Flowers for Algernon Part 1 Questions

(Due Tuesday November 8)

Directions: Please answer the following questions in FULL sentences.

Makes sure your answers are in a different color so that it is easy to
differentiate between the questions and answer. If a questions asks for
TEXTUAL EVIDENCE, please make sure you add a page #.

ELA STANDARDS:
RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis
of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.8.6 Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters
and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic
irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
Review THIS PRESENTATION before you start reading. The story begins on
page 672, and part 1 ends on page 686. Part 1 is due on Tuesday November
8!

AFTER PROGRIS REPORT 3:

1. Why does Charlie say I never tell lies? What is he talking about?
When the person giving him the test asked him to make up a story about the
people he saw, he thought that she meant to lie about who they are, and he
said he never tells lies, because always gets caught when he lies.
2. What does this say about his personality and intelligence?
He doesnt have the mental capacity for creativity and imagination. He cant
conjure up images or stories, as the regular person could as required to by
the Rorschach Test, because he doesnt have that kind of capabilities to see
beyond what is literally/physically there. Therefore, his personality can be
concluded as one that isnt very colorful or elaborate. What he sees, is
simply all that he believes.
3. Who is Algernon?
Algernon is a mouse that had the intelligence operation done on him. After
the operation, Charlie tries to complete a maze before Algernon does, but he
does not succeed.

AFTER PROGRIS REPORT 4:

4. What were Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss arguing about?
At first, Dr. Nemur had questions on whether or not to use Charlie for the
intelligence tripling operation and therefore, had been debating this topic

with Dr. Strauss, who had been trying to reassure him that Charlie was in fact
the right human subject to use for the experiment.
5. Charlie will be the first human being to ever have something happen to
him. What is it?
He will be the first human to have an operation done that increases his
intelligence.

AFTER PROGRIS REPORT 5 & 6:

6. Dr. Strauss tells Charlie not to worry about the operation. What is his
reasoning for this?
When Charlie first enters the hospital, he sees a black cat cross his path. At
this, he starts to get nervous, because he is probably religious and sees this
as a bad omen. Dr. Strauss then tells him to not be superstitious and that
everything will be all right, so he should not worry.
7. Dr. Strauss wants Charlie to concentrate on what in his journal entries?
In the entries Dr. Strauss wants him to write down what e thinks and what
happens to him.

AFTER PROGRESS REPORT 7 & 8:

8. What is Charlies opinion of Algernon now? Why does it change?

He used to hate Algernon because he could never beat him at the maze,
because the mouse was much smarter. Now, however, he thinks he can beat
him, as he just learned that the mouse got the operation as well
Text Evidence #1: He says it took a long time with Algernon before he got 3
times smarter than he was before. Thats why Algernon beats me all the time
because he had that operashun too. That makes me feel better. I could
probably do that amazed faster than a regular mouse. Maybe someday Ill
beat Algernon. Boy that would be something.
page #678
9. Charlie says Joe and Frank are friends and they like him. What are Joe and
Frank really doing to Charlie?
Unfortunately in his current state, Charlie has failed to realize that his so
called friends Joe and Frank, are not his friends at all. They take advantage
of his low-intellect and tease him, make fun of him and even manipulate him
knowing full well that in the end, he would have had no idea of the true
intents/meanings of their words.

AFTER PROGRESS REPORT 9:

