Write at least ½ page answering 1 of these 2 questions.
1.
Is ignorance bliss?
Ignorance: “A lack of knowledge, understanding, or education.”
Bliss: “complete happiness.” (m-w.com)
2.
Is it possible that you can be better off not knowing certain things?
Example 1: If you know exactly when you are going to die, you might spend all of your days simply dreading your inevitable death, suffering long before it happens.
Example 2: On the other hand, knowing exactly when you are going to die might give you freedom not to worry about other parts of your life and set your priorities right.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Journal
#
1
2
3
Section of
Novel
(Progress
Report #s)
Progress
Reports
1-6
Progress
Reports
1-6
Progress
Reports
1-6
**Connecting
Question**
Journal Question Your Response/ Commentary
Be sure to respond to each topic with clear expression and ideas, supporting evidence, and elaboration that clarifies your position.
How is Charlie’s writing different from your own?
What can you infer about him from this?
What kind of person is
Miss Kinnian?
How do you know?
Include a quote from the book to support what you think about her and cite the page number afterwards.
If you could have an operation like Charlie’s, would you choose to do it?
Why or why not?
(Continued on next page)
Page #_____
(Continued on next page)

4
5
Progress
Reports
7-8
In what ways could
Charlie’s operation be considered a success?
In what ways could it be considered a failure?
Include textual evidence with page numbers in
(parentheses) for each.
Progress
Reports
7-8
**Connecting
Question**
How does the way
Charlie’s being treated by those he has considered his friends make you feel?
Cite an example of what particular instance you’re referring to along with a page number.
Where have you seen people in your life treated in a way like this?
(Continued on next page)
Quote 1 (success) p.#:______ Quote 2 (failure) p.#:______
(Continued on next page) Quote p.#: ______

6
7
8
9
Progress
Reports
9-10
Progress
Reports
9-10
Progress
Reports
9-10
What does Charlie realize about his “friends?”
Find an example in which
Charlie sees his relationship with his friends differently than he did before the operation.
Why do you think sharing his progress reports suddenly starts to bother
Charlie?
Do you agree with
Charlie’s father or
Charlie’s mother about how they should treat
Charlie and where he should go to school?
Why?
Progress
Reports
9-10
**Connecting
Question**
Compare your relationship with the adult(s) that you live with to Charlie’s relationship with his mother and father.
(Continued on next page)

10
Progress
Reports
11-12
Find two examples of others treating Charlie as a very intelligent man similar to how he is treated before the operation.
Cite page numbers for each example.
Before the operation, people treated Charlie this way…
Charlie was treated similarly after the operation…
Before the operation, people treated Charlie this way…
Charlie was treated similarly after the operation…

11
12
13
14
Progress
Reports
11-12
**Connecting
Question**
Progress
Reports
13-14
Progress
Reports
13-14
Progress
Reports
13-14
**Connecting
Question**
If you were in Charlie’s position, would you rather know people were making fun or you, or not know?
Why or why not?
Charlie states, “At this point my feelings are more important than anything else.”
Why is this statement ironic?
*Remember, irony is when the opposite of what you expect occurs.*
Where did Charlie get his unusual motivation for becoming smart?
Is this unusual motivation for learning a good or bad thing?
Why?
If you were Charlie at this phase in his life, would you want to see your parents?
(Continued on next page)

15
16
17
Progress
Reports
15-17
Progress
Reports
15-17
Progress
Reports
15-17
Why or why not?
Consider the memories he has of them and the fact that he has not seen them in many years.
Why doesn’t Charlie want
Algernon disposed of according to normal lab procedures?
Where will Charlie be
“disposed of” if the experiment fails?
How does he feel about this? Why?
Now that you’ve seen
Charlie’s whole journey, do you think it was a good thing that Charlie had the operation? Why?
(Continued on next page) (Continued on next page)

Write a scene in which you, the writer, dialogue with Charlie before his operation.
Afterwards, write a second scene in which you, the writer, converse with Charlie postoperation.
Each of these should be at least ¾ of a page, for a total of 1 ½ pages. Be as honest as you can in this writing exercise. Some questions to get you thinking (Note: these are just to get you thinking—please write this part of the assignment as a narrative (story) and do NOT use these questions as your prompt): How would you treat Charlie differently? How might you craft your topics of conversation differently? What types of questions would you ask him? Who would do most of the talking? How might he react to you differently?
Create an artistic representation of the change Charlie experiences in the novel.
This artistic option should show effort at least equal to the writing option if not greater—pencil drawings on lined paper would not meet this criterion. Your choice of medium is up to you.
Please include an artist’s statement, explaining the work in at least ½ page.
A few examples of project options to help you get started:




Create two self-portraits of Charlie (whether drawn, painted, or 3D), as if they have been done before and after his operation. Use these to show how Charlie’s values and perceptions of himself have changed throughout the novel.
Two collages representing Charlie’s thoughts and feelings before and after the novel.
You might want to include both hand drawn elements and others snipped out of print sources. Please use both words and images.
Create two works that show Charlie’s perception of other characters (Miss Kinnian, his
“friends,” the researchers, etc.) changes before and after the operation. For example, you might want to include a sketch of Miss Kinnian the teacher at the beginning and a painting of Alice, the friend and love interest after the operation.
Use your imagination—create an original piece of art, other than the ideas listed here, that demonstrates the change Charlie undergoes throughout the novel.
If you choose option #2, please remember to include an artist’s statement, explaining the work in at least ½ page.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________