“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
What did you learn (know), that
after learning, you wished you
hadn’t found out? How did it effect
you?
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
Key Terms / Vocabulary
 character
traits
 Rorschach Test
 IQ (Intelligence Quotient)
 first – person POV
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 – 215
Vocabulary in Context
• Receiving the medal made his success more
tangible.
• He’s an opportunist because he’ll do anything to
get ahead.
• The doctor had a specialization in brain
development.
• The research findings created a sensation at the
conference.
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 – 215
Vocabulary in Context
• Will you refute the results, or do you believe
them, too?
• His understanding is proportional to his
intelligence.
• His long work hours could impair his social life.
• They laughed at his absurd moves when dancing.
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
Rorschach
Test
The Rorschach test (also known as the
Rorschach inkblot test or simply the Inkblot
test) is a psychological test in which subjects'
perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then
analyzed using psychological interpretation,
complex scientifically derived algorithms, or both.
Some psychologists use this test to examine a
person's personality characteristics and emotional
functioning. It has been employed to detect an
underlying thought disorder, especially in cases
where patients are reluctant to describe their
thinking processes openly. The test takes its
name from that of its creator, Swiss psychologist
Hermann Rorschach.
When seeing card I, subjects often
inquire on how they should proceed,
and questions on what they are
allowed to do with the card (e.g.
turning it) are not very significant.
Being the first card, it can provide
clues about how subjects tackle a
new and stressful task. It is not,
however, a card that is usually
difficult for the subject to handle,
having readily available popular
responses.
Card I
bat, butterfly, moth
Card IV is notable for its dark color and its
shading (posing difficulties for depressed
subjects), and is generally perceived as a
big and sometimes threatening figure;
compounded with the common impression
of the subject being in an inferior position
("looking up") to it, this serves to elicit a
sense of authority. The human or animal
content seen in the card is almost
invariably classified as male rather than
female, and the qualities expressed by the
subject may indicate attitudes toward men
and authority.
Card IV
animal hide, skin, rug
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
► Series
of journal entries
► March: 190 – 196
► April: 197 – 204
► May: 205 – 210
► June & July: 210 - 215
“Flowers for Algernon”
March
pp. 190 – 196
Analyze Visuals: What is the mood of
the illustration? Explain how the colors and
brush strokes help create that mood.
► (190)
► (190)
[A] Character Traits: What can you
infer about Charlie’s abilities and
personality?
“Flowers for Algernon”
March
pp. 190 – 196
(192) [B] Reading A Long Story: In what
way are Charlie’s journal entries unique?
► (192) [C] Character Traits: What d lines 4146 tell you about Charlie’s desire to change?
► (193) [D] POV: Because this story is told in
first-person, you learn about Charlie’s
thought process directly from him. What do
you learn about his mental capacity?
►
“Flowers for Algernon”
IQ March
pp. 190 – 215
IQ Scale
Over 140 - Genius or almost genius
120 - 140 - Very superior intelligence
110 - 119 - Superior intelligence
90 - 109 - Average or normal intelligence
80 - 89 - Dullness
70 - 79 - Borderline deficiency in intelligence
Under 70 - Feeble-mindedness
Normal Distribution of IQ Scores
50% of IQ scores fall between 90 and 110
70% of IQ scores fall between 85 and 115
95% of IQ scores fall between 70 and 130
99.5% of IQ scores fall between 60 and 140
“Flowers for Algernon”
IQ March
pp. 190 – 215
Low IQ & Mental Retardation
An IQ under 70 is considered as "mental retardation" or limited mental
ability. 5% of the population falls below 70 on IQ tests. The severity of
the mental retardation is commonly broken into 4 levels:
50-70 - Mild mental retardation (85%)
35-50 - Moderate mental retardation (10%)
20-35 - Severe mental retardation (4%)
IQ < 20 - Profound mental retardation (1%)
High IQ & Genius IQ
Genius or near-genius IQ is considered to start around 140 to 145. Less
than 1/4 of 1 percent fall into this category. Here are some common
designations on the IQ scale:
115-124 - Above average
125-134 - Gifted
135-144 - Very gifted
145-164 - Genius
165-179 - High genius
180-200 - Highest genius
“Flowers for Algernon”
March
► (193)
pp. 190 – 196
[E] Character Traits: What have you
learned about Charlie through the
comments of Miss Kinnian and the doctors?
► (194) [F] Character Traits: Which of
Charlie’s traits convince Dr. Strauss to use
him in the experiment?
► (194) [G] Character Traits: What hopes
does Charlie have for the operation?
“Flowers for Algernon”
March
► (195)
pp. 190 – 196
analyze Visuals: What is the connection
between this illustration and what happens to
Charlie?
► (195) [H] Reading A Long Story: In what ways is
the March 19 progress report different from the
other reports so far (length and language)?
► (196) [I] Character Traits: Why does Charlie think
these men are his friends? Note whether he is a
good judge of character at this point.
“Flowers for Algernon”
April
► (197)
pp. 197 – 204
[J] POV: How does hearing about the
party from Charlie’s POV affect your
reaction to his coworkers?
► (198) [K] Reading A Long Story: Note the
date on this journal entry. What significant
changes have taken place since the first
entry one month ago?
► (198) [L] Character Traits: In lines 249-266,
what does Charlie’s treatment of Algernon
reveal about his character?
