Elizabeth Hagele
Ms. Benson
English 1
4 October 2010
Outline
I.
Introduction
a. Flowers for Algernon , Daniel Keyes
Raymond’s Run , Toni Cade Bambara
b. Charlie Gordon is a 37 year old man who is mentally retarded. Miss Kinnian, his
teacher at Charlie’s school attends every day recommends Charlie for a program
that can possibly get him to be smarter. All Charlie wants in his life is to be smart,
and for everyone to stop making fun of him. Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur, the two
scientists behind this experiment that are going to help Charlie learn. In order for
the operation to proceed, Charlie must keep progress reports about his daily life,
and complete multiple tests. One of these tests includes a maze test. Charlie is
forced to race against a mouse, Algernon who the operation has already been
performed on. The operation triples your IQ so the mouse was obviously smarter
than Charlie. Once the experiment is conducted Charlie became very intelligent,
sooner than later he was able to beat Algernon in the maze race! When Charlie
returned back to work, his coworkers still made fun of him. Nobody wanted him
there, and Charlie finally realized they never liked him and only was with him
because they liked to make fun of him. Soon after that, Algernon started to get
sick. Charlie knew it was because of the experiment and wanted to find out if the
same thing would happen to him. As Charlie thought, it did. One day, Charlie’s
intelligence level started to drop, and his memory faded. Charlie passed away, but
in the end it was worth it, because he finally got to be smart, even for the littlest
amount of time.
Squeaky, is the best runner in the entire town, she always wins the biggest and
best races. There is no track meet that she doesn’t win, and no race she doesn’t
come first place in. Tomorrow is the May Day race, and Squeaky knows she will
win, no matter what. While practicing the day before, Squeaky goes on a walk to
practice her breathing skills, but she brings her brother Raymond along. Raymond
isn’t as bright as he should be, everybody makes fun of him because he’s
“special.” Cynthia Procter is Squeaky’s rival. They have been trying to beat each
other in races all the time. This race was the one that would determine the overall
best. Cynthia wants everyone to believe that she doesn’t try, and her success
comes naturally, but with Squeaky she wants everyone to know that she really
cares and tries to be the best. It was time for the big May Day Race. Squeaky was
preparing, and Raymond was hollering up in the stands hoping his little sister
would win! Squeaky is very confident that she’ll win. As soon as the pistol went
off, all the runners sprinted off the starting line and Squeaky ran off. She was in
first place, but there was Gretchen to her right. The 50 yard race was done, but
first place hadn’t been determined yet because Gretchen and Squeaky were too
close to call. As Squeaky was waiting for the results, she realized that winning
wasn’t everything, and if she didn’t win then she could help Raymond possibly
run. I mean he could keep up with her when they went on runs all the time, and
with breathing exercises, maybe he could be a great runner! Squeaky has a
roomful of ribbons, but what does Raymond have? Nothing to call his own, it
would be a great thing for him! The results were in, and the winner was Squeaky!!
c. In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie realizes that being smart didn’t change anything;
it was the people who had the problem. They didn’t like Charlie because he was
different, and that’s not the characteristics of a true friend. Also, Charlie realized
in the end, being smart was something he always wanted to do, and being able to
have that experience was something magical for him and changed his life. In
Raymond’s Run, Squeaky realizes that winning isn’t everything, and even people
who need special help can be successful and have hopes and dreams just like her
brother Raymond.
II.
Character’s Innocence
a. Flowers for Algernon
1. Charlie’s Innocence
2. Page 1 and Page 3
3. Charlie is a 37 year old man, and has the brain of a second grader. “I had
a test today. I think I failed it.” This shows that Charlie feels very lowly
of himself and he is not very intelligent. When Dr. Nemur and Dr.
Strauss confirm that Charlie is going to be used for the experiment, it
will triple his IQ, increasing his intelligence so that he will understand a
lot more.
b. Raymond’s Run
1. Squeaky’s Innocent
2. Page 1
3. Squeaky doesn’t have a lot of responsibility, but she has to take care of
her older brother Raymond. She is a little girl, with skinny arms and a
squeaky voice, and she’s the fastest thing on two feet.
