as Ryder states, “Charlie Gordon also oscillates between the human and the machine, or rather, the robot” (55). In general, the novel focuses on a serious social topic and is timely as well, because scientists may perform similar experiments with disabled people.

The novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes should be studied to understand the problems of scientific ethics, human relationships, and treatment of disabled people. The story of Charlie is an example of how the ambitions of scientists and their desire to invent something new can make others unhappy. For them, Charlie was not an individual, but a ‘laboratory mouse’ for their experiment. This story shows that all people should be treated with humanism, and their interests should be more important than a desire to become famous or to make an invention.

To sum up, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes covers essential themes. It discusses the attitudes towards the disabled, the issue of ethics in science, as well as various relationships between people. By presenting Charlie’s story, the author shows that the happiness of a person should be more important than the goals of science. The interests of those who participate in experiments should be considered as more valuable than the desire to become famous or to make an invention.

Works Cited

Ghoshal, Nishan, and Paul O. Wilkinson. “Flowers for Algernon: The Ethics of Human Experimentation on the Intellectually Disabled.” Psychiatria Danubina, vol. 29, no. 3, 2017, pp. 194-195.

Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007.

Ryder, Mike. “Microfascism and the Double Exclusion in Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon.” Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction, vol. 132, 2019, pp. 54-65.

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Flowers for Algernon

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Flowers For Algernon

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Discussion Questions

What are the ethical implications of the experimental procedure Algernon and Charlie undergo? Compare the experiment’s objectives to Charlie’s intentions in light of Charlie’s wellbeing.

The experimental procedure is a major turning point in Charlie’s life. However, Charlie stresses that he was fully human before and after the operation. What aspects of Charlie’s character and environment connect his past and present? Why are they important to his sense of humanity?

Why do you think Charlie does not reveal his identity when he visits his father’s barbershop? Why do you think he later chooses to reunite with his mother but does not return to see his father again?

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Flowers for Algernon

Daniel keyes.

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The novel is made up of a series of progress reports written by a man named Charlie Gordon . As the novel begins, Charlie Gordon is mentally disabled, with an IQ of 68. He works at a bakery and attends classes at night to learn how to read and write. Because of Charlie’s motivation, his teacher, Alice Kinnian , recommends him for a cutting-edge experimental surgery designed by Professor Harold Nemur and Doctor Strauss . Strauss and Nemur believe that they can greatly increase intelligence through this operation. They’ve already performed their surgery on a mouse named Algernon , who has become super-intelligent. Charlie competes with Algernon in mazes and other intelligence tests, and loses every time.

Charlie undergoes the surgery, and is told that soon he’ll have an IQ of 185. At first, Charlie doesn’t feel intelligent at all. He continues working at the bakery, where his coworkers tease him and bully him for his clumsiness. In the evenings, Charlie continues meeting with Alice, who tells him to remain patient. Charlie begins to have vague flashbacks to his childhood—a period of time that he barely remembers.

At work, Charlie slowly shows signs of increased intelligence. He becomes adept at mixing dough, and gets a raise for his efforts. He has wet dreams, which Dr. Strauss—who acts as his therapist—explains to him. Charlie also beats Algernon in intelligence tests. At the same time, he begins to have more frequent flashbacks: he remembers that his mother, Rose Gordon , would spank him for being bad, and that she vehemently denied that he was mentally challenged. He also had a sister named Norma Gordon , who hated Charlie for getting too much attention from their parents.

Alice teaches Charlie grammar and encourages him to read, and Charlie quickly becomes more and more intelligent. He begins to alienate his coworkers, who resent him for being smarter than they are. Charlie also notices that Alice is very pretty, and he tries to pluck up the courage to ask her out.

Charlie confronts an ethical dilemma when he discovers that his coworker Gimpy , who’s always been gruff but kind to him, is stealing from the bakery. Charlie asks Professor Nemur for advice, but Nemur says that it’s an unimportant issue. Alice urges Charlie to resolve the dilemma by exploring his own values and beliefs, and Charlie is able to convince Gimpy to stop stealing anymore.