“Flowers for Algernon”
April
► (199)
pp. 197 – 204
[M] Character Traits: What can you
infer about Miss Kinnian from her
conversation with Charlie?
► (201) [N] Character Traits: Why is Charlie
ashamed now? Why wasn’t he ashamed a
couple of weeks ago?
► (201) [O] POV: How might your
understanding of Charlie’s progress be
different if you knew what others were
thinking?
animal: not dog or cat; four-legged animal
► People
often express relief about card
VIII, which lets them relax and respond
effectively. Similar to card V, it represents a
"change of pace"; however, the card
introduces new elaboration difficulties,
being complex and the first multi-colored
card in the set. Therefore, people who find
processing complex situations or emotional
stimuli distressing or difficult may be
uncomfortable with this card.
“Flowers for Algernon”
April
► (202)
pp. 197 – 204
[P] Character Traits: How is Charlie’s
second experience with the Rorschach test
different from his first experience?
“Flowers for Algernon”
April
► (204)
pp. 197 – 204
[Q] Character Traits: What new
aspects of Charlie’s personality are revealed
in this scene with Miss Kinnian?
► (204) April 30: [1] If you were Charlie, how
would you feel after being presented with
the petition?
“Flowers for Algernon”
April
► (204)
pp. 197 – 204
April 30: [2] What is the reason
workers want Charlie to leave?
► (204) April 30: [3] Who is right about
seeking knowledge – Fanny or Charlie?
► (204) April 30: [4] How did Charlie think his
life would change once he acquired
knowledge? How have his recent
experiences proven him wrong?
“Flowers for Algernon”
April
pp. 197 – 204
“When ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.”
“Flowers for Algernon”
May
► (205)
pp. 205 – 210
Analyze Visuals: What might the flask
in this illustration symbolize?
► (206) [R] Reading A Long Story]: What do
the length and language of the May 15
progress report reveal about Charlie’s
intelligence? Think about how this report
differs from those in March and April.
“Flowers for Algernon”
May
► (207)
pp. 205-210
[S] Character Traits: How has Charlie’s
attitude toward socializing changed?
► (207) [T] Character Traits: Why does Charlie
defend the dishwasher? Tell what you can infer
about his personality based on his behavior.
► (208) [U] character Traits: How does Charlie’s
concern for others affect his goals?
► (209) Analyze Visuals: How does he illustration
represent the actions Charlie describes in his May
29 entry?
“Flowers for Algernon”
May
► May
pp. 205-210
23 & 24: (1) What might Algernon’s
odd behavior mean for Charlie?
► May 23 & 24: (2) How could Charlie react
to this? How does Charlie react to this?
► May 23 & 24: (3) How would you rate
Charlie’s chances for success in solving the
problem?
One feels empathy when one has "been there"
and sympathy when one hasn't.
Empathy
Sympathy
►
►
►
►
►
►
The ability to coexperience and relate to
the thoughts, emotions, or
experience of another
without them being
communicated directly by
the individual
Close bonded relationships
Friends, Family,
Community
Caring, Personal Growth
Emotional awareness &
understanding
I can empathize with how
aggrieved you must be at
the loss of your beloved.
The ability to understand
and to support the
emotional situation or
experience of another
being with compassion and
sensitivity
► Care, Protection
► Poor and less fortunate
► Wisdom, Charity
► Shared sorrow;
imaginative identification
► I offer my sympathy at the
loss of your loved one.
►
“Flowers for Algernon”
June – July pp. 210 - 215
•(210)
[V] Reading A Long Story: What is
different about the June 4 entry? (What do
you learn about Charlie and his future from
this section?
•(211) [W] Reading A Long Story: What
does Charlie’s language in the June 10
entry tell about what is happening to his
intelligence? (effect toward Algernon’s
death)
“Flowers for Algernon”
June – July pp. 210 - 215
► (212)
[X] POV: What effect does learning
about Charlie’s feelings through his own
words have on you?
► (213) Analyze Visuals: hat can you infer
about what is happening to the man in the
picture?
► (214) [Y] Reading A Long Story: Compare
July 25 progress report to those from
previous months. How does it help you
understand what has happened to Charlie?
“Flowers for Algernon”
June – July pp. 210 - 215
► (214)
[1]: If you were in Charlie’s situation,
what do you think would be the hardest
part of returning to work at the factory?
► (214) [2]: Why do Frank and Joe defend
Charlie?
► (214) [3]: Are the factory workers really
Charlie’s friends now?
“Flowers for Algernon”
June – July pp. 210 - 215
► (215)
[Z] Character Traits: What does
Charlie’s attitude toward his experience
suggest about the kind of person he is?
► (215) [1]: Do you support Charlie’s decision
to leave New York?
► (215) [2]: What does Charlie’s decision
reveal about his character?
► (215) [3]: Will Charlie be happier when he
leaves New York? Why or why not?
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
►A
narrative arc is the shape a story’s plot
takes as it slowly rises, reaches a high
point, and then falls to reach a resolution.
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
Bell Shaped Curve
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
Narrative Arc
In a successful narrative arc, the hero or
heroine is confronted with dangerous
threats, seductive choices, major decisions,
necessary feats of physical bravery, or
emotionally powerful assaults from family or
social pressure.
“Flowers for Algernon”
pp. 190 - 215
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