That is, until the day his daughter, Sophie, is born. And she, Rachel, is about to have their first child. He’s married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. He owns a building in the heart of San Francisco, and runs a secondhand store with the help of a couple of loyal, if marginally insane, employees. He’s what’s known as a Beta Male: the kind of fellow who makes his way through life by being careful and constant - you know, the one who’s always there to pick up the pieces when the girl gets dumped by the bigger/taller/stronger Alpha Male.īut Charlie’s been lucky.

A little hapless, somewhat neurotic, sort of a hypochondriac. What genre do you think this novel belongs to: Science fiction or horror? Explain your answer.Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy.What does the novel suggest about the connection between intelligence and happiness?.

What is the central message of the novel? Is there more than one moral to the story of Charlie's treatment?.

Do you think that would have been a satisfying conclusion to the story? How would it have affected the integrity of the story's central theme?

Several publishers rejected Flowers for Algernon, demanding Keyes rewrite it with a happier ending, with at least one suggesting Charlie should marry Alice Killian.

Are the doctors who operate on Charlie acting in his best interests? Do you think Charlie would have gone through with the operation if he knew what the ultimate outcome would be?.How are women portrayed in Flowers for Algernon? What would have been different about the story if Charlie had been a woman who underwent such a controversial surgery?.Would changing one or both have changed the story significantly? Consider the location and time period of the novel.Is Charlie consistent in his actions? What is unique about his situation?.Is this an effective technique for showing Charlie's rise and decline? Why or why not? To whom do you think the letters and notes Charlie writes are written? Flowers for Algernon is what's known as an epistolary novel, told in letters and correspondence.What passages could have been grounds for banning Flowers for Algernon (as it was several times)?.Are Keyes' views on mental disability and intelligence dated? Does he use terms to describe Charlie that are no longer considered appropriate? Flowers for Algernon was published in the mid-1960s.What statement does the novel make, directly or indirectly, about the treatment of the mentally challenged?.What is important about the title? Is there a reference in the novel that explains the title?.

A dirty job christopher moore movie