1. Why is the story called Flowers for Algernon? Why does Charley make sure that Algernon has flowers on his grave?
2. Make an analogy for Charley and his experiment.
Chapter 31
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I think that Flowers for Algernon is so called because of the fact that Charlie is always putting flowers on Algernon's grave in his backyard. It is a usual thing to do for a deceased loved one. It is something often in movies and real life that you see people doing in cemeteries to show respect. I think that Charlie engages in this ritual because he and Algernon were very similar. Seeing as how they both underwent the same operation that artificialy increased their intelligence. They both had their intelligence increase and decrease at an unusual rate. He never had any real friends and never realy felt a connection to anybody except Algernon. When Algernon died, I think, Charlie felt as though part of him had died and he lost his only real companion in life. It is like they were the same person in to different bodies. They had the same problem and the same solution and the results.
Algernon is to Charlie as the grass at the Trinity site in 1945 is to grass in Hiroshima that same year.
In case you dont understand that analogie, in the begining, both the Trinity site and Hiroshima were normal. Then nuclear bombs went off in the same manner, like Charlie and Algernon's tests. The results were also the same, everything there died. Even after the bombings of Hiroshima or the tests at the Trinity site, there was still atomic residue that killed or caused mutations in things that later existed there. People in Hiroshima suffered atomic radiation poisining. Animals in Trinity site experienced about the same thing and even today, atomic residue meters still measure atomic residue. So just like charliea and algernon: same before, same during, same after.
I think the name comes from Charlie´s last attachment to being a genius: his best friend, Algernon. The flowers represent Charlie remembering when he was smart and Algernon was alive racing against him. Its the memory of what Charlie gained and lost in a few months and some journal entries. Its the best tribute Charlie could imagine for Algernon.
Its the last thing Charlie wrote before leaving; that shows how important it was all to him, his very best friend. Also they were counterparts in Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur´s experiments, the operation and the afternoons they raced together.
I agree with Omar of what Charlie felt for Algernon, also they were both very similar.
Hey Omar if you read this, could you explain deeper your analogie?
Also, they werent the same after, Algernon died and Charlie survived (until when?). The reason isnt given but its something to think about so I make the question:
Why did Charlie survive and Algernon perish?
Algernon was to Charlie as a twin is to his brother.
This means they were both very similar: the operations, the tests, the racing, etc. It describes them as patients to Strauss and Nemur.
Algernon was to Charlie Gordon as Bubba was to Forrest Gump. If you have seen the movie Forrest Gump, you know Bubba died in Vietnam and Forrest as his wish before Bubba died creates the Bubba-Gump shrimping company. This describes them as friends, and the homage they payed to their dead friends.
Johanna B
I think the story is called Flowers For Algernon because of the similar relationships between them. As Omar stated, Charlie and Algernon had many similarities. they both went through similar things such as the operation, they both were used and had very few real friends and they were alike before and after the operation. I also think the story is called Flowers For Algernon because after Algernon's death, Charlie kept putting flowers on his grave although people thought it was wicked because it was for a mouse. But since Algernon was his very close companion (though not in the beginning)and so Charlie felt very solitary. The fact that Charlie gave so much into continouisly putting flowers on Algernon's grave ment that he was very significant in Charlie's life.
As I have already mentioned, I said that Algernon was very important for Charlie. This is why I think Charlie makes sure there were flowers on Algernon's grave. I mean even after he had written the letter to Ms. Kinnian, he asked her to put flowers on his grave when he would leave. I mean he could have just forgotten about it, firstly because of his memory loss and secondly because he was going to leave.
Here is an analogy:
oxygen is to living things as a hypothesis is to an experiment.
I didn't specifically make up this analogy from any movie or so but I hope it's ok. Well the reason why i chose oxygen and living things and hypothesis and experiment is because, in order for living things to survive, oxygen is always required. Oxygen is the basic basic factor for living things to exist. In order to have an experiment (well very often) a hypothesis is always needed in order to complete the experiment. It is part of a procedure to have one to predict what will happen in an experiment.
Yonas M
I think that the story is called Flowes for Algernon because Charlie gave thanks to Algernon by putting flowers on his grave. I think he was showing respect by putting flowers on his grave. Besides, they were both similar.
I don't know if this is a good analogie...
Ms Kinnian is to Charlie as flowers is to Algernon!!!
