flowers for algernon daniel keyes

As Charlie Gordon's intelligence increases, his memories of being bullied also return.

The great thing about Twitter is the accessibility to authors all over the world.  Recently, it was my privilege to speak with J. Richard Knapp (@jrichardknapp) about the possibility of reviewing his recent novel.  He agreed, so be on the lookout for that review coming soon.  But, as creative types are wont to be, he realized an opportunity to make it a win-win for both of us.  He asked me to be a monthly contributor to his newsletter on Bullying Prevention by providing book reviews.  Hooray!  So, below is my first article for his September newsletter.  Subscribe here to the newsletter to find out more about prevention for adults and children.


Charlie, Charlie, Fat-Head Barley:
A Book Review on Bullying in Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon by author Daniel Keyes was required reading for every grade nine student at Thom Collegiate High School in Regina, Saskatchewan.  And, like the other students, I railed and complained against having to read this book.  Or any book for that matter.  The teacher was the enemy and we, the students, were united in our dislike of homework.  Of course, being the diligent reader I am, I secretly read ahead of the class and stayed up late at night, excited to see what would happen next.

Children circle around him laughing and teasing him like little dogs snapping at his feet.  Charlie smiles at them.  He would like to put down his bundle and play games with them, but when he thinks about it the skin on his back twitches and he feels the way the older boys throw things at him.
-Flowers for Algernon, page 32

In this near-day science fiction, diary-style novel, Charlie Gordon is a legally retarded man who undergoes an operation to increase his intelligence.  As his intellect grows, his ability to recollect childhood memories grows, too.  As the passage indicates, Charlie is bullied by neighborhood children for being slow and then later on the same page, bullied by his co-workers for sleeping on the job.  His distrust and suspicion of others is a common theme throughout the rest of the novel stemming from these early incidences of aggression and isolation.

When children or adults get together and present a united front, they can change opinion.  At Thom Collegiate High School, the students often changed the teacher’s opinion about the due date of the Flowers for Algernon homework sheets.  It went like this: one person complained and everyone stood behind them in silent agreement.

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Look for this book review in Bullying Prevention September newsletter.

For Charlie Gordon, one person bullies him and his co-workers stand in silent agreement while Charlie’s humiliation mounts.  As Charlie’s intelligence increases, he realizes how ill-treated he was…but it still continues to haunt him.  He returns to his former workplace seeking understanding but finding only confusion.  The effects of bullying on Charlie Gordon are some of his earliest recovered memories and certainly the last to fade.  Daniel Keyes keenly portrays how cruel people of all ages can be to “outcasts.”

This novel is a quick read and a good study on the long-term effects of bullying on self-image.  Even through perceived success, Charlie fails to make amends with the bullies of his past.  In real life, atonement is possible to achieve.  How would you rewrite this ending for Charlie?

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