Encouraged by his discussions with Alice, Charlie asks Alice on a date. The date goes well, and Charlie decides that he’s in love. Alice tells Charlie that he’s being too hasty, however: although he’s very intelligent now, he still has the emotional intelligence of a child. Alice and Charlie go on other dates, and Charlie slowly realizes that he’s vastly more intelligent than Alice.

Charlie is fired from his job at the bakery—his coworkers, furious with his new intelligence, sign a petition asking for his immediate dismissal. Charlie is hurt. The only coworker who doesn’t sign the petition, Fanny Birden , says goodbye to Charlie, and warns him that it was a sin for Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Angry and upset, Charlie goes to Alice’s apartment, where he tries and fails to be physically intimate with her.

Charlie continues to work closely with Professor Nemur. He flies out to Chicago for a medical conference, where Nemur’s discovery is supposed to be one of the highlights. At the conference, Charlie begins to resent Nemur’s condescending attitude—although Charlie is now far more intelligent than Nemur, Nemur continues to regard him as a “guinea pig.” Charlie embarrasses Nemur in front of his colleagues, and frees Algernon from his cage. Together, Charlie and Algernon leave Chicago, with Charlie resolving to live life on his own terms from now on.

Back in New York, Charlie finds an apartment for himself. He meets women late at night and attempts to have sex with them, but he frightens them away. His fortunes improve after he meets his apartment neighbor, a strong, energetic woman named Fay Lillman . Fay is uninhibited, and tells Charlie that she’d like to have sex with him. Meanwhile, Charlie remembers an episode from his childhood in which his sister Norma became furious with him. Norma wanted to have a dog, but their father, Matt Gordon , refused to give her one unless she let Charlie play with it. Charlie has another vivid flashback of his mother spanking him after he accidentally embarrassed a girl at his school. Charlie visits his father, who now works in a barbershop in the Bronx. Matt doesn’t recognize Charlie, and Charlie is unable to force himself to reveal his identity.

Charlie decides to devote himself to studying neuroscience—in this way, he believes, he can help other mentally disabled people. At the same time, he launches a turbulent relationship with Fay. At first, Charlie can’t have sex with Fay without experiencing traumatizing hallucinations in which he sees a younger version of himself—the “ old Charlie .” Over time, however, Charlie learns to be confortable around Fay.

Charlie is then horrified to discover that Algernon’s intelligence is vanishing—suggesting that the same might happen to him soon. Charlie reunites with Professor Nemur and begs for funding to research the issue. Nemur arranges for Charlie to pursue this research. In the meantime, Charlie visits the Warren State Home for the mentally ill—the home where Charlie might have to live if his hypothesis is proven correct and he loses his intelligence. Warren State is surprisingly pleasant, although Charlie is still terrified at returning to a state of mental disability.

Charlie gets drunk and confronts Nemur and Strauss. Charlie tells them they’re condescending and conceited, but comes to realize that he’s become just as bad. Shortly after this confrontation, Charlie makes a breakthrough in his research: he concludes that Nemur’s brain surgery will always be impermanent. In the long run, Charlie’s own intelligence will disappear, and he’ll become mentally disabled again. Algernon dies and Charlie buries his body and decorates the grave with flowers.

Charlie tries to tie up loose ends before he loses his intelligence. He goes to visit his sister Norma, who still cares for their mother. Charlie’s mother now suffers from dementia—while she recognizes Charlie, she seems to forget who he is from time to time. Norma, on the other hand, is a kind, bright woman, who’s happy to reunite with Charlie. She tells Charlie that she’s hated herself for years because of the way she treated him. Charlie is so moved by his conversation with Norma that he has to leave. He decides to forgive his mother for her cruelty—there’s simply no point in hating her.

Charlie’s intelligence fades quickly. He becomes irritable, and Fay breaks off all ties with him. Alice continues to visit Charlie, although she’s upset by his moodiness. One night, Charlie and Alice have sex, and Charlie feels that he’s experiencing “something different”—a love few people find in a whole lifetime.