10. What is a victory for Charlie?
He finally beat Algernon at the maze.

Text Evidence #1: I beat Algernon! I dint even know I beat him until Burt the
tester told me... But after that I beat him 8 more times. I must be getting
smart to beat a smart mouse like Algernon.
page # 682
11. Why did Mrs. Kinnian run out of the room? What does this tell you about
how she feels about Charlie?
She ran out of the room because she felt bad for Charlie, but was also proud
of him. This tells us she cares for him, and doesnt want to see him get hurt.
12. List 3 improvements in Charlies intelligence from the beginning until the
end of Part I.
1: His spelling gets much better.
Text Evidence #1: In the beginning, he would always spell progress report as
progris riport. By the end, he learned how to spell it correctly.
page #677
2: He learns that his friends are not his friends, and they are being mean to
him
Text Evidence #2: In the beginning, he would always think they were just
laughing with him about his silly mistakes, but then he learns that Its a
funny thing I never knew that Joe and Frank and the other liked to have me
around all the time to make fun of me. Now I know what it means when they
say to pull a Charlie Gordon. Im ashamed.
page#686
3: He is able to beat Algernon in the maze
Text Evidence #3: When he first met Algernon, he would get beat 10 out of
10 times in the maze race. On April 6th, he beat him 9 out of the 10 times he
raced him that day. He had said that, I dint even know I beat him until Burt
the tester told me. Then the second time I lost because I got so excited I fell
off the chair before I finished. But after that I beat him 8 more times. I must
be gettig smart to beat a smart mouse like Algernon.
page #682
13. What does it mean to pull a Charlie Gordon? How does Charlie react
when he realizes this?
To best describe what the twisted saying means is to say that it can be
defined as to act like a fool, to do something so stupid, that one could be

marked an idiot. The whole thing is very demeaning, and it was a shame
that it was ever created in the first place. After a couple of weeks following
the operation, Charlie begins to acquire more and more knowledge. Slowly,
but evidently, and when the day comes that Charlie is once again teased by
his friends he finally realizes what they had meant all this time.
Text Evidence #1: pg. 186
page # I didnt know what to do or where to turn. Everyone was looking at
me and laughing and I felt naked. I wanted to hide myself. I ran out into the
street and I threw up. Then I walked home. It's a funny thing I never knew
that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around all the time to
make fun of me. Now I know what it means when the say to pull a Charlie
Gordon. Im ashamed.

Flowers for Algernon Part 2 Questions

(Due Wednesday November 9)
Directions: Please stop reading after each bolded section below and answer
the following questions demonstrating your knowledge of summaries and
point of view. Part 2 is due on Wednesday November 9!

After page 695:

1. Provide a one sentence summary of these four pages:
His fellow co-workers force him to quit his job, feeling that it is weird how he
has gotten so much smarter so fast. Charlie start to learn about how the rest
of the smart people around him arent as smart now that he is a super
genius.
2. How does Charlie view himself? He believes he is a super genius
Text Evidence: Contrary to my earlier impressions of him, I realize that Dr.
Nemur is not at all a genius. Dr. Strauss on the the other hand might be be
called a genius, although I feel that his areas of knowledge are too limited.
I was shocked to learn that the only ancient languages he could read were
Latin, Greek and Hebrew
Page #:698
3. How do OTHERS view Charlie? They think hes a little strange, and they
are scared of how smart he is and the sudden change in him
Text Evidence: Them changes. I dont know. You used to be a good,
dependable, ordinary man-not too bright maybe, but honest. Who knows

what you done to yourself to get so smart all of a sudden. Like everybody
around heres been saying, Charlie, its not right.
Page #:697

After page 699:

1. Provide a one sentence summary of these four pages:
Now that Charlie is much more intelligent than he ever was before, he can
now perceive certain situations as he never had before, and this including his
analyzations of what had happened with the feeble minded boy in the
restaurant and its relativity to himself. He also begins to take note of
deterioration of Algernons mental and physical state and begins to draw
inquiries upon himself, wondering if the same fate is to happen to him, and if
so, when and how?
2. How does Charlie view himself?
He does view himself as intellectually superior to the neurosurgeons and
almost everyone he knows. A genius, in retrospect.
Text Evidence: With all due to respect to both of these fine scientists, I am
well aware of their limitations. If there is an answer, Ill have to find it out for
myself.
Page #: 703
3. How do OTHERS view Charlie?
Because of the tripling intelligence operation, Charlies IQ now surpasses
that of Dr. Nemur and Dr.Strauss greatly. It doesnt seem to bother Strauss
nearly as much as it does Nemur, he as described by Strauss, feels inferior to
Charlie. And on the subject of Miss Kinnian, Charlie can no longer
communicate with her on a level that she would understand, resulting in a
multitude of failed conversation between the two.
Text Evidence:
-Dr. Nemur seemed uncomfortable around me. Sometimes when I try to talk
to him, he just looks at me strangely and turns away. I was angry at first
when Dr. Strauss told me I was giving Dr. Nemur an inferiority complex.
-I tried to avoid all possible discussions of intellectual concepts and to keep
the conversation on a simple, everyday level, but she just stared at me
blankly and asked what I meant about the mathematical variance equivalent
to Dobermanns fifth concerto.... I guess I got angry, but I suspect Im
approaching her on the wrong level. No matter what I try to discuss with her,
I am unable to communicate.
Page #: 703

