Digest for Flowers for Algerno

It was in the middle school that I first came to know this novel by chance. For me, the middle school life consists of the best memory I have ever have till now--innocent friendships, patient teachers and the carefree air around. Therefore I am in a pretty complicated mood when opened up this novel again, with so many thoughts welled in.

As a science fiction , it have stroke a constant debate whether the story belongs to hard science fiction or soft science fiction since published decades ago. From my personal perspective, it is mainly due to the whole story is so simple that it is even  difficult to disobey the basic rules shared by sci-fi authors and audience as well. Flowers for Algernon tells a story about how a carefree intellectual lightweight, Charlie Gordon, became a intellectual through experiments and the unprecedented sorrow feelings and experience strikes him. After that ,the writer end up telling the experiment failed  so that Charlie turn to a mentally disabled once again. As for the word Algernon, it refers to an experimental mouse which receive the same treatment as Charlie, and the only one who shares the experience of him.

There are profound discussions in the book about how the intellectual level impact on Charlie--furthermore, the humanity. Here are several details impressed me most.

When Charlie was not that smart, punches of friends stay around him, sharing the laughters and tears. All these so called friends disappear after Charlie changed .The novel narratives in first person so it is hard to tell whether it is the change of "friends" or Charlie, who gradually comprehend the social relationships through slightly difference of eye contact or any other else. Nevertheless, I feel that the author is trying to convey a view that he was ,at least when writing the book, wondering what true friendships exist or not and rather-- we just need someone not that smart to flaunt ourselves. It leads to the discussion that is intellectual really counts for something as the view from common sense and public opinions? Afterwards, when Charlie tried every method to keep himself aware of happening around so that he could go for his mother who haven't meet for 15years,he was teased by the Alzheimer's disease of his mother. Charlie drown into the deep abyss of loneliness. This kind of loneliness is not the one that lack of care from friends or lovers, but refers to the lost of self-awareness and self-identity. He is the only shooting star streaked the entirely unknown and gloomy universe. Is it the god who plays a joke on him? Raise him up to a genius and push him into the pain, and throw him to the former fake happiness. Refusing his girlfriend's invitation, Charlie choose to spend the last conscious time along, finishing the reading he always expected, dating back to the old happy moments.

And, he write the last letter to Algernon, his only company who slide into the familiar unawareness ahead of Charlie,

take the final flowers.

2015-11-05

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