I Think flowers for Algernon is so called because like everyone else said Charlie want to keep putting flowers on Algernon's grave. Like Omar said it is a thing that humans do to respect there deceased loved ones. I think humans do that so they are able to remember them and often flowers is a symbol for love so the title might also mean "Love for Algernon", and Charlie did mention in that he considers Algernon as a friend. also people say sometimes that love/friendship last forever so he is using the flowers as a symbol to show that Charlie will always consider Algernon as a friend.
Analogy:
Algernon is to Charlie as Africa is to the Europeans.
the Europeans think Africa is very important because of their minerals. Algernon is important to Charlie because Algernon wouldn't treat Charlie differently if he changed his character.
WHY IT'S CALLED WHAT ITS CALLED:
I think its called Flowers for Algernon because Charlie was really close to Algernon because they were alike. Charlie put flowers on Algernon's grave because they were friends and for respect.
He wanted people to continue this ritual because he felt Algernon should be awarded for being used for this experiment. Charlie felt he deserved to be respected and remembered for giving his life to science.
ANALOGIES:
-Algernon is to the maze as words are to books.
-Charlie is to books as smart is to teachers.
I believe that Flowers for Algeron is called that because before the operation, Charlie sought Algernon as his goal to being smarter. He seemed to be everything to Charlie. After the operation and when he started to realize that his friends only liked him just to tease him, the only friend he had was Algernon. It was like Algernon was apart of him, like if ALgernon was going down, so would CHarlie. When ALgernon died it was like apart of him died to, so he brings flowers to him in order to remember the good times, his one and only true friend.
Charlie and Algernon were like peas in a pod, no one could break through their frendship.
For my analogy: Charlie is to Algernon as Father is to son.
Charlie cared for him and made sure he was fed, and when Algernon died he felt sorry for him he always visited him to give him flowers.
Here is a better analogy:
-Miss Kinnian is to Charlie as Pamala Anderson is to Borat.
-Frank Reily and Joe Carp are to Charlie as bodyguard is to president.
-The experiment is to Charlie as a heart transplant is to a child with heart disease.
-Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur are to Charlie as Dr Frankestein is to Frankestein
-Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur are to the experiment as an architect is to his buildings.
-Charlie is to the psychological community as Micheal Jordan is to the game of basketball.
The story is called Flowers for Algernon because it is the one of the only memory Charlie keeps after his intelligence passed. Over the course of the story, Charlie discovered what was and wasn't important. AFter he lost his intelligence, in my opinion, the reason why he kept the memory of Algernon and his flowers is because he felt like that was important to him. He was his friend in the beginning before the operation, the middle, when he was at the peak of his intelligence, and in the end, when all he cared about was putting flowers on his only friend's grave. So the reason why I think the story is called Flowers for Algernon, is because of what it symbolized to Charlie; the importance and ritual of putting flowers on Algernon's grave.
Rodrigo, your analogy about Forest Gump and Bubba is so accurate; it sums up the whole thing.
For my analogy:
Intelligence is to Charlie as sand is slipping through your fingers. You start with none, then have a handful of it, and is slowly slips through, disappearing forever.
I think that this is a sad title because Charlie saw how hard it was to hold on to things so precious. First, he realized how hard it was to hold on to a true friendship at either extremes. At one extreme, when he was dumb, he couldn't hold on to a simple relationship with his peers, although he thought so. At the opposite extreme, when he was smart, he couldn't keep his romantic relationship with his old teacher going because he was smarter than her. It was also hard for him to hold onto his intelligence. Right when he achieved it, it began slipping away. When Algernon died, he finaly realized how many things had slipped away and how hard it was to hold on to them. He then put one flower on Algernon's grave. The next when he saw the grave, i think that he saw that the flower had wilted. He then realized that nothing can live on forever. I imagine his depress when all the flowers were picked and wilted from his garden on Algernon's grave. To conclude, it's called Flower's for Algernon, because the penultimate thing that slipped away from him was Algernon, a great loss. The last thing that slipped away from him were the flowers who wilted on his grave, and before a rosy pink, now a dull grey.
