Lipa Campus

College of Teacher Education

ERWIN C. AMODIA BSED ENG 3201

KYRAH MAE NICOLE DELACION

ASHLEY D. VITO

Review and Assess

1. I think it was a good idea for Charlie to be part of the experiment because the experience of
experiencing to be an intelligent human being for once got Charlie to feel and experience something
he had never experienced before. The idea of being a laughing stock to other people is not
something that an individual should experience. Charlie being part of the experiment was somehow
a good thing knowing that in the last part of the story, he stated that it was a good memory for him
that he got to experience being an intelligent individual. However in the latter part of the story, he
gets frustrated because the intelligence he had has been deteriorating, but the feeling and the
experience that the experiment gave him will be memorable for him as he goes on in his life.

2. Algernon is the mouse that was in the experiment together with Charlie. For Charlie, Algernon is
not just a mouse, although they became competitors in some tests, the competitions that they took
seemed to be the starting line of their indescribable connection with each other. Charlie and
Algernon undergo the same tests, they develop the intelligence that normal people couldn’t have in
such a short period of time. The title includes the name of the mouse Algernon who has a bond
with Charlie, Algernon was special to Charlie despite Mrs. Flynn saying that he is crazy when he
puts flowers on Algernon’s grave once a week, but Charlie just can’t cut the ties that he had with
the mouse named Algernon. The flowers that he puts on Algernon’s grave are the reminder that
once in his life he got to be smart, and he got to experience the things he never thought he would.
The title of the story may serve as a tribute to Algernon who unfortunately passed away.

3. The journal serves as Charlie’s memories, it contains the improvement he had each day. Charlie
keeps a journal because Dr. Strauss advised him to do it with the idea of having records of Charlie’s
improvement each day. Although Charlie’s journal is somehow confusing considering the spelling
of the words used in the story, the impact that it has on the readers is like a roller coaster wherein
some parts are fascinating with how Charlie narrates it and some parts are a little bit heartbreaking,
especially the last part of the story.

Tanco Drive, Marauoy, Lipa City, Batangas, PH +63 43 779 - 8400 loc. 3128

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cte.lipa@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Lipa Campus

College of Teacher Education

4. Charlie got mad and lash out on the people who made fun of the dishwasher. At first, he laughed
with them but then he realized that he was just like that dishwasher before. Due to the inability to
understand the meaning of people’s action —as he described the man as illiteracy and childish
naivete— the boy was made fun of and Charlie realized and saw a mirror of what once happened
when he was in that state before the operation. At that moment, he snapped and stood up for the
boy, pointing out that it is not the boy’s fault he couldn't understand, the boy can't help what he is
but he is still a human being.
5. After the operation, Charlie worked so hard to be smart with the help of Dr. Strauss', Miss Kinnian
and Dr. Nemur’s effort. But, there are lots of both positive and negative things it brought. Starting
with the positive, ofcourse Charlie got a wider view of what really means to be smart. He began to
understand and even surpass his tutors and advisers not only in reading and writing but he also
ventured on Science world learning even the calculus of intelligence. He began to understand the
people around him, the meaning behind their actions and one that blew me away is that he
understands beyond the action of Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur, fully weighing that these might be
the person he looked up to before, but now just a people occupied on what to show the world and
are narrow specialists who are not clearly good in the broader aspects. In the story, he even
contributed a great discovery in the world of Science through his experience. This might be good
and all but definitely brought a lot of confusion to the people around him. Since it happened in
1965, sudden changes or else they call in the story as, “rapid intelligence increase” surprised the
people around him. They never realized that the Charlie they used to mock would be so smart in
just a blink of time. In the story, due to this sudden change, he was voted to be removed from his
work with only one who didn’t agree. In short, they got weirded out by the new Charlie and given
the timeframe, they thought he was, in my opinion, a weird experiment and might cause them big
trouble.

