DANIEL KEYES

Daniel Keyes was born in Brooklyn New york. He attended Brooklyn College. Flowers For Algernon was originally a short story, it was put into a magazine called The magazine of science fiction and fantasy. The short story won a Hugo award, and then Keyes made it into a novel. He lives in Boca, Raton Florida. He is a retired professor of english.

Maya

VOICE

Voice is how the the author show change in the character. At this he did an awesome job at this. At first Charlie was a retard. But after his operation he became very smart, Actually smarter than his doctor. In the beginning Charlie had no sense or real feelings. After the operations he felt love for the first time with Alice. Then he became smarter then Alice. He felt being sad for the first time ever in his life. He could not take this much pain so he drank. Also in the beginning he spelled wrong and bad grammar But later he used such complex language and perfect grammar. When he was smarter then his doctors he left them behind. He did not like when “subject” to him because he is a human being. He had a sexual relationship with Fay.

Matthew

IMAGERY

Imagery is a when the author uses a lot of details to describe the settings. For example they describe Fays apartment as squiggly lines and books are staked like skyscrapers. Instead of using the room is messy. Also when Charlie walks around the central park he snow flacks. Instead of saying it was snowing he said it was crystals of ice.
Matthew Magiera

CHARACTERISM

Characterism is the characterization of people or describing people in story like Charlie Gordon, Algernon, Dr. Strauss, Dr. Nemur, and Mrs. Kinnian. Charlie Gordon is the narrator and main character of the book and change of IQ sets the theme and issues Charlie faces.Charlie works in a bakery cleaning until he gets a job writing in his diary/journal at the bakery Charlie is made fun and thinks people are his friend and laugh at him but after the operation realizes why people really are around him for. Alice Kinnian is Charlie's night school teacher who respects Charlie and recomends Charlie for the operation, Mrs. Kinnian teaches Charlie to read and write because she enjoys teaching her students especially Charlie. Dr. Nemur is an angry doctor who is friendly and never really cares about anyone especially Charlie until he experiments on him he thinks of charlie the same as algernon lab rat or experiment subject. Dr. Strauss is Dr. Nemur's partner in Charlie's experiment Dr. Strauss actually cares and is concerned for Charlie unlike Dr. Nemur who thinks of charlie lower than himself.
David Villagra

SYMBOLISM

Symbolism is the use of symbols in a story or bookan example could be objects, characters, or represent ideas. In Flowers For Algernon the symbolism is Charlie Gordon and Algernon going through the experiment. For Charlie the symbolism would be he went from having a low IQ to probably the smartest person ever. For Algernon the symbolism would be going from a normal rat to a smart lab rat that could go through a maze quicker than charlie before the operation. The symbolism for Flowers For Algernon is that two people going through the same thing can be really close and connected. Charlie letting Algernon out of his cage and leaving the laboratory was a symbol of not only being free but mentally free
for Charlie and Algernon.
David Villagra

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Figurative language is words that describe one thing in terms of another not meant to be taken literally. In the book Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes figurative language was used to help me as a reader visualize and understand. On page 137 a simile was used. " His eyebrows came down like shutters as Guarino frowns" A simile is the comparison of two diffrent things using the words like or as. In this sentance Dr. Guarino's eyebrows are being compared to shutters. With this simile I am able to picture the doctor and a frown on his face. On page 139 Personification is used. " The switch that sets the huge machine humming"Personification is when you give human traits to non-living things. The machine isn't humming a song, it's making a loud noise. I get a better idea with this personfication then if the author just said a the machine made a loud noise.

Maya Lashley

CONFLICT

The conflict is a struggle or problem in a story. In the book Flowers for Algernon, Charlie had to struggle with the fact that he always had a low IQ. Until one day Charlie becomes the best subject to be tested on in an experiment. The experiment is supposed to boost up Charlie's IQ. After the operation, Charlie becomes smart and starts to see things differently. He realizes that people laugh at him not with him. On page 165 it says "Moron-Genius And Mouse Go Berserk ". He also starts to feel many emotions after the operation. He feels lonely, depress, and angry. Charlie also starts having these nightmares about his childhood. On page 54 it says "Charlie's friends-come running screaming and clapping hands: "Fight! Fight! They're gonna beat up Charlie". Another problem in the book is when Algernon dies. They're afraid that the same thing will happen to Charlie.
Is Charlie better off smart or with a low IQ?

Diego Huerta

DIALOGUE

In the book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, the main character Charlie changed in so many ways. This character developed and became a whole new person. Dialogue throughout the book is proof of this character change. Dialogue is the words spoken from character to character, basically conversations in the book. In the beginning of the book Charlie wasn't that smart. He seemed to have the mind of a nine year old stuck in a grown man's body. On page 2 , Charlie is taking a ink blot test. Many people would understand what this is but Charlie dosen't understand. Here is an example of how he was in the beginning of the book before he got a surgery and became a genius. He is talking with Burt, the person giving him the test. Burt said"Charlie what do you see on this card" Charlie said"I see spilled ink on a white card" Burt said "yes" Charlie is supposed to tell Burt what he sees, but charlie cannot understand, a test that is very simple for many, is the hardest thing for him. He has no idea what to do. Another example is on page 4. Charlie said"I didn't spill the ink on the cards, and I couldn't see anything in the ink." Miss Kinnian never gave me test like that only writing and reading' Dr.Strauss" Miss Kinnian said you were her best pupil in the Beekman school for retarded adults, and you tried the hardest because you really wanted to learn." " How come you went to the Beekman school all by herself Charlie, how did you find out about it" Charlie said" I don't remember" Here Charlie dosen't even remember a very important detail of his life. In the beginning Charlie is a mentally handicapped adult. Towards the middle he goes under a life changing surgery. He becomes a genius. His feelings change, he remembers things he didn't before,and his life takes a dramatic turn. On page 217-218 most of the dialogue is very important. One part of it is Charlie said " Tell me" ' I just got a look at your incinerator for disposing of experimental animals. What plans have been made for me?" Dr.Strauss said " What do you mean" Here Charlie is using big words that in the beginning he never heard of, couldn't spell, and didn't know the definition. Here he is using them like he's a pro, and has been saying them all his life. The dialogue helps me see that in the beginning of the book Charlie had no sense at all , but then towards the middle he became the smart person he always wanted to be or at least he thought he wanted to be. From the dialogue I was able to see a change in Charlie and the way that the surgey had such a dramatic impact on him.

Maya Lashley

PLOT

The plot is the sequence of related events that make up a story or novel. In the book Flowers For Algernon, Charlie, a grown man with a low IQ, has the chance to become smarter by going to surgery. Charlie is told to write everyday as a progress report. He writes like a 7 year old chid. After deciding to become smarter Charlie gets surgery and at first feels no change at all. Later on he gains knowledge and becomes smarter. Then Charlie realizes that people make fun of him and he starts to become depressed. Later on in the book Algernon dies and Charlie is afraid that the same will happen to him. At the end Charlie becomes mentally challenged again.
How did the operation affect Charlie mentally?

Diego Huerta 902