Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon Summer Reading Book Report
2. Daniel Keys.
3. Novel
4. The setting of the story is New York City, while one chapter takes place in Chicago. There is no text that gives an exact date that the novel takes place but can guess it is around the 1960s, when Keyes wrote the book. The setting does not have a large impact on the book except when Charlie takes Algernon and is forced to hide in the crowded, urban city of New York.
5. The plot of the novel starts off with Charlie Gordon being a thirty-two year old man with mental retardation, is chosen to undergo a scientific surgery designed to boost his IQ. Charlie is recommended to have the surgery by his teacher at Beekman College Center for Retarded Adults, Alice Kinnian, because of his passion and eagerness to learn. Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur, the directors of the procedure, ask Charlie to keep a journal of his emotions and changes as the procedure beings to change him. The entire book is composed of Charlie’s ‘progress reports’ that he writes. Charlie works at Donner’s bakery in New York City as a janitor and delivery boy and is constantly picked on for his mental issues. Charlie is led to believe that his co-workers are his friends and is unable to comprehend that they are taking advantage of him and making fun of him. After Charlie goes through a series of tests with a mouse by the name of Algernon, Charlie undergoes the surgery. He is let down by the fact that there is no immediate results in his knowledge, but along with help from Alice his spelling and grammar slowly improves. Charlie then begins to read adult literature and his learning pace quickly speeds up and amazes his co-workers at the bakery. Charlie also begins to remember memories from his childhood that he had forgotten before the procedure. As Charlie’s intelligence begins to increase, he begins to realize how deeply attracted to Alice he is. Alice insists on keeping their relationship professional but
2. Daniel Keys.
3. Novel
4. The setting of the story is New York City, while one chapter takes place in Chicago. There is no text that gives an exact date that the novel takes place but can guess it is around the 1960s, when Keyes wrote the book. The setting does not have a large impact on the book except when Charlie takes Algernon and is forced to hide in the crowded, urban city of New York.
5. The plot of the novel starts off with Charlie Gordon being a thirty-two year old man with mental retardation, is chosen to undergo a scientific surgery designed to boost his IQ. Charlie is recommended to have the surgery by his teacher at Beekman College Center for Retarded Adults, Alice Kinnian, because of his passion and eagerness to learn. Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur, the directors of the procedure, ask Charlie to keep a journal of his emotions and changes as the procedure beings to change him. The entire book is composed of Charlie’s ‘progress reports’ that he writes. Charlie works at Donner’s bakery in New York City as a janitor and delivery boy and is constantly picked on for his mental issues. Charlie is led to believe that his co-workers are his friends and is unable to comprehend that they are taking advantage of him and making fun of him. After Charlie goes through a series of tests with a mouse by the name of Algernon, Charlie undergoes the surgery. He is let down by the fact that there is no immediate results in his knowledge, but along with help from Alice his spelling and grammar slowly improves. Charlie then begins to read adult literature and his learning pace quickly speeds up and amazes his co-workers at the bakery. Charlie also begins to remember memories from his childhood that he had forgotten before the procedure. As Charlie’s intelligence begins to increase, he begins to realize how deeply attracted to Alice he is. Alice insists on keeping their relationship professional but