"As you can see, Algeron is much kewler than you'll ever be... all because of this model screen shot that was taken... there he is posing like a BOSS."
After I finished ze Maltese Falcon, I decided to challenge myself by reading the full story of Flowers for Algeron. And, oh mang, its a excellent story, so touching, so heart breaking that it is making my eyes rain... :'( Prepare to be moved. Well, the story is centered aroundand narrated from the progress reports of 32 year old Charlie Gordan, a mental handicapped man who works at Donner's bakery in New York City who yearns to be illgent like his friends at the bakery, like Frank Reilly, Gimpy, and a couple of others... (but who really aren't his pals, but a bunch of d-bags, jerko**, a**holes who treated him like crap for his whole life, but Charlie didn't know it. Using him to get their sick kicks, hate people like that...>:C) Sorry for the French, but you'll understand when all is told, and you TOO will feel Charlie's pain. Charlie goes to Collidge College everyday after work to get reading/spelling lesson from the purty, friendly Ms. Kinnian. He writes progress reports everyday and takes many tests with Pr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss. He is very slow and can't interpret what is being read, or said to him. Anyway, he accepts to having surgery on his brain to make him smarter... A test that was done to a laboratory mouse called Algeron and was successful. In just 2 weeks, he becames smarter... I'll tell you the worst parts later... :(
I remember reading this story, it was good. I don't know why people make fun of mentally handicapped people because it is not nice. Everyone is different and has their challenges, why can't people see that! I can't wait to hear more of the story.
ReplyDeleteI can sympathize with Charlie. I have been called stupid or retared before, and not by family(a family can can make comments on one's behavior if they know what's good for them, sadly that's never always the case.) I don't like it. I fact I hate that. granted it's hypocritical that I can use those words but I try to never use that against someone I don't know for no reason, but honestly, humans have trouble with thier behavior.
ReplyDeleteI also remember reading the short story version of this. It was very depressing, and the ending so sad. It really is a very moving story. Definitely a tear jerker, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteWow.That sounds so sad:( I almost don't want to know what the worst part is. And I like the way you described what this book did for you. Made your eyes rain
ReplyDelete