The Keyes to Literary Appreciation by Elizabeth

The Keyes to Literary Appreciation by Elizabeth - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes tells the tale of Charlie, a mentally challenged man who volunteers to test an intellect improving operation alongside a mouse named Algernon. At first, the operation seems to be a success: both Charlie’s and Algernon’s mental capabilities rapidly improve. In a matter of months, Charlie goes from mentally challenged to super genius, eventually eclipsing the brilliance of the scientists who performed the life-changing operation. At first, Charlie is happy with his augmented intellect and enjoys the opportunities that are now available to him. However, Charlie soon realizes that for every new door that opens, another one slams shut. Told in Charlie’s voice as he records his experiences in a diary, the story follows Charlie’s journey across the intelligence spectrum as he explores the advantages and disadvantages at each of the extreme endpoints.

One enjoyable aspect of the book is the diary narrative which allows readers to follow Charlie’s mental developments as they witness the improvements and declinations of his spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. The book is akin to a map, marking Charlie’s progress as he ventures into unknown intellectual territories. Another pleasurable quality is the book’s universal readability. The writing style is straightforward enough and the plot sufficiently engaging for the average reader to peruse and appreciate the book. The scenario the book presents—artificially boosted intelligence— is not entirely out of the realm of possibility and is reminiscent of Frankenstein and other science fiction stories. Yet there also exist deeper themes and concepts—What is the key to happiness? Is intelligence requisite in the pursuit of happiness? What is the difference between intellectual and emotional maturity and which is more important?—layered underneath the basic storyline for the more active reader to discover. In addition, at about 300 pages long, the book is relatively short compared to other monsters of literature, such as The Count of Monte Cristo and Don Quixote, a quality that many high school readers will appreciate.

Possessing the triumvirate of high school reading list attributes—readability, profound themes, and brevity— Flowers for Algernon is not only an excellent piece of literature, but is also likely to be read and respected by the average high school student.