Not only does Charlie intelligence change his personality it also has affected his attitude and how he communicates and interact with people. For example Charlie’s coworkers are intimidated by his advancement in intelligent and it causes him to be fired from his job due to the discomfort of his outstanding intelligence that bother his coworkers “You come pushing in here with your ideas and suggestions and make the rest of us look like a bunch of dopes”(106). Mrs. Fanny tells Charlie the difference between the old Charlie and the new and intelligent one “The way you change! I don’t know.
You used to be a good dependable manordinary not too bright maybe, but honest… light everybody been saying it isn’t right” (107). Charlie used to be a kind gentle man that everyone admire even the love of his life notice the drastic mental change in Charlie that upsets her “Your anger is all out of proportion what’s happened…. You’ve changed. Your attitude toward people—you’re not the same kind of human being—”(122). Even the relationship between Charlie and Dr. Numur is strained “Our relationship is becoming increasingly strained. I resent Numur’s constant references to me as a laboratory specimen” (113).
Numur is trying to imply that Charlie is nothing more than an object to be tested on and now that Charlie intelligence has increase greatly he was very aware of that. Overall Charlie intelligence is having negative side effects on his life. The experiments on Charlie were a good thing because both Charlie and his mother desired him to be intelligent. Charlie’s mother wouldn’t accept the fact that Charlie was not a normal kid and wanted him to be normal and smart like everyone else “Rose , it won’t do any good pretending any longer that nothing is wrong..
He’s not a dummy. He’s normal. He’ll be just like everyone else” (73). Perusing the experiment had fulfill her desire when Charlie realized he was actually intelligent “Ironic to find myself on the other side of the intellectual fence” (114). And also fulfill dreams when he desired to be smart “I want to be smart” (1). Charlie changes throughout the novel as he become more intelligent. For example learning commas were a start and not only that Charlie did a lot of reading which increase his intelligence throughout the novel “I’m ding a lot these days and almost everything is staying in my mind”(48).
Before the operation Charlie was concluded to be an individual who brought joy to others but now Charlie is consider to be a rude individual “you developed from a likable, retarded young man into an arrogant, self-centered, antisocial bastard” (247). By the influence of significance increase in intelligence it has change Charlie’s mentality and how he starts to view the world around him. Charlie first interaction to view the world is when he went to see a film with Alice Kinnian.
Confused by the film’s fictional genre Charlie, demonstrates signs of understanding how the world actually works and Alice notices this as well “Even in a world of make believe there have to be rules… You’re beginning to see and understand things”(78). Not only does the increase in intelligence change his mentality but his emotional state of mind as well. Charlie has taken an attraction to Alice and is somehow in love with her “My feelings for you won’t change because I’m becoming intelligent. I’ll only love you more” (92).
Charlie’s emotional state is being caused by his increase in intelligence and Charlie’s original state was nothing more than to turn to his teacher for advice without having any feelings for her due to low intelligence and not have any charming interaction with women or anything that could be consider harassment “All these months while l’ve been growing intellectually, I’ve still had the emotional wiring of a childlike Charlie. And every time I came close to you, or thought about making love to you, there was a short circuit”(202).
Charlie still has emotions like a child that Restricts him to make love to Alice nd is consider to be a factor of his original state. Multiple women have had an effect on Charlie’s life. Rose, Charlie’s mother, has had an effect toward Charlie childhood by attempting to change his mentality to a normal child but blinded by the fact that Charlie isn’t like other kids has traumatized Charlie “For God’s sake, Rose. Leave him alone. You’ve got him terrified. You always do this” (73). Rose usually give Charlie a hard time and expect him to do action like a normal child and failing to do so rose screams and punishes him which scars Charlie leaving him unable to perform such task later in life.
For example Charlie is drunk the Old Charlie is revealed when he attempts to foreplay with Fay. Fay has also taken a role into Charlie’s life. For example from Alice point of view Fay only intentions is to distracts Charlie from his work “she’s got you drinking and she’s interfering with your work” (134). Fay has done nothing to contribute to Charlie work but rather distract him by drinking and dancing with him and gets upset if Charlie doesn’t do these activities with her “Fay is annoyed that I’ve stopped taking her out dancing” (232).
Alice has also taken a role into Charlie’s life by becoming the women of his life and also one of the main factor why Charlie is actually smart by considering him to be the ideal person to test the experiment on “He said Miss Kinnian told him I was her bestist pupil in the Beekman School for retarded adults and I tried the hardist because I reely wantd to lern I wantid it more even then pepul who are smarter even then me”(4). By Mr. Kinnian recommending Charlie to be the ideal specimen for the experiment she has made an important role in Charlie’s life. Charlie is consider a tragic hero because of few factors.
For example Charlie’s contribution towards the experiments and he had made a theory called the Algernon-Gordon effect of the doctors techniques on how they perform the experiment. “As| show my reports, these and other physical and mental deterioration syndromes can be predicted with statistically significant results by the application of my new formula”(254). Charlie then concluded that the intelligence will fade away rapidly eventually. Another reason why Charlie is a hero because how he treated Algernon. He treated Algernon like an individual with human rights “I wasn’t going to let them dump him right in the incinerator.
It’s foolish and sentimental, but late last night I buried him in the back yard. I wept as I put a bunch of wild flowers on the grave” (258). Unlike the doctors, Charlies actually has feelings towards Algernon and show signs of sad emotions putting flowers on his grave which was humane. Finally another reason why Charlie is a hero is because even though he lost his intelligence he still desires to be smart “Anyway thats why im gone to keep trying to get smart so I can have that feeling agen”(310). Even though there may be a very low possibility of Charlie to have even basic intelligence he attempts to either way and wants to do what is best.
Selfish actions will lead into a regret state of mind to those in need. At the start of the novel Charlie is consider to be someone that was admired and liked by anyone who he came across with “There was something in you before. I don’t know … a warmth, an openness, a kindness that made everyone like you and like to have you around”(122). Charlie was an innocent kind young man that brought joy and smiles to people because of his ignorance. After the operation had failed and signs of amnesia that obliterated his superior intelligence, that have surpass the scientist, he had then regress to his original state of mind.
This got Charlie his old job back and was now the old Charlie many people had recognize. As Charlie was doing his work a new employee came in and tease Charlie and which Charlie beg the employee to let him go Joe then stands up for Charlie” Charlie is a good guy and nobody gonna start up with him without answering for him”(308). Charlie’s coworkers have developed sympathy towards Charlie because he brought joy to them in the beginning of the novel and the story between them and now that Charlie has nothing left all he could do is ask for their help and they will be glad to assist in any way possible.