6. Charlie’s co-workers were initially bombarded with the rapid changes on him. Starting at the party
scene where Charlie danced with Ellen, that was when they saw changes in Charlie who used to
laugh and dont mind it but now, hated it. Charlie understood what they meant: “to pull a Charlie
Gordon” and this made his co-worker notice the strange changes in Charlie’s intelligence. They
came up with the conclusion that this kind of improvement at a very short time is not normal. It
was revealed in his conversation with Fanny that his co-workers share the same idea that maybe
Charlie undergoes something to get smart really fast which is not right in their end. I personally do
not sympathize with them, I might initially get weirded out just like them because if we put it in
the story’s setting, there might be a chance that he undergoes an experiment which I think is not
common back then. Also, considering the failed experiment rumors back then? I doubt people will
initially be as comfortable with Charlie's sudden improvement. But, I think to judge someone

Tanco Drive, Marauoy, Lipa City, Batangas, PH +63 43 779 - 8400 loc. 3128

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cte.lipa@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Lipa Campus

College of Teacher Education

completely because of a sudden increase of intelligence? No, that for me is so low. Definitely
reaching the bottom line. For me, we all want to be better and by that being said, we are all capable
of change. It is the worst feeling to be judged because you want to be better, which in fact, this is
what we should all do, to be the best version of ourselves. I cannot see something wrong with
wanting to be better. What’s wrong is to hate people just because they want to change. Personally,
I think we should all focus on what will help us be better and eventually, help other people rather
than being so bitter to someone else’s achievement. I think when that finally happened? It is
impossible to have conflict anymore, that is definitely the last straw to achieve peace.

7. The moment I realized that Charlie’s intelligence is not permanent was when he noticed that there's
something wrong with Algernon. When Algernon started acting differently, I thought immediately
that Charlie would also be like that. It also became suspicious when he started to do research about
them, how Algernon acted strangely and with that detail in the story, I confirmed that my suspicion
was correct especially when he began to forget everything. The revelation of Charlie’s progress is
really excruciating for me because he knew what will happen to him, his reversal is inevitable and
yet he decided to make the most out of it through his research that will help Science in navigating
the depths of rapid intelligence increase someday. Charlie’s reversal visibly kicks in when he
experienced emotional instability and forgetfulness and he became absent-minded. When Algernon
died, he decided to dissect it and from then on, he made peace with the idea that the same will
happen to him and that he should maximize writing his thoughts in the progress book.
Unfortunately, the latter events did not agree with him as he eventually started to forget it all.

8. In the beginning, Charlie was just starting to feel himself. He started like a grade school student
who was not aware of everything, did not know anything about writing, reading and understanding.
Since he had a mentor, he began learning little by little. Groping on those new knowledge and
experiences that his mentor taught to him. Algernon made a big impact on Charlie in the beginning.
It became his competitor and motivation at the same time. At the end, it was like the beginning. It
happened again. The way he groped at everything but with knowledge and experiences. He forgot
everything. He didn't know how to go home anymore. He was starting to be like a grade school
student who didn't know how to read properly and write correctly but it’s not because he doesn't
know how, it was because he forgot everything. Charlie decided to leave New York because he
was ashamed of himself. He can’t accept the fact that he was the same as he was before. He
thought that it was better if he went to a place who did not know him, as charlie. I’m rooting that
Charlie would finally accept who he was because his gift was beyond wonderful like the other
people. Also, I'm thinking that Charlie would start his new life in his new place because Charlie

Tanco Drive, Marauoy, Lipa City, Batangas, PH +63 43 779 - 8400 loc. 3128

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cte.lipa@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Lipa Campus

College of Teacher Education

wants a peaceful and healthy lifestyle. He wants to live in a place without people judging and
laughing at him.

9. Charlie was better off in the operation. There’s no point if he had the operation because when he
became smart, his friend did not treat him nicely, they laughed at him and that’s the thing Charlie
didn’t want to happen. Charlie did not profit from the operation because he realized his friends
made fun of him, leaving him entirely separated and lonely. While it may be stated that Charlie
was better off following the surgery because he did become smart for a short time, he did not stay
smart. He would eventually lose everything, the knowledge and the experiences. everything would
get worse off than what he started.

Tanco Drive, Marauoy, Lipa City, Batangas, PH +63 43 779 - 8400 loc. 3128

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cte.lipa@g.batstate-u.edu.ph