Everyone loves the ending of Flowers for Algernon but I think it’s wrong

I finally read it last month after all the hype. People say the ending is heartbreaking and perfect. But I looked up the science of the experiment in the book. The whole thing would have never worked like that. The intelligence boost and decline don’t match how actual brain damage or gene therapy works. It’s just made up for drama. Am I the only one who can’t get past that?

2 comments

2 Comments

ray64826d ago

The whole point of Charlie's intelligence boost wasn't really about realistic brain science though. Keyes was writing a STORY about what happens when a person gets everything he ever wanted and then loses it, not a textbook on how genes work. Algernon's maze times going up and down in that specific pattern was more about making the decline feel VISIBLE and tragic than about actual neurology. Honestly, if the book followed real brain science Charlie wouldn't have had that clear moment of realization watching Algernon decline, and the whole emotional gut punch would be gone. You're looking at it like a science report when it's really a fable about human longing and loss.

rivershah26d ago

Man that reminds me of my cousin who got super into workout supplements and then quit cold turkey, the crash was brutal to watch.