Charlie loses all his intelligence and enters a state of mental disability once again. He returns to the bakery, and succeeds in getting his old job back. His coworkers, who formerly bullied him, now treat him with more respect. Nevertheless, Charlie decides that he can no longer be around his coworkers or Alice—he can’t stand to talk to people who remember a time when he was a genius. He decides to go to the Warren State Home. In his final progress report, Charlie says goodbye to Alice, Professor Nemur, Doctor Strauss, and everyone else he’s met since the experiment. In a postscript, he asks “someone” to put more flowers on Algernon’s grave.

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Flowers for Algernon

By daniel keyes, flowers for algernon essay questions.

Flowers for Algernon is told in a first-person narration so that readers follow Charlie in a close perspective. What is the effect of this first-person narration? What does it tell that other perspectives might not tell? Why do you think the author chose to make Charlie a first-person narrator?

The first-person narration keeps readers close to Charlie, and makes Charlie both an identifiable and likeable character. When characters have disagreements with Charlie (such as Nemur saying he has become arrogant and selfish), readers are more apt to side with Charlie. Of course, this limits the amount of information that can be delivered, since what is told must be something that Charlie knows. However, the choice of using a first-person narrator in general also increases the pathos of the story, as it heightens the sense of sadness at Charlie’s eventual deterioration. It also gives insight into what Charlie is thinking, which is remarkably important in a story that is concerned with the mind.

The story is delivered in an epistolary fashion, that is, conveyed in Progress Reports styled like diary entries. What is the effect of this narrative choice? Why do you think the author chose to tell the story this way?

The epistolary fashion lends first-person credibility to Charlie as a narrator. Keyes also takes this as an opportunity to show Charlie’s physical-mental enhancement and deterioration through the way he manipulates the actual writing of these progress reports. The diction and writing style of Charlie at his intellectual peak is also different than that of when he is improving or when he is deteriorating. These reports also make sense given the plot of the story, and the necessity of documenting the experiment given the scientific method.

Interpersonal relationships are especially important in Flowers for Algernon , and for the narrator, Charlie. Choose two relationships in Charlie’s life, and explain how they change after his operation. Why is this change significant?

Students should choose individuals who see Charlie both before and after his operation. These include: Matt, Rose, Norma, Prof. Nemur, Dr. Strauss, Burt, the bakery workers, and Alice Kinnian.

When Charlie starts remembering his childhood memories, he also begins reflecting on what these memories mean in the context of his present. What does it mean for reality to be tied to the present, and memory to be tied to the past? Why is it important for Charlie to understand his present in context of what happened in his past?

Charlie realizes that a person is not just the sum of his past memories, but also what he is currently doing in the present, and what he will experience in the future. However, in order to really discover who he is, he must understand how his past shaped him, and how his family shaped him, to be the person he is now. Originally, Charlie talks about how the “present” is “reality,” and the “past” is made up of “memories,” but then he realizes that the past is just as real as the present (154). Memories construct an individual, who exists in the present.

Map the significances of the places where Charlie stays.

Charlie was born in Brooklyn, and the Beekman Lab is in New York. Like Charlie, Brooklyn is not the center stage for groundbreaking research or generally exciting activities; he has to move in to New York, near Times Square, for that. After the convention, Charlie stays in an apartment of his own near Times Square, and the excitement and hustle reflects his current state in life of being busy and enthusiastic. In order to go to the convention, however, Charlie has to fly out to Chicago to discover the truth behind the experiment/his own life to come, demonstrating that sometimes answers only come when an individual removes himself from his current activities to examine things with an outside perspective.

What significance, if any, does Charlie’s age or his current state of life/being have?

Charlie is 32 at the start of the novel, and stays this age for the rest of the story as well. The effects of the experiment only last 8 months or so. Charlie is middle-aged (albeit on the young end of the spectrum), and technically at the “prime of his life.” His intelligence increases and then fades just as quickly. The story begins “en media res” (in the middle of things happening), and just as quickly, Charlie fades out of significance, and the passage of time goes on. Keyes likely chose this age to emphasize how much of life Charlie was missing out on for someone his age, as well as to emphasize the qualities of “en media res” which permeate the novel.