Charlie is to Algernon as a mirror is to its reflection. I chose this because Charlie and Algernon aren't exactly the same: Charlie is a human, and Algernon is a mouse. Algernon wasn't dumber than any other of his race before the experiment, whereas Charlie was. But they both had the same experiment tested to them. A mirror and its reflection aren't the same thing either. If you hold up your right hand, the reflection's hand that is up will be the left. Charlie used his knowledge to help others when he wrote the conclusion to the experiments done to him. Algernon didn't. He used his knowledge to get him more cheese.
I like Senja's analogy: Charlie is to Algernon as Father is to son. But, what do you think Algernon felt for Charlie?
I also like Omar's analogy: Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur are to Charlie as Dr Frankestein is to Frankenstein. Because Dr. Strauss and Nemur created a mind blowing new experiment that worked primarily. Then, it started to go wrong, like Frankenstein.
I think that the book is called Flowers for Algernon because Algernon is the one sliver of reality Charlie held on to while his life was in turmoil. Before the operation, Charlie raced against Algernon, he was a bit hostile towards him because Algernon always won. Then, after the operation, Charlie and Algernon were equal in the sense that they both were the only beings who decided (charlie did) to undergo the operation. Algernon was the only one who could relate to Charlie, and his acceleration of knowledge. Algernon was also important to Charlie when Algernon began to decline,kind of like an omen, it gave Charlie an idea of what was going to happen to him, that allowed him to preserve the knowledge in writing while he still could. When Algernon died, it affected Charlie because Algernon was a constant reminder to Charlie and losing him was like losing part of himself because Algernon was a friend that didnt change or dissapoint. Charlie put flowers on his grave to show respect for a friend. He also did this because even when he was really smart, he still felt the same about Algernon and it was the one thing that really stayed for him, I think Charlie realized the imporatance of this.
My analogy is:
Algernon is to Charlie as minerals is to dirt. I think this is so because you can't fully separate in from the other. They still maintain a connection, like Charlie putting flowers on Algernon's grave. Sorry it's not that good, Im not that good at making analogies.
To answer Rodrigo's question:
I think that Charlie survived and Algernon didnt because.....well, I don't think Charlie will survive, maybe he is surviving longer because Algernon's brain is smaller and it takes more time.I think that Charlie will die eventually.
People, your analogies are so good!
But, I disagree with Rachel and Semhar so much, I dont think Charlie dying would do any good to the story. Senja, I also think he will die eventually, but the aurhor has a point finishing the story BEFORE Charlie dies.
I agree with Stephan, the title is the same as 'Love for Algernon' symbolizing their relationship when Alger. was alive.
Omar, your analogies are AWESOME, I like the Michael Jordan one and the architects one too.
Here go more analogies from me:
-Strauss and Nemur are to psicology as Stephen King and Dan Brown are to thrillers...
-Charlie is to Algernon as Goliath was to David.
-Kinnian was to Charlie as Juliet was to Romeo (clichée).
I really liked the story.
Yeah but Rodrigo, what is the difference to Senja saying he will die eventually and my prediction?. It's exactly the same. plus, its not like i dont like the book and that i have no sympathy to Charlie, its just that the book is really good but I felt that the ending was kind of lacking. All that tension and trauma and change and he didnt even die??
And Rachel, I really liked your perspective on the flowers for algernon. It was an angle I didnt notice. good job!
I think the same as Semhars comment, the ending was kind of dissapointing. It would have been sad if he died and Drs. Strauss or Nemur would do the last progress repot or something, but sad stories are enjoying and you walk away with your heart touched.
I don´t really understand RoDriGOs(:P) anology "Charlie is to Algernon as Goliath was to David" Isn´t the story that David is this small guy that wins over this big giant Goliath? So, Rodrigo, is your point that Charlie got beaten by Algernon, even if he was bigger? I didn´t really understand, sorry.
I think that Flowers for Algernon is called so because Algernon was a friend that helped him mentally to progress. When Charlie beat Algernon, he was so happy and understood that he really was making progress. He thanked Algernon for giving him the chance of seeing his increasing IQ. And I also agree with what all you other said, that Algernon was a part of Charlie, a friend.