III.
Character’s Journey- Obstacles
a. Flowers for Algernon
1. Charlie has operation. Charlie gets made fun of by co-workers.
2. Page 2 & 3. Page 9.
3. When Charlie has the operation, immediately he Is getting smarter. His
progress has increased because now he can pass the inkblot test and beat
Algernon in the race. This boosts Charlie’s self confidence so much, and
he finally thinks his co-workers like him until they go out to a bar one
night. They force Charlie to dance and trick Charlie to drinking alcohol.
They embarrass Charlie in front of a girl and get him very drunk to the
point where he doesn’t even know where he is and somebody has to
bring him home.
b. Raymond’s Run
1. May Day Race
2. Pages 7-10
3. Squeaky is up against Gretchen. It’s the biggest race, and she is
determined she is going to win. People believe that it isn’t fair that
Squeaky always wins the race, but that’s not stopping her. Squeaky is
prepared to win. And the pistol blew…
IV.
V.
Character’s Epiphany
a. Flowers for Algernon
1. Charlie realizes that he loves Miss Kinnian and his friends aren’t
really his friends.
2. Pages 11, 12, and 13.
3. “I’m in love with Miss Kinnian.” Randomly, Charlie realizes that
Miss Kinnian and he had chemistry when he was teaching him, but
Miss Kinnian doesn’t feel the same way. Charlie was her student,
and nothing further more. Charlie quit working at Mr. Donnegans’
because everyone wanted him fired. 840 people wanted Charlie
fired, and only one didn’t, Fanny. “It was evil when Eve listened to
the snake and ate from the tree of knowledge. It was evil when she
saw that she was naked. If not for that none of us would ever have
to grow old and sick, and die.” Fanny stated to Charlie, and now
Charlie feels ashamed.
b. Raymond’s Run
1. Squeaky doesn’t have to always be in first place. Sometimes, other
people deserve to be number one too.
2. Pages 9 and 10.
3. “It occurred to me that Raymond would make a very fine runner.
Doesn’t he always run with me on my trots? And he surely knows
how to breathe in counts of seven because he’s always doing it at
the dinner table.” “I can always retire as a runner and begin a
whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion.”
Reflection
a. Flowers for Algernon
1. Even though the operation failed, Charlie is still happy that he could be
smart at one moment in his life.
2. Pages 17-19
3. “I reread my paper on the Algernon-Gordon Effect and I get the strange
feeling that it was written by someone else. There are parts I don’t even
understand.” This shows that Charlie’s mind is degrading. “I get awful
headaches and asperin doesn’t help me much. Mrs Flynn knows Tm
really sick and she feels very sorry for me. Shes a wonderful women
whenever someone is sick.” Charlie realizes that he is sick, and there is
nothing he can do about it. Mrs. Flynn is very nervous that Charlie is
going to die, and just wanted Charlie to be happy, so he went back to
work at Donnegan’s. :Good-by Miss Kinnian and Dr, Strauss and
VI.
everybody. And P.S. please tell Dr Nemur not to be such a grouch when
pepul laff at him and he would have more friends. Its easy to make
frends if you let pepul laff at you. Im going to have lots of friends where
I go. P.P.S. Please if you get a chanse put some flowers on Algernons
frave in the backyard…” This is how the story ended and it shows that
Charlie is happy that he’s going to go to a place where he can really be
himself. (heaven)
b. Raymond’s Run
1. Being enemies has no purpose, and there is no reason not to like
Gretchen. Winning isn’t everything.
2. Page 10
3. “We stand there with this big smile of respect between us. It’s about as
real a smile as girls can do for each other, considering we don’t practice
real smiling every day, you know, cause maybe we too busy being
flowers of fairies or strawberries instead of something honest and
worthy of respect… you know…like being people.” Because Squeaky
realized winning wasn’t everything, she noticed that Gretchen and her
are the same purpose and want the same things, so why not work
together.
Conclusion