Flowers for Algernon

Origin
Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon is a science fiction short story and subsequent novel where Algernon is a laboratory mouse who has had surgery to increase his intelligence by artificial means. The story itself is told by a series of progress reports written by Charlie Gordon, about moving the trials from mice to humans.


 * Short Story Plot

In the short story Gordon is a janitor with a low IQ, of 68, who falls in love with his former teacher. In order to impress her he takes part of the human trials. In turn his intelligence increases however it doesn't just stop at 'normal' IQ levels but continues to grow and soon he cannot relate with her. The intelligence opens his eyes that the friends he thought he had at work were only his friends to make fun of him. Soon he learns that Algernon has lost his intelligence and eventually died from the experiment. Not wanting to die Gordon starts testing to find the flaw in the experiment. Luckily for Gordon he stops what will make him die however his intelligent is lowered back down to his low level. Unable to be around the people in his life before, now knowing how they pitied him he leaves 'for better places' only stopping to place flowers on Algernon's grave.


 * Novel Plot

The plot for the novel in generally the same only adding more detail to Gordon's life when his IQ was lower and then when it was increased. There are also new chapters based around Gordon and his family and their feelings with him being a 'retard' as a child and a genius as an adult.

Effects
Short story lowers intelligence to 68, novel raises it to 185