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The First Progress Report
Here we meet an extremely illiterate man, Charlie Gordon. We learn through this first "progris riport" that Charlie can possibley become smarter, if they decide to "use" him (p. 371). -
Algernon the Mouse
In one of the first tests that Charlie has to take in order to be approved for the surgery, Algernon the mouse is introduced. Charlie is supposed to try and complete a maze before the little white mouse, although he fails everytime: "Anyway that test made me feel worser than all the others because they did it over 10 times with different amazeds and Algernon won every time" (p. 374). -
Using Charlie Gordon
Drs. Nemur and Strauss decide to use Charlie, although Dr. Nemur has hesitations. Charlie says that he is afraid of the "operashun", but he will do anything to become more intellegent (p. 374). He is additionally comforted by his kind night school teacher, Ms. Kinnian. -
The "Operashun"
The operation was a success! Charlie, however, grows impatient with the seemingly slow results: "I wish I knew some fancy things already" (p. 376). -
Algernon the Mouse, Champion No More
Charlie finally beats Alegernon! He is then over the moon with happiness, as he realizes that the surgery is maybe starting to work: "Then the second time I lost because I got so excited that I fell off the chair before I finished" (p. 379). -
Pulling a Charlie Gordon
It finally hits Charlie: "I never knew that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around all the time to make fun of me" (p. 383). He becomes sad and ashamed, and realizes that he doesn't deserve to be treated with such little respect. -
Celebrating With Ms. Kinnian
After recieving a bonus at the factory for saving thousands of dollars a year, Charlie works up the nerve to ask Ms. Kinnian out for a celebratory dinner. He is quite glad he did, as he comes to a realization about her: "I never noticed how beautiful Ms. Kinnian really is" (p. 387). The two of them have a marvelous time, and Charlie afterwards thinks to himself, "I'm in love with Ms. Kinnian" (p. 388). -
An Intellectual
At this point, Charlie has become genious. His language is sophisticated, his punction is perfection, and he additionally gives physcological insight, which seemed near impossible when he was first introduced. He does, however, bypass Drs. Nemur and Strauss in intellegence, and was shocked to learn about Dr. Strauss that "the only ancient languages he could read were Latin, Greek, and Hebrew" and his math was nothing "beyond the elementary levels of calculus of variations" (p. 390). -
Levels of Semantic Progression and Others Ms. Kinnian Didn't Understand
Charlie is now smarter than his love, Ms. Kinnian. He mentions that his conversations were too advanced and that "she just stared at me blankly and asked me what I meant" (p. 390). Charlie has made a 180 degree turn, having gone from too uneducated to hold a normal conversation, to too knowledgable to hold a normal conversation. -
The Epiphany
After an unsettling experience at the diner, it hits Charlie just how sad his life was before his surgery. He sees a boy, about as smart as he was, and the ignorance he possess; having no idea that people are laughing AT him not WITH him. Charlie then says, "I was just like him!" after he has talked about wishing to push the old version of himself from his mind entirely (p. 392). -
The Algernon-Gordon Effect
After scientific triumph, tradgedy strikes, and Charlie discovers that his intellegence will begin to rapidly regress, just as had happened to Algernon. He writes the findings of his study on the "Algernon-Gordon Effect" to Dr. Strauss, refusing to become emotional (p. 394). -
Flowers for Algernon
After Algernon's death, it becomes clear just how quickly Charlie's intellegence is retreating. He becomes very depressed, and the progress reports become less and less regular. Instead, he says he mostly goes for a walk or "puts flowers on a mouses grave" (p. 398). -
No Love Left for Ms. Kinnian
Charlie becomes so depressed that he now refuses to see even Ms. Kinnian. As an explanation to this he states: 'I didn't want her to laugh at me... I still love her" (p. 399). Additionally, his grammar has become even worse, along with his punctuation. -
Back to Work
WIth nothingelse going for him, Charlie returns to the factory. Luckily, his old friends stick up for him when any question involving his intellegence comes up, and this makes him a little happier: "Its good to have friends" (p. 400). -
Back to Square One
Charlie is back to where he started, if not less intellegent. He then decides that this is a good oppurtunity to leave New York, though he leaves behind no hard feelings. He says his goodbyes to Ms. Kinnian and Drs. Nemur and Strauss, even leaving Dr. Nemur some helpful advise invloving his grouchy disposition: its easy to make friends if you let people laugh at you" (p. 401). His closing words, however, were this: "Please if you get a chanse put some flowers on Algernons grave in the bak yard."