Charlie Gordon

Charlie Gordon

4
    Flowers for Algernon
Photo Credit: Everett Collection

Character Analysis

(Avoiding Spoilers)

Overview... a mentally disabled man who goes to great lengths to become smarter. Charlie might find reading and writing hard, but he tries his best to learn as much as he can. When he's offered the chance to participate in an experiment to increase his intelligence Charlie eagerly agrees, saying that all his life he’s wanted to be “smart and not dumb.” However, while the experiment is successful, Charlie soon finds that intelligence can be a heavy burden to bear.

Personality... kind, hardworking, and naive. Although his coworkers at Dormer's Bakery often make him the butt of their jokes, Charlie still considers them his friends, laughing at himself along with him. Charlie’s simple existence is upended by his operation. He begins to see the cruelty in actions he once thought kind, and to understand the merciless nature of the world around him.

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