Flowers for Algernon

Brief Overview

«Flowers for Algernon» is a narrative about a mentally challenged thirty-two-year-old named Charlie Gordon, who works as a janitor in a bakery. His IQ is significantly below average, but he dreams of becoming smarter, so he agrees to undergo an experimental operation that has already been successfully performed on a mouse named Algernon. After the operation, Charlie's intelligence increases dramatically, surpassing that of ordinary people, and he begins to take an interest in art, science, and languages. However, he soon notices that Algernon starts to deteriorate, foreshadowing his own regression. Over time, his mental abilities return to their previous level, and he loses all the new knowledge and skills he had acquired. Despite reverting to his former state, Charlie retains the memory of the love and compassion he experienced at the peak of his intelligence and asks to be buried next to Algernon when his time comes.