I thought of the movie Wall-E (a new pixar movie, for you who don´t know). It´s about a robot that is left on earth with lots of garbage to pick up, since the humans left earth because of pollution. He is the last robot working, and his only friend is a small cocrouch(don´t know if I spelled that right). He is happy, but he wonders what it is like were the humans are. He is like Charlie, happy but curious. He meets EVE, another robot, and falls in love with her. He now starts to understand more, like Charlie was, but he is thrown into an adventure that bring very many bad stuff(I don´t want to say too much, for those that havn´t seen the movie). He was ignorant and happy before, but he knew that there was something more out there, in space, and he wanted to have someone to love(to fit in, in Charlies case). I think that it is a bit like in Flowers for Algernon.
Man, sorry for those who have to read all this, I´m just going on and on. Well, now I´m almost done, just anologies left.
Charlie is to intelligence as Wall-E is to EVE.
Charlie is to knowledge as I am to cake, I just keep eating it, even if it is hurting me.
Good job, everybody!
PS.
Man, I love robots!
Semhar, there is a BIG difference between dying within the story people are reading or out of it. The author has a point.
Jonatan, my analogie was to describe how big was Charlie compared to Algernon. It didnt really relate to the experiment.
I dont really get your analogie. I havent seen the movie, but if WALL E looses EVE, then it suits the story.
Julia, the sand slipping analogie is so thoughtful and accurate, I could have never come up with something like that.
Also, Rachel you really must like mirrors. Anyways your analogie is great.
1 more anology:
flowers is to Algernon's grave as a Christmas tree is to CHRISTMAS!!!
But Rodrigo, do you not agree that an ending that would leave people thinking and pondering, why? would be when he died. It would go something like when he writes an entry where he says that his life in unlivable... then, no more entries after that. It leaves people with many possible theories such as, did he commit suicide (not to be dark or pessimistic), or did he do something drastic to change himself?
And, to comment on Yonas' last analogy, I disagree. I think that you have a christmas tree when you celebrate christmas, but, you don't have flowers when there is Algernon.
Rachel, if he died I myself wouldn't be pondering, because once hes dead what can you ponder about? Algernon? Strauss and Nemur?
Of course this is MY opinion. People ponder about different things and I wouldn't ponder about Charlies death once hes dead.
And when you say '...my life is unlivable..' do you mean like Charlie would commit suicide? I VERY disagree with that idea.
1.) Hes not smart anymore so he himself cant really ponder deeply about commiting suicide. Maybe the idea isnt at all in his head.
2.) Dying? Ok, but commiting suicide or doing something 'drastic' to himself (like cutting his veins?) I dont think helps the story. Poor Charlie...
3.) After all hes been through just killing himself is.. so out of character. Moving somewhere else is the best thing he could do (rather than dying) and makes you PONDER. What his new life will be like or if he will make friends. If he dies I wouldnt really think about anything.
This is my opinion and I respect other opinions.
I kinda agree but also disagree with Semhar, the fact that Charlie did die was a kind of dissapointing end t the story, but it was, in a way, a better one. But it another way, it is te best dramatic ending. First lets consder Charlie's view of the world. He has a low IQ, but he has viewed the the world from a geniuses eyes as well. HE realises but cannot remember how the world looked like from that point of view. He decides that his existence in NEw York is causing too much trouble for people. He thinks more of others, he is sort of selfless in a way. Commiting suicide is a serious thing, and people dont just do it off a whim. Sometimes it seems easy but when people seriously put a gun to their head or stand atop a building, it is not hard to pullt the trigger or jump or whatever. Charlie, I think is the kind of guy that is sad, but not that sad. He goes away to help othrs, I dont think he ever thought about suicide and it wouldnt have been a good addition to the story at all.
The fact that Charlie didnt die as did Algernon also was a good element of the story.The fact that he wasnt going to die was scientifically predictable. The same process was applied to both human and mouse. The human is bigger, stronger, stronger will. So, a side effect that killed the mouse might not kill the human, just severly deteriorate the human's condition.
Eithr way, it is good that Charlie didnt die in my opinion.
by the way Omar i like your analogy about miss Kinnian & Charlie & Borat & Pamela Anderson that was funny.
Yonas in your analogy you could have said that x-mas deco are important to a x-mas tree but not that a x-mas tree is important to x-mas because you can enjoy x-mas without having a x-mas tree. i agree with Rodrigo about Julia's analogy.
I think that Flowers for Algernon is called that because Algernon was such a good friend of Charlie that his death affected him a lot that to thank Algernon for what he has gonne through about the operation & how he helped him develop himself that he said he would heep his grave clean & nice.
or
its called that because of the love Algernon & Charlie shared during the operation, before it & after it. & how they bonded.
