Michael Matadamas
Mr. Allen
English 8
May 19, 2014
Hey! Do you think if you got tripled your intelligence you would benefit from that? Well, in the story
"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, the operation was beneficial to Charlie because at one point he
felt more intelligent than Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur; he also made a scientific breakthrough that was
called The Algernon-Gordon Effect.
Charlie felt more advanced or intelligent than the scientist that gave him the operation these were his
thoughts. "Contrary to my earlier impressions of him, I realize that Dr. Nemur is not all a genius. He has a
very good mind, but struggles under the specter of self-doubt. He wants people to take him for a genius.
Therefore, it is important for him to feel that his work is accepted by the world. I believe that Dr. Nemur
was afraid of further delay because he worried that someone else might make a discovery along these
lines and take the credit from him. Dr. Strauss, on the other hand might be called a genius, although I
feel that his areas of knowledge are too limited. He was educated in the tradition of narrow
specialization; the broader aspects of background were neglected far more than necessary-even for a
neurosurgeon" (Keyes 108-109). Charlie feels like he is above them by Dr. Strauss's narrow
specialization and Charlie was shocked that Dr.Nemur needed everyone to think he was a genius in
order for him to feel like it.
Furthermore, into the story Charlie also annoyed or disappointed that Dr. Nemur and Dr.Strauss were
not the people he saw on the surface and that they didn't know more than three languages. “I was
shocked to learn ... On the surface" (Keyes 109). This showed how he was really annoyed how they
were not as smart as he was and how they were lying to him the whole time. He found out that even the
closest friends can be deceiving.
Charlie also made a scientific breakthrough called the Algernon Gordon effect the following evidence
explains it. "Dear Dr.Strauss: under separate cover ... Yours truly, Charlie Gordon" (Keyes 115). The
breakthrough was named the Algernon-Gordon Effect it was made to study structure and function of
increased intelligence. It also proved his I.Q growth by his big words and how the studies were for this
effect and his formulas. Later in the narrative, he used himself as an example of his studies. "I must not
become Human intelligence" (Keyes 116). He understood that he shouldn't get too excited because he
knows that his intelligence might regress back to its original state. He also noticed that the applicability
of human intelligence was little to none. Actually, it does not clearly state that he felt more above or felt
that he had higher power than the scientist but felt pity for them. "No one I've ever known is what
appears to be on the surface" (Keyes 109). He just found out that they lied and deceived him but it
never claimed or said he felt above them and this shows nothing that benefitted Charlie. Not necessarily
but it did ultimately say that he just felt better than them. Well in this part of the text Charlie is talking
about how he felt from finding out the doctors secrets. "I was shocked to learn. . . He is not" (Keyes
109). There is my point that he did not believe that they were so much stupider than him that they only
knew 3 languages and he was like in a "come on really you only know that many?" tone. Showing that
he felt better than them by being more intelligent. And this was proof that he did benefit from the
operation by making a scientific breakthrough.
In "flowers for Algernon" Charlie Gordon has become more intelligent than the other scientist because
the scientist lack of more knowledge. Charlie also made an experiment called The Algernon-Gordon
Effect. Charlie benefits resulted in being smarter than the scientist and making a scientific breakthrough
which overall proved that although he eventually regressed back he did make history on his experiment
and did benefit from the operation.
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