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Progress Report 1
37-year-old, mentally-impaired Charlie Gordon begins his journey to genius by starting progress reports about how he feels and what is happpening to him. -
Progress Report 2
Charlie is unable to decipher inkblots on paper in his first IQ test: "He said pepul see things in the ink. I said show me where. He said think. I told him I think a inkblot but that wasnt rite eather." (372) -
Progress Report 3
After Charlie is unable to write a story about a picture, he is taken to see a small mouse named Algernon: "Algernon was in was in a box with a lot of twists and turns like all kinds of walls and they gave me a pencil and paper with lines and lots of boxes." (373) Charlie and Algernon raced to see who could complete the maze first. Algernon won every time. -
Progress Report 4
The doctors officially decide to use Charlie for their experiment in which, " . . . he will be the first human beeng ever to have his intelijence trippled by surgicle meens." (374) -
Progress Report 5
Charlie's excitement builds as the operation draws closer: "If the operashun works Ill show that mouse I can be as smart as he is. Maybe smarter. Then Il be abel to read better and spell the words good and know lots of things and be like other peole." (375) -
Progress Report 6
After the operation, Charlie feels as if, "nothing happened," and he doesn't, ". . . know what to think about." (376) -
Progress Report 7
Despite his recent operation, Algernon still beats Charlie and the inkblots remain a mystery. Charlie also begins to lose hope: "I got a headache from trying to think so much. I thot Dr Strauss was my frend but he dont help me." (376) -
Progress Report
Although Charlie's intelligence is slowly increasing, he is still unable to understand sarcasm: "Sometimes somebody will say . . . he really pulled a Charlie Gordon. I dont know why they say that but they always laff." (377) -
Progress Report
The success of the operation is confirmed by Dr Strauss: "Charlie you dont know it yet but your getting smarter all the time. You wont notice for a while." (377 & 378) -
Progress Report
Charlie beats Algernon for the first time and his increasing intelligence becomes more visible. -
Progress Report
Charlie begins understanding spelling and english: "I have lots of truble with through that you say threw and enough and tough that you dont say new and tew. You got to say enuff and tuff. Thats how I use to write it before I started to get smart." (380) -
Progress Report
"Miss Kinnian says Im lerning fast." (381) -
Progress Report
Charlie's drive to learn improves along with his IQ: "I only have to look up [a word] once and after that I get it right. Thats how come I got the word punctuation right." (381) -
Progress Report
Charlie begins taking the initiative to research lessons on his own. Also, he even begins to recognize the mistakes in his previous progress reports with his new knowledge. -
Progress Report
Charlie begins to recognize his "friend's" sarcasm and rude attitude. -
Progress Report 12
"This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I once knew and loved. Before, they laughed at me and despised me for my ignorance and dullness; now, they hate me for my knowledge and understandin . . . Now I'm more alone thatn ever before." (389) -
Progress Report
Charlie's intelligence begins exceeding that of his teachers and even his doctors: "Dr. Nemur appears to be uncomfortable around me. Sometimes when I try to talk to him, he just looks at me strangely and turns away." (390) -
Progress Report
Charlie finds himself unable to communicate successfully with anyone because of his brilliance: "I am alone in my apartment at Mrs. Flynn's boardinghouse most of the time and seldom speak to anyone." (391) -
Progress Report
The noticeable deterioration of Charlie's brain commences only two days after the death of Algernon. -
Progress Report
Charlie continues fighting symptoms of amnesia in an effort to keep his intelligence, -
Progress Report
Charlie loses his ability to speak or read any language except for english. He also realizes that he cannot comprehend the books he used to read. In additon, his coordination is so terrible that he cannot use a typewriter. -
Progress Report
Punctuation, grammar, and correct spelling all disappear from Charlie's written reports. He complains of awful headaches, -
Progress Report
Charlie's IQ returns to its original number, maybe even lower. Everything he had learned in the past four months completely evaporates from his mind.