Flowers for Algernon In the 56 years since publication of Flowers for Algernon, the treatment of individuals with mental disabilities has dramatically changed in several ways. For example, the use of the term "mental retardation," which was acceptable in and out of Psychology when the novel was published, is now unacceptable and replaced by such terms as "intellectual disability" and "mentally disabled." This is due, in large part, to growing sensitivity about the effects of negative terms and the inherent dignity of mentally disabled individuals. The novel itself is both tragic and inspiring, showing us a tragic man who endures great gains and losses intellectually, as well as the painful realization that his coworker "friends" are actually quite mean and unfriendly toward him. Simultaneously, the novel presents an inspirational story in which a learning disabled man experiences universal events, emotions and thoughts, such as honesty, joy, deceit, anger, fear, loneliness and friendship. Charlie's experiences can lead a thoughtful reader ask enduring questions about the very nature of Human Nature, belonging, alienation, respect and disrespect, science vs. ethics, the importance of intelligence, happiness and love. Finally, by presenting a story through the unique perspective of this man, who lacks, gains and loses high intelligence, the novel makes definitive statements about the role of intelligence in life, both in its great impact in some areas and lack of impact in other areas.
English Literature - Flowers for Algernon
Though Flowers for Algernon is a fictionalized account, it addresses genuine issues, many of which are universal. Published in 1966, the novel reflects the less sensitive treatment of mentally disabled people during that time period. Allowing a unique perspective through the eyes of a man who lacks, gains, then loses genius, the novel is both tragic and inspirational, making definitive statements about high intelligence's great impact in some areas and lack of impact in other areas of human life.
How Has the Treatment of Individuals with Mental Disabilities Changed since Flowers for Algernon was Written?
Flowers for Algernon (Keyes, 1966) was published in 1966. In the 56 years since that novel's publication, the treatment of individuals with mental disabilities has dramatically changed in several ways. For purposes of this paper, the change regarding the word "retarded" will be considered. The attitude expressed through language has changed significantly. As the assignment pointed out, Charlie often speaks of himself as "retarded." For example, a journal entry about his mother says, "Why is it so important for me to say to her: 'Mom, look at me. I'm not retarded any more. I'm normal'" (Keyes, 1966, p. 156). What's much worse is the fact that a mental health professional -- Miss Kinnian -- apparently also calls Charlie retarded: reporting his March 30 conversation with Miss Kinnian, Charlie writes that she said, "At werst you will have it all for a little wile and your doing something for other retarded pepul" (Keyes, 1966, p. 31). Even official titles included the term "retarded": Charlie writes, "Then we're at the Adult Center for the Retarded" (Keyes, 1966, p. 48). Fortunately, there is now a greater sensitivity to the impact of words such as "retard." The most striking change has fittingly occurred in the professional area of Psychology, as the 2010 manual used by psychologists use for diagnosis eliminates the term "Mental retardation" and substitutes it with "Intellectual disability" (Chandler, 2010). This enlightenment has also gained support in the social arena. According to Tim Shriver, Jr., a 2008 co-founder of Spread the Word to End the Word, "Words with negative connotations can also greatly affect how people with disabilities of all kinds are treated and can influence public policy" (Groff & Wildman, 2012); consequently, Shriver publicly stresses the harm caused by this term and has worked to end its use. In addition, the AP Stylebook, which sets standards for Associated Press journalists, has set "mentally disabled" as the preferred term after consulting with medical professionals about appropriate terminology (Groff & Wildman, 2012). These efforts apparently have some effect, as U.S. newspapers' and wires' use of "retarded" markedly decreased in the years from 2006 to 2010 and the use of "mentally disabled" has continually increased in the years from 1980 to 2010 (Groff & Wildman, 2012).
Is Flowers for Algernon Tragic or Inspiring?
Flowers for Algernon is both tragic and inspiring. It is tragic on several levels. One obvious tragedy is the fact that Charlie gets a taste of true genius, only to gradually lose it again. Charlie realizes when the rat Algernon loses its intelligence and dies (Keyes, 1966, pp. 237-8) that Charlie could also lose his intelligence and die (Keyes, 1966, p. 238). Eventually, the worst possible outcome is true: Charlie only briefly experiences true genius, then gradually fails and goes "Downhill" (Keyes, 1966, p. 256), and will probably eventually pay the ultimate price of death, all of which must be exquisite torture. Another tragedy is Charlie's loneliness after achieving high intelligence. Before Charlie's experimental surgery, he sweeps floors in a bakery where his coworker friends play practical jokes on him and laugh at him, with Charlie laughing right along (Keyes, 1966, p. 39). However, due to his increasing intelligence after the surgery, Charlie realizes that his coworker friends are actually being mean to him and are laughing at him (Keyes, 1966, p. 40). Charlie also realizes that his coworkers are beginning to fear and resent him for outgrowing them intellectually (Keyes, 1966, pp. 55-6). At least with respect to his work, Charlie goes from being a happy mentally disabled man with friends to a lonely genius. These are only two examples of the novel's tragic themes but certainly Charlie's rapid gain/loss, his awareness of it, his probable death from it, and his growing loneliness are all tragic.
Flowers for Algernon is also inspirational. Seeing the world through the perspective of a learning disabled man who becomes highly intelligent and learning disabled again, we watch Charlie go through emotions that that we all feel and we are allowed to think and feel on a number of levels. The novel shows us many layers of honesty (Keyes, 1966, p. 63), joy (Keyes, 1966, p. 10), deceit (Keyes, 1966, p. 72), anger (Keyes, 1966, p. 72), fear (Keyes, 1966, p. 256), loneliness (Keyes, 1966, p. 270) and friendship (Keyes, 1966, p. 32). These layers make us question the nature of Human Nature: What makes us belong? What alienates us? What makes us treat some people respectfully and treat other people disrespectfully? Is tampering with the brain of a learning disabled person ethical, even if it aids science? Is genius really as satisfying as we think it might be? Does happiness simply come from having friends and being loved? In sum, the book is a "quick read" but so many human topics are crammed into it that the novel could "stay with" a reader and give him/her food for thought for years.
Does Flowers for Algernon Make a Definitive Statement about the Role of Intelligence in Human Life, or Does it Simply Explore this Idea as an Open-Ended Question?
Flowers for Algernon makes a definitive statement about the role of intelligence in human life by having us view its impact and lack of impact through the eyes of someone who lacks, gains, then loses high intelligence. On one hand, we see that high intelligence can have a strong impact on life: with low intelligence, Charlie is the devalued butt of jokes, with a limited future sweeping a bakery (Keyes, 1966, pp. 39-40); however, with high intelligence, Charlie is able to engage in serious research (Keyes, 1966, p. 237), deeply ponder mysteries of life and love (Keyes, 1966, p. 270) and achieve fame (Keyes, 1966, p. 84), as well as frustration upon realizing that therapy's help is limited (Keyes, 1966, p. 258). Obviously, Charlie's new, high intelligence matters on a number of levels. This seems to agree with current research about intelligence because, as one researcher stated, "No one would worry about who has intelligence, or why, if it did not matter" (Hunt, n.d.). On the other hand, intelligence seems to have no impact in other areas: whether Charlie's IQ is very low or very high, he still suffers alienation from his coworkers; he is still lonely; he is still "emotionally retarded" and "sexually retarded." Consequently, the novel reveals that intelligence has a definite but limited role in life, fulfillment and happiness.
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