Flowers for Algernon Group

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geniuswannabe
geniuswannabe
Student
High School - 10th Grade

In the novel "Flowers for Algernon", how does Charlie's view of intelligence change as to before, during, and after he becomes intelligent?

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Posted by geniuswannabe on Saturday November 29, 2008 at 4:08 AM and tagged with flowers for algernon, intelligence.

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  1. lynn30k Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Before taking part in the experiment, Charlie doesn't really understand what "intelligence" means. He only knows that it is something that his mother wanted for him above all else. He always did everything he could to try to please his mother, and worked as hard as he could to be "smart".

    During the experiment, Charlie sees that the people he used to think were smart had serious flaws, not only that they were not as intelligent as he had assumed, but that they had been cruel to him. His new analysis of what his childhood and adulthood had really been like changes his relationships with those from his past.

    When he loses his intelligence, he understands that the people he met during the experiment are unhappy now that he has changed back. He doesn't understand the extent of it, but realizes he needs to remove himself from where he used to live. Charlie's empathy is stronger than that of a lot of the characters in the book, and I think one of the questions Flowers for Algernon raises is that of what intelligence really means.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/flowers-algernon/

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    Posted by lynn30k on Sunday November 30, 2008 at 8:58 AM