Intelligence Is Not Everything in Life

ENG3U CULMINATING ESSAY:

FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON

By Romilla Alam

Mr. Shea

ENG3U1-01

1/22/16

INTELLIGENCE IS NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE

In Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon goes through an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. The novel highlights many key lessons Charlie learns throughout his experience of gaining intelligence. One great life lesson that Charlie learns is that intelligence is not everything in life. Charlie discovers from working at the bakery that friendship plays a key role in happiness. He also learns from his loneliness that giving and receiving love and affection in life is essential. Furthermore, through his experience of gaining intelligence, Charlie determines that life depends greatly on attitude and how one responds to different situations.

Initially, friendship played a great part in Charlie’s life. He learned that friendship has a direct connection with happiness and social belonging. Before his surgery, Charlie believed that everyone at the bakery were his friends and that they liked him. Even though many at the bakery used Charlie as entertainment, he thought, “Their all my good frends and we have lots of jokes and laffs here” (Keyes, 23). He was genuinely happy and felt like he belonged at the bakery, as he knew how to communicate and hold relationships with people. After the surgery, however, Charlie recognises that he no longer has this skill to hold friendships, when he explains to Professor Nemur, “When I was retarded, I had lots of friends. Now I have no one… Not like I used to have in the bakery. Not a friend in the world who means anything to me, and no one I mean anything to” (249-250). Charlie’s before-surgery beliefs clash with his views after the surgery. Charlie realizes that he was happy when he had low intelligence because he had friendships and belonging. Now, he can no longer hold these types of friendships, demonstrating that he liked this part of his old life better, when he did not have such high intelligence.

Additionally, Charlie also learns that giving and receiving love and affection in life is essential. Arguing with Professor Nemur that intelligence is not everything in life, Charlie emphasizes, “intelligence and education that hasn’t been tempered by human affection isn’t worth a damn” (249). Contrary to his before-surgery opinion on intelligence, Charlie realizes that having intelligence and education means nothing if you cannot treat other humans like people, and if your life is not filled with people that love you. Before the surgery, Charlie was a caring, loving person. Becoming intelligent, he realizes that he no longer has the capability of kind heartedness. Completing his dispute with Professor Nemur, Charlie concludes that “Intelligence without the ability to give and receive affection leads to mental and moral breakdown, to neurosis, and possibly even psychosis” (249). Charlie clearly explains that intelligence plays no part in a life that is not filled with affection from people. This is significant because Charlie has the firsthand experience. He knows what it’s like to live a life without intelligence and with affection. He also knows what it’s like to live a life with superior intelligence and deprivation of pure, human contact with people.  When he moves into his apartment, Charlie is lonely and withdrawn. He experiences what he explains – mental and moral breakdowns, and even neurosis, as a cause of loneliness and withdrawal from human contact and affection. Charlie describes that this type of life is a life not worth living.

Moreover, Charlie learns that life depends greatly on one’s attitude and how one responds to different situations. After his surgery, Charlie’s whole perception on life changes. His attitude, along with willingness to mend situations changes. He was a caring, happy, optimistic and determined individual before the surgery. He constantly tried his hardest. His attitude changes from this very drastically. For example, after the operation, Charlie began to have affection for Alice Kinnian, his former teacher. He started to become insecure about his actions and behaviour. When they begin to form a relationship, Charlie and Alice have an argument. Charlie feels free after they agreed to take a break, but then laments “I wanted to be in love with her. I wanted to overcome my emotional and sexual fears, to marry, have children, settle down. Now it’s impossible” (126).  Charlie is frustrated that they cannot solve their problems that came with the growing intelligence gap. He immediately backs down from trying to mend the situation and restoring their relationship, and gives up. This is very different from his attitude before the surgery. Back then, Charlie was willing to try his best and mend situations. Sometime later, when Charlie is slowly turning back into his before-surgery self, he demands Alice, “Just leave me alone. I’m not myself. I’m falling apart, and I don’t want you here” (300). Charlie was once again becoming insecure, and was willing to sacrifice his encouraging, built up and restored relationship with Alice in order to preserve his dignity. In comparison, old Charlie’s attitude would not have thought of going about situations in this way.

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