Charlie Gordon has lived his whole life being the center of people’s jokes due to his unusually low IQ. Still, Charlie believes the people around him are his friends, too oblivious to realize they are laughing at him. Because of Charlie’s very low IQ, he has become the prime candidate for a new surgery which will raise his IQ level. As Charlie’s intelligence increases, he begins to see his world in a new light. Charlie exceeds everyone's expectations, becoming smarter than the psychologists who are working with him. Charlie becomes so smart he soon realizes a flaw in the surgery performed on him. Will he begin to regress and become the Charlie he once was, or will they be able to fix the mistake in time?

Daniel Keyes was born in Brooklyn, NY on August 9, 1927. Keyes joined the U.S. Maritime Service at seventeen and went to sea as ship's purser. After Keyes left the sea, he returned to his studies at Brooklyn College, where he received his B.A. degree in psychology. Several of his works focus on psychological themes, including Flowers for Algernon.

To read more see: http://web4.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/857/47/9 4753013w4/purl=rc1_CA_0_H1000053766&dyn=5!xrn_1_0_H1000053766?sw_aep=madi95127

"Flowers for Algernon" received one of science fiction’s highest honors, the Hugo Award, for best story of the year in 1959. In 1961 they created a television show based off of the book "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon." In 1966 Keyes expanded the book to the book we know today, "Flowers for Algernon." Keyes then won the Nebula Award, science fiction’s other highest honor for best novel of the year. "Flowers for Algernon" was later adopted into a Broadway play. "Flowers for Algernon" remains Keyes most popular and notable works. Other works by Keyes include: The Touch; The Fifth Sally; The Minds of Billy Milligan; Unveiling Claudia; The Milligan Wars; Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer's Journal

History: During the 1970s the Western world began to experience a shift from social activism to social activities. People began to do things for their own pleasure and began questioning and losing faith in the government. Also, divorce rates increased, single parent households increased, and pre-marital sex became increasingly common. The Gay Rights and feminist movement also peaked.

Flowers for Algernon. 31 Oct. 2006. Wikipedia. 1 Nov. 2006. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowers_for_Algernon>.

Brownlee, C. "Statins for Algernon." Science News 12 Nov. 2005 p. 308

Bodfis, James. "Treating the Core Features of Autism: Are We There Yet?" Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews; 2004, Vol. 10 Issue 4, p318-326, 9p.

Fromm, Erich. "Man for Himself: An Inquiry Into the Psychology of Ethics." New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1947.

Small, Robert, Jr. “Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.” In Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints, edited by Nicholas J. Karolides, Lee Burress, and John M. Kean, 249–255. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow, 1993.

Whyte, Nicholas. Rev. of "Flowers for Algernon." written by Daniel Keyes. (2002). 25 Sept. 2006. http://explorers.whyte.com/sf/ffa.htm

Sprecher, Kimberly. Home page. 3 Nov. 2006. Dept. of English. Sauk Prairie High School. Flowers for Algernon. 25 Sept. 2006. http://englishrocks1.tripod.com/Flowers%20for%20Algernon/flowers_for_algernon.htm

1)What time period does this novel take place?

2)What disability does Charlie have?

3)Where does Charlie work?

4)Who is running the experiment?

5)Who is Algernon?

6)What was Charlie's life like growing up?

7)Who is Charlie's love interest?

8)Which characters can be considered Charlie's true friends?

9)Describe the procedure and risks of the experiment.

10)How does Charlie and the scientists come to realize the experiment will not work?

11)Where does Charlie end up in the final chapter?

12)What are the main themes and morals throughout the novel?

13)What effect does writing in journal form have on the overall novel?

1) Is ignorance bliss? Does Charlie need the surgery to become happy with life?

2) Charlie states, "People think it's funny when a dumb person can't do things the same way they can." What is society's perception on the mentally disabled? Does society treat them as outcasts or accomidate them.

3) How does treatment of the mentally disabled currently compare to the treatment of the mentally disabled in 70s?

4) How does Charlie's personality begin to change as a result of his increasing IQ?

5) Do you prefer the Charlie before or after the surgery?

6) What is Charlie's relationship to Fay? How does it change throughout the story? Is Charlie's relationship with Fay a healthy one?

7) What is Keyes implying about intelligence? Is it necessary to exist in society, is it something we take forgranted, does it only negatively effect us?

8) What are the similarities and differences between Charlie and Algernon?

9) How do Nemur and Strauss treat Charlie? Do they treat him like a human or like a rat you would perform experiments on?

10)What did Charlie learn about life and the people around him as he began to gain intelligence?

11)What changes took place at the bakery when Charlie became smarter? How did people begin to treat him? How did they react to his new found intelligence?

12) Charlie states, "It's easy to have friends if you let people laugh at you." Is this the only thing Charlie is going to remember from his experiment? How does this reflect the life Charlie was forced to live and the things he learned during his experiment?

13) How do you think Charlie ends up dying? What do you think his outlook on life is now that is IQ is decreasing?

14) Why do you believe Charlie could not make love to Alice?

15) What is the significane of the title. What are the flowers's for Algernon significant of?

1) Would you rather be socially accepted or intelligent? Which charactersitic would Charlie rather have?

2) How can you be an intelligent student without coming across as arrogant? Does Charlie ever seem arrogant in this novel? Compare and contrast how his personality changes throughout the book because of his increasing IQ.

3) Reflect on how mentally challenged people are viewed in your school. How do you view the mentally challenged currently, compared to the way you felt before reading the novel?

4) What do you consider cross the line in a teacher-student relationship? At what point was the barrier crossed between Alice and Charlie? Should this relationship have taken place, or should Alice have not altered her role as a teacher?

5) What comment is Keyes implying about society through this novel? Do you believe his social commentary accuretly describes the school you attend? Why or why not?

6) Was this experiment ethical? Have you ever had to do an experiment on a frog or pig? How did that make you feel? Were those experiements ethical?