Book Review: Flowers for Algernon-Daniel Keyes

By: Bea Athena

Flowers for Algernon is a short story by American author Daniel Keyes, later expanded by him
into a novel and subsequently adapted for film and other media. Flowers for Algernon is a
science fiction read with a very interesting theme: intelligence enhancement with the help of a
brain operation. This theme is very well developed with the help of the main character Charlie
Gordon, showing both the before and after of this experimental operation. At first some may
think the grammar and spellings are off, but that is how the story flows with the plot. Which is
more interesting that the short story is in a form of a progress report, in first person point of view.

Characterization
The protagonist of Flowers for Algernon is Charlie Gordon, a man who can be naïve but a
hardworking and kind person. Although some of his so-called friends makes fun of him, Charlie
still considers them as his friends, as he is just a kindhearted person. Miss Alice Kinnian is a
caring, compassionate, and loving woman. She is the only person in the novel who loves and
cares for Charlie both before and after his surgery. Alice is a teacher at the Beekman Center for
Retarded Adults, and Charlie is one of her students. She provides him with lessons on emotional
strength and supports him through every stage of his development.

Professor Harold Nemur, the scientist who runs the experiment that boosts Charlie's intelligence.
An arrogant and career-obsessed man. He does not care for Charlie and merely sees him as a
laboratory animal like Algernon. He has little to no concern for the well-being of his patient.
Alongside with Dr. Jayson Strauss, the neurologist and psychiatrist who performs the surgery on
Charlie. He works with Professor Nemur but is much more concerned about Charlie's health and
wellness and conducts therapy sessions with him to ensure he is in good condition. He is a
passionate believer in the importance of the experiment for its own sake and for the sake of
humanity at large. Burt Selden a friendly graduate student who is working on his thesis and who
assists Strauss and Nemur in conducting the experiment. Burt also oversees the testing of both
Charlie and Algernon. Burt is writing his thesis which explains why he is so interested in the
process. For him, the experiment is just a scientific breakthrough and not the crucial intrusion
into one’s life.

Plot
Charlie is a mentally disabled man, but he has always wanted to improve his intelligence and be
‘normal’ as his mother always wanted. He participates in an experiment and undergoes a brain
operation that will possibly increase his IQ and change his life. The experimental procedure
starts to work and slowly Charlie’s intelligence starts to expand… But at what cost?
Documented by a series of diary entries, the progress of the operation is revealed as Charlie’s
spelling and grammar slowly improve and he begins to understand the world around him –
through realizing who he was and has become, falling in love, and remembering his past.

After a battery of tests, including a maze-solving competition with a mouse named Algernon,
who has already had the experimental surgery performed on him. Charlie undergoes the
operation. He is initially disappointed that there is no immediate change in his intellect, but with
work and help from Alice, he gradually improves his spelling and grammar. Charlie begins to
read adult books, slowly at first, then voraciously, filling his brain with knowledge from many
academic fields. Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur take Charlie and Algernon to a scientific
convention in Chicago, where they are the star exhibits.
Charlie has become frustrated by Nemur’s refusal to recognize his humanity. He feels that
Nemur treats him like just another lab animal, even though it is disturbingly clear that Charlie’s
scientific knowledge has advanced beyond Nemur’s. Charlie wreaks havoc at the convention by
freeing Algernon from his cage while they are onstage. Charlie flees back to New York with
Algernon and gets his own apartment, where the scientists cannot find him. He realizes that
Nemur’s hypothesis contains an error and that there is a possibility that his intelligence gain will
only be temporary.
Charlie succeeds in finding the error in Nemur’s hypothesis, scientifically proving that a flaw in
the operation will cause his intelligence to vanish as quickly as it has come. Charlie calls this
phenomenon the “Algernon-Gordon Effect.” As he passes through a stage of average intelligence
on his way back to a state of intellectual disability, Charlie enjoys a brief, passionate relationship
with Alice, but he sends her away as he senses the return of his old self. When Charlie’s
regression is complete, he briefly returns to his old job at the bakery, where his coworkers
welcome him back with kindness.
Having decided to remove himself from the people who have known him and now feel sorry for
him, he checks himself into a home for intellectually disabled adults. His last request is for the
reader of his manuscript to leave fresh flowers on Algernon’s grave.

Art & Delivery

Daniel Keyes uses a different method in conveying his story. The language reflects both the
epistolary style, as the whole narrative is written in the form of journal entries, and the changes
in the main character, Charlie Gordon. In a form of a progress report, readers can identify at
which point Charlie begone to change after his operation. At first you’ll question why the
spelling and grammar are off, but that is the beauty of this short story by Daniel Keyes. As you
continue to read, you will get emersed in the story, relating to Charlie.
The art provided by Daniel Keyes also complement the short novel very well. The fonts and sizes
changes from time to time. The font style also suites how the story is being narrated.

Final Verdict
Flowers for Algernon wreaks havoc on the emotions. It is heartbreaking, but the writing is so
amazing that it’s the good kind of heartbreaking. With excellent storytelling, the short story is
above average for me: 4.8 out of 5 stars for me. If you haven’t read this one, you should. It’s not
long, but it is a whirlwind of emotions, and it is a story that definitely sticks with a person.