Flower for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Literature Essay Example

Daniel Keyes' book Flower for Algernon depicts essential message in connection to the ideology of science fiction literary works. This type of fiction operates as a juncture where science fiction literature changes ultimately. In the narrative, the author uses a character who is taken to an experiment to increase his intelligence. The character undergoes several phases which are slow and gradual until the change is achieved. The narrative tries to explain how Charles, the character in the story undergoes treatment to his mental incapacity until he achieves a higher IQ. The aspect that makes Flowers for Algernon such an exceptional sci-fi work is through creating an emotional tension that the science fiction centers on.

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The main factor that separate Flowers for Algernon from previous science fiction works is the way he conveys his message. The theme of the book does not concentrate on science fiction, however, it explains the story of Charlie, a narrative that the author felt can be best suited for science fiction. The narrative is character driven with a lot of emotional drama. This is crucial in the growth of science fiction and thus this paper focuses on explaining how this type of genre change science fiction in general through explanation present in Flowers for Algernon.

Flower of Algernon was a turning point for science fiction as its one of the most adapted science fiction story. The story begins with a retarded character named Charlie who gains powerful intelligence thus becoming a genius. However, the condition is not permanent as he returns gradually to his initial condition. This occurred after an operational treatment which was partially successful. Flowers for Algernon is a classic science fiction piece of work that concentrates in tracing a human's inner psychological problem and journey in an environment of retardation into an environment of great intelligence. In the work, Charlie Gordon operates under a comical lifestyle through despondent and derisive aspects as he comes out of mental darkness, through several stages of perceiving and understanding phases of wisdom into the light of the world.

The main point in this science fiction work is not the technology that is used to make Charlie become intelligent but rather the mode in which individuals respond towards him before and after the operation. The story is based on the notion of artificially changing intelligence of a person which permits Keyes to give a picture of how the society treats mentally incapacitated individuals. As his intelligence increases, Charlie successfully transforms from a mentally disabled individual to a person with a high IQ, he starts to understand that individuals have always rooted their attitudes to him on their feelings of superiority. Generally, people used to treat Charlie in a less inhumane way.

There are various aspects to learn and admire in Flowers for Algernon. The story begins to set a trend for later science fiction work regarding intelligence. For instance, understand by Ted Chiang and Camp Concentration by Thomas Disch. In a technological era of science fiction, different story types are unique than black holes, with a great number of tales falling into well-understood categories such as space opera, time travel, contacts with aliens. His new invention of science fiction regarding intelligence earned him admiration due to his creativity and boldness.

In Flower for Algernon, Keyes depicted the aspect of science fiction being something that can be character driven and even the audience can respond to stories that focus on the pathos showed by the protagonist and the mental foundations of the narrative. This is real impudence, and key's innovation is all the more spectacular when an individual deciphers that the artificial technology angle in his era would have been enough, given the prospects of the pulp fiction market during his days, to make slaw and concentrate in pleasing science fiction audience (Harding, 2016).

The author clearly understands that theme behind this story wasn't the science in it, but the individual tragedy that befell Charlie Gordon. Even in the current society, more than fifty tears since Flowers for Algernon appeared, it still has an impact on us. Different science fiction authors have learned important lessons from this narrative (Hill, 2004). Character-Driven science fiction is still a rare thing in a sci-fi world. The decision of the author to present his narrative in a first-person journal was important to the work's effect and longevity. However, the choice to write in a character-driven perspective had its challenges. Keyes had to integrate and change his prose technique after every few paragraphs to ensure matching of the changing mental capacity of his narrator.

When comparing Flowers for Algernon to Awakenings it's clear that this fictitious work shows that most individuals feel different in a way or another at some juncture in their lives. These work bring the notion of accepting being different in a sci-fi world and embracing it. When an individual their rights to be diverse, they lose the pleasure of freedom. Other fictitious works that came after Flowers of Algernon, such as the Awakenings followed the writing style depicted by Keyes through sending messages that a person is still worthy despite their incapacities. Keya's depicts the theme of yearning for independence for Charlie in his plot which becomes a theme in the Awakenings where Leonard also yearns for his independence (Langford, 2017). Most science fiction works after Flowers for Algernon followed Keyes writing style which entailed the main character of narrator deteriorating in his problems and showing aspects of returning to their initial self. In the awakenings, the author followed the same suit as Leonard succumbs back to his old diseases gradually.

Flowers of Algernon tries to show difficulties that the character passes through and how he tries to surpass all the challenges through trying to live independently. The doctor in Charlie's case used him to enrich himself and making him seem like a fool. Most the sci-fi works after this depict how some individuals try to use other people powers of intelligence for their own personal gain.

In another following sci-fi work by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein follows the suit developed by Daniel Keyes. Daniel Keyes concentrates on showing the aspects of humanity in the society which becomes a center of discussion in Frankenstein. The reason behind sci-fi is to eliminate all fears that succumb a person while concurrently exploring most important philosophical questions that are somehow universal and timeless. Daniel Keyes, possess the most essential question, like what is the essence of human life? What differentiates human beings from other creatures? And what is the ultimate meaning of human's existence? Flowers for Algernon, aids in substantiating the theory that science fiction aids the audience in confronting the important questions through considering aspects like manufacturing of human life and the trials to master a purportedly perfect human nature. The main theme in Keye's is how science fiction when implemented without proper caution can be a damaging aspect into the individuals who will be assuming that they are gaining from it (Bujalski, 2002). The work shows how Charles was used by the doctor to achieve his selfish goals, instead of helping him to get a permanent solution to his problem. The work tries to show how science fiction has transformed over time and this has been linked to advancements in technology thus a great disparity is seen between contextual science and fictional science. For instance, the author here tries to explain how science can be used to increase a person's intelligence unlike the ancient science which concentrated in explaining the ways of making equipment's to aid in the diagnosis of diseases. This is due to the reason that technology and science innovators gain wisdom from science authors which are then implemented in future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's clear that Daniel Keyes narratives play an important role in developing a turning point in science fiction as it challenges upcoming writers to come up with more challenging ideas and well-outlined themes that are touching to the audience. The style used in the narrative makes every writer eager to emulate him in expressing their fictitious ideas. Science fiction works have improved all over the globe and have acquired popularity among readers and thus it's important to present a logical work.

References

Bujalski, Andrew (2002). Aglietti, Boomie; Quinio, Dennis, eds. Flowers for Algernon: Daniel Keyes. Spark. ISBN 1-58663-514-X.

Coules, Bert (1991). The Play of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon (including notes by Robert Chambers). Heinemann (published 1993). ISBN 0-435-23293-2.

Harding, K. (2016). Flowers for Algernon. Practical Neurology, 16(1), 80-80. Doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2015-001346

Hill, Cheryl (2004). "A History of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon" (PDF). LIBR 548F: History of the Book. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2007.

Langford, David (November 22, 2017). "Uplift". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Nicholls, Peter; Sleight, Graham. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Gollancz. For both the experimental mouse and the retarded narrator in Flowers for Algernon ..., the arc of uplifted intelligence raises high above the species norm into similarly lonely realms, only to fallagain.