After page 703:

1. Provide a one sentence summary of these four pages:
Charlie begins to research ways to revert Algernon back to his superior self,
Dr. Strauss thinks he is pushing himself too hard, and after a few days his
intelligence begins to decrease.
2. How does Charlie view himself? At first he views himself as very smart, but
then he soon views himself as growing dumber.
Text Evidence: I find the calculus of intelligence to be a fascinating study.
Here is the place for the application of all the knowledge I have acquired. I
cant help thinking of the boy in the restaurant, the blank expression, the
silly smile, the people laughing at him. No-please- not that again.
Page #: 703, 707
3. How do OTHERS view Charlie? They view him as someone who lost
everything, and its their fault.
Text Evidence: Dr. Strauss comes around almost everyday, but I told him I
wouldnt see or speak to anyone. He feels guilty. They all do.
Page #: 707

After page 707:

1. Provide a one sentence summary of these four pages:
Charlie starts to have the effect of the operation wear off, and he begins to
go back to his uneducated previous state.
2. How does Charlie view himself? He feels like he is dumb, and he tries to
fight it.
Text Evidence: Now my mind is deteriorating rapidly. I wont let it happen.
Ill fight it. I cant help thinking of the boy in the restaurant, the blank
expression, the silly smile, the people laughing at him. No-please-not that
again... A week since I dared write again. Its slipping away like sand
through my fingers. Most of the books I have are too hard for me now. I get
angry with them because I know that I read and understood them just a few
weeks ago.
Page #:707
3. How do OTHERS view Charlie? They are all worried, his landlady believes
he is sick, and his coworkers feel bad for him. Others who havent met him
believe he is dumb.

Text Evidence: Mrs Flynn called a strange doctor to see me. She was afraid I
was going to die. He smiled when I told him I used to be a genius. He
talked to me like a baby and he winked at Mrs Flynn. Later Frank Reilly
came over and said Charlie if anybody bother you or trys to take advantage
of you call me or Joe and we will set em straight,
Page #:709, 710

After page 711:

1. Provide a one sentence summary of these four pages:
Now that his intelligence has receded to its original state, he is planning on
moving somewhere far away from New York, so he would no longer face the
pity of other people.
2. How does Charlie view himself?
He is very optimistic about himself and his learning capabilities, but he does
know that he is not as smart as he once was and is back in all his feeblemindedness glory. But, in a way, he views himself as a hero for his fellow
dumb people calling himself the first ever dumb person to make a scientific
contribution to the world.
Text Evidence: Thats why Im gonna keep trying to get smart so I cn have
that feeling agen. I wish I had it rite now if I did I would sit down and reed all
the time. Anyway I bet Im the first dumb person in the world who ever found
out something importent for sience...So I gess its like I did it for all the dumb
pepul like me.
Page #: 711
3. How do OTHERS view Charlie?
Like I mentioned above, they all pity him, even though Charlie himself rejects
that feeling from them.
Text Evidence: I dont want Miss Kinnian to feel sorry for me. Evry body feels
sorry at the factery and I dont want that eather
Page #: 711