Information on Daniel Keye's short story, "Flowers for Algernon" N.B. This content differs from the novel

1. “Flowers for Algernon”
By Daniel Keyes

2. • Written in 1958
• Won many awards!
• Keyes was inspired in part by
teaching English to a special
needs class
• “Algernon”: after Algernon
Charles Swinburne, a poet
(who wrote about many
taboo subjects such as
cannibalism)

3. • Algernon: a white laboratory
mouse
• Protagonist: Charles Gordon
(Charlie)
• IQ of 68
(“extremely low”)
• Works as a janitor
• Attends adult night
school

4. • Written in the style of journal
entries: “progress reports”
• Set between March and July
1965 (FIVE
months)

5. The structure of a short story:

6. Sciencefiction
• A genre (e.g. literature, film)
• Fictitious and imaginative
• Focus on science and technology

7. Rorschach test
• RAWSHOCK
• Psychological test: what do people
“see” in inkblots?
• To analyse personality
and emotional functioning
• Very popular in the
1960s

9. THEMATIC APPERCEPTION
TEST
Psychological test: how people interpret
pictures shows how they think and
function socially

10. Algernon’s
maze

11. IQtests
• “Intelligence quotient”
• Your ability to think and reason!
• Changes with age
What word in brackets means the
same as the word in capitals? FORTE
(endowment, conduct, talent, redoubt,
style)
What number comes next in this
sequence? 25, 32, 27, 36, ?

12. Robinson Crusoe

13. AFTER READING
THE STORY:

14. • Describe the spelling,
punctuation and grammar used
by Charlie at the beginning of the
story.
• Describe the spelling,
punctuation and grammar used
by Charlie soon after his operation.
• What does Charlie’s rabbit foot tell
us about him?
• Charlie feels very socially isolated.
Why do you think this is?

15. • Do you think people can learn to
be “smart”, or do you think we are
born a certain way?
• In progress report 2 Charlie
describes doing a Rorschach test.
What does Charlie’s reaction to
the inkblots tell us about his
mental capabilities?
• When does Charlie seem the
happiest: before or after the
operation?

16. • Why do you think Dr Strauss
does not allow Charlie to read
books on psychology as he grows
more intelligent?
• What is Dr Nemur’s opinion about
Intelligence Quotients and tests?
• What does Fanny Girden seem to
think about possessing
a lot of knowledge?

17. REPLACE THE WORDS IN BOLD WITH THE
CORRECT WORD:
He said Dr Nemur I know Charlie is not
what you had in mind as the first of
your new brede of intelek (coudnt get
the word) superman. But most people of
his low ment** are host** and
uncoop** they are usualy dull apath**
and hard to reach.