ANALOGIES:
1) Miss Kinnian is to Charlie as a coach is to the team.
2) Algernon is to Charlie as a pet is to a little kid.
3) The cheese is to Algernon as food is to us.
4) The IQ test is to Charlie as knowledge is to us.
5) Charlie's knowledge is to Charlie as what we eat is to us.
because what ever goes in must come out, if you get what i mean.
Well done guys.
nicolas d
i think that this story is called flowers for algernon because, as rodrigo said, Algernon was Charlies best friend and they would always solve problems and charlie would always be so frustrated to lose against Algernon but he was always connected to him. when he worked in the factory, he didnt realize that his "friends" werent actually his friends, so you can basically say that Algernon was his first friend in his life, although Charlie thought otherwise.
My Analogy:
bees are to honey as Charlie is to Algernon
PS: noce story this was
PPS: Nice discussion everyone
This is Marcus J.
I think that it is called "Flower For Algernon" because, Charlie kept putting flowers on algernon's grave. I agree with omar on why charlie feels as if he has to put flower on algernon's grave seeing how they were so similar because, Charlie and Algernon both had the operation. They also played the maze games together.
When Algernon was becoming less intelligent you could tell that charlie was woried about himself and Algernon. When, Algernon died charly was sad that his best friend died and, that the same faith may happen yo him.
ANALOGIE
charlie is to changes as the earth is to seasons. can someone help me change changes in my analogie if you understand it.
well i agree with julia and why i think that the story is called flower's for algeron is because that is the only thing that he remembered from when he became smart or started working o getting smart. another reason is because charlie probably thought that algernon was his true friend after he found out that all the people that he called friends didn't really liked and took advantage of him because he was not like the restof them and dint know what they ment when they were doing things like that to him. another reason can because its called that is because when in the story algernon dies charlie took him too his back yard and buried him there and everyday he was putting flowers on his grave even at the end when he wrote the letter to mis kinnian he told ot to forget to put flowers on his grave. anology for this story would be charlie is to algernon as basketball is to michel jordan
and a question is why does everyone wants or expected charlie to die?
p.s. love the anlogies julia and omar awsome jobs i would have never thought of something like it
This is Medina
I personally think its called "Flowers of Algernon" because Algernon dies , and Charlie always puts flowers on his grave and, Algernon was a big part in the story. Even on the letter Charlie wrote that Miss Kinnian should put flowers on Algernon's grave for him.
Analogy: Charlie is to loving as a family is to bonding. and Charlie is to fairness as love is forever!
Marcus your analogy is good i don't think it needs any changes.
PS: this was an interesting story.
PSS: Great discussion everyone.
PSSS: Could we use slang in our blogs because im used to writing in slag on the computer & all the time i have to change what i have written because it is written in slag.
PLEASE MS.OLSON could we?
Sorry for not posting before, I didn't have internet at home.
I think that it is called Flower for Algernon because all the characters were making a favor for him.
Like Omar said he and Algernon were very similar and they both got the same operation and give a good result of increasing their intelligence.
So I think that the flower represent Algernon and that proves that he was a great friend
I wrote:
Education is to Charlie as food and water is to human beings.
The thing what I found unfaire is that why Algernon died and Charlie survived?
I think that algernon was kind of a good luck to Charlie because Charlie could feel in trust with Algernon and talk about his life.
like every said, I also think that puting flowers to someone's grave is to show the respect what to fell for him or her and to thanks all the moment you have spended with him or her.
To conclude this I think that Algernon changed the life of Charlie.
I kind of feel sorry for Charlie because he didn't have any true friend and have a real relationship with someone.
I think that this novel shows to the world how people feel in their situation.
Good novel I think.
The reason why i think it is called flowers for algernon is because during the novel when algernon dies charlie puts flowers at his grave and at the end of the novel he asks the viewers to go put flowers at his grave.
if algernon is to get cheese then charlie is to learn.
Well i think Algernon was a big part in the story and he was important to Charlie because he is basicaly the only living thing that suffered as much as him.
And once he died charlie it kinda shocked him and that made him fail. Since then he always wants flowers for Algernon.
So Algernon and Charlie are for my opinion as important in the story.
It was his real friend
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