Consider the two prominent women in Charlie’s romantic life: Alice Kinnian and Fay Lillman. Charlie once says “Just goes to show you can’t have everything you want in one woman. One more argument for polygamy” (162). Is Charlie joking? What does each woman have? Why does Charlie need both of them in his life?

Charlie makes the argument for polygamy with some ounce of sarcasm because he realizes that he has only ever truly been in love with Alice. Alice was Charlie’s teacher before they were lovers, and to him she still represents much of the mystery of learning, humanity, and the human capacity for profundity. Fay is wonderful in her own ways, and Fay and Alice actually like each other. Fay is open, honest, and generous. Her quirkiness, sexuality, and energy help Charlie along during a difficult time in his life. His relations with her are purely sexual, and provide for him the necessary catalyst for approaching someone with whom he is emotionally invested.

Why does Charlie use so much nature imagery when he describes his intellectual growth? Use specific examples.

Charlie often describes his mental growth or expansion of his intelligence as “the open sea” (96) or memories which wash up like “high-breaking waves” (112). Later, in Dr. Strauss’ office, he has a mystical experience/hallucination filled with natural imagery (216). This collection of natural imagery forms an interesting counter to the artificial origins of Charlie’s intelligence. They provide great metaphors for the endlessness that is nature, but in using such descriptions, Charlie actually reminds himself and readers that human lives are short and mortal, and that his intelligence is even shorter and bounded, like nature.

What is the importance of dreams in Flowers for Algernon ? Think about the psychological implications.

On page 37, Strauss tells Charlie that he might not understand all of his dreams and memories, but that they will all eventually come together so that he can understand more of himself. Strauss explains the conscious and the subconscious to Charlie, as two minds or two worlds which never touch. Charlie retrieves most of his memories through dreams, and it is only through parsing his subconscious through his dreams that he can understand his past, and thus understand his present and future.

Consider the title. Why might Algernon be so important to the story (even if the title is taken directly from the last line of the book)? How does Charlie understand more of himself by being with Algernon?

Algernon provides for Charlie the physical warning signs of his deterioration, but he also acts as more than just that. Before his procedure, Algernon provides an objective standard for Charlie, a physical manifestation for what he wants to be and what he can be — he wants to beat the mouse in a race. After Algernon begins to deteriorate, he shows to Charlie how small humanity can be, and how easy it is to pass away without achieving anything. This inspires Charlie to work harder and more on his research. Lastly, Algernon is also an “object” of sentimental value for Charlie, so that he even desires to put flowers on Algernon’s grave. This is an incredibly human act, and humanizes the mentally ill Charlie just as much as it attempts to personify Algernon.

Flowers for Algernon Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Flowers for Algernon is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

after hearing the story of charlie's last night at home, what is ironic about the shave he receives at the barbers shop?

Section please?

A movie theater is offering a special summer pass. Passholders pay $8 per movie for the first 5 movies and watch additional movies for free, up to a maximum of 15 movies. The function C gives the total cost, in dollars, for a passholder to watch N movies

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Flowers for algernon

Charlie dislikes being pitied. He was once "smart" and now he is no longer. He does not want to be around people's condescending judgments of him any longer. Sad and disillusioned, Charlie feels that he needs normal, familiar surroundings, so he...

Study Guide for Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon study guide contains a biography of Daniel Keyes, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Flowers for Algernon
• Flowers for Algernon Summary
• Flowers for Algernon Video
• Character List

Essays for Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

• Language, Shame, and Charlie Gordon
• Freedom of Choice in Human Engineering: Charlie's Lack of Autonomy in 'Flowers for Algernon'
• The Use of Point of View to Promote Estrangement in “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang and “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes

Lesson Plan for Flowers for Algernon

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Flowers for Algernon
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Flowers for Algernon Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Flowers for Algernon

• Introduction

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