A discussion about the IQ of the central character, Charlie, in the story "Flowers for Algernon" and the importance of appreciating the unfortunate gifts.
2,020 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 63.95
Abstract This essay discusses the negative impact that the experimental brain surgery has on the character of Charlie Gordon in "Flowers for Algernon". Charlie has an IQ of 68 and has an operation, which turns him into a genius. This sweet, innocent protagonist is transformed throughout the plot of the novel into an egotistical and intelligent man. His transformation is discussed in a negative sense as well as his quick deterioration, which ultimately lowers his IQ to less than in the beginning. This essay shows common human flaws and shows us many messages about the sanctity of life.
From the Paper "Every person is born with his or her own special characteristics, talents and flaws. Although many people attempt to change various aspects of their own lives they should appreciate who they are and give up the longing for perfection. In the novel "Flowers for Algernon", by Daniel Keyes, the protagonist, Charlie Gordon, has an operation in hopes of raising his IQ. Charlie is born retarded and has an IQ of 68. His mother abuses him, his parents abandon him because he is too much strain on the whole family, and his friends constantly laugh at his expense."
Abstract Robert Frosts works, particularly those of his later life, focused intently upon the management of his feelings about death. "Tuft of Flowers", demonstrates a sense of the universal understanding. "Tuft of Flowers", is inherently a social expression. "Seeking with memories grown dim o'er night / Some resting flower of yesterday's delight". The theme of continuity and time is found throughout the poem. By placing the time of the poem in the noontime of the day places us in the middle of life as we meet the narrator.
Abstract The first part of the paper considers the use of metaphor in the poem "The Flower" by Dylan Thomas. The second part of the paper considers Antigone's status as a tragic heroine and her culpability in Sophocles' "Antigone."
From the Paper "In the poem "The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower," Dylan Thomas utilizes a clever metaphor to make a powerful commentary on the endless cycle of life and death. Thomas achieves this by drawing a parallel between the life of man and nature itself as he implies that the same life force that drives man forward is the same one that inhabits nature, including the flower mentioned in the poem's opening line."
Abstract This paper explains that the Ocean Beach flower market in San Diego seems to be the epitome of people helping their neighbors and getting fabulous products in return. The author describes the medley of organic, natural and locally grown products all of which have been brought by colorful and interesting vendors from all parts of southern California. In addition, the paper relates that all of the vendors with whom the author spoke relayed a joy in their experiences, which represents the attitude that makes this farmers' market successful: community, family ties and an appreciation of the local flora and fauna.
From the Paper "To this man the local produce venue keeps him from having to have contracts with wholesale vendors or chain corporations that require larger scale operations and keep his growing techniques affordable. Another great aspect of the regulations surrounding San Diego's Farmers' Markets is that the farms being nearby keep the cost of production down which in turns keeps the cost to consumers down as well. Along with a small shop on the color-filled farm's premises this local entrepreneur says that there is nothing like selling what you take pride in to people who really appreciate where it comes from. The type of consumer who attends the Farmers' market usually has greater respect for the growing process and amount of work that goes into his product, according to the Vista farmer, and this allows him to focus on the consumer as a person as opposed to just a marketing concept."
Abstract This paper is an examination of the science and story, "Flowers for Algernon", and the movie adaptation, "Charly". The paper observes that the nature of the science employed in Charly's treatment was immoral, unethical, and resulted in an enormous tragedy, which left Charly worse off than he was before the treatment.
Abstract This paper discusses the novel, first published in 1966, which relates the story of Charlie Gordon through a diary (a collection of "progress reports") written by Charlie, a mentally-challenged man who via experimental brain surgery evolves into a genius. The writer points out that although many scientist and researchers in today's highly technological age are striving for ways to increase the mental capacities of human beings through biological and artificial means, when "Flowers for Algernon" first appeared, such ideas were pure science-fiction. The paper explains that despite Charlie's tragic outcome in the novel, it seems a wise idea to continue to pursue any and all means to increase the mental abilities of human beings, due in part to the need for highly-intelligent men and women who will confront unimagined conditions in the distant future.
From the Paper "At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Charlie in the first-person narrative, for he writes, in the language of a very simple-minded and obviously uneducated person, that "Dr. Strauss says I should rite down what I think. . . I dont no why but he says its important. . . I hope they use me becaus. . . maybe they can make me smart" ("progris riport 1, pg. 1). From Charlie's viewpoint, it appears that he considers being smart as a necessary trait for success in the world, not to mention that he equates intelligence with being loved and accepted by his peers. In the novel, Charlie's wish to be smart comes true, for Dr. Strauss and his team of scientist perform a brain operation on Charlie based on an experiment done on a mouse named Algernon. And within a few weeks, the operation turns out to be a complete success, for Charlie become more intelligent than the scientists that performed the operation."
Abstract This paper discusses the ethical and social implications of interfering with an individual's physical and mental autonomy, referencing parts of the book, "Flowers for Algernon," written by Daniel Keyes. The paper discusses the story's reflections on people in society and focuses specifically on the character of Charlie Gordon and how he is treated and accepted by society.
From the Paper "Charley first existed in a world in which he was ridiculed by society because he was not like other people. Historically, the nation had consistently attempted to cast aside people when they are not part of the mainstream hierarchy. The mentally retarded, disabled, women, members of cultural or racial groups and those that are impoverished have all experienced this type of disregard in the social order. Society, as a means of control over these societal groups, institutes laws or regulations that force people to conform to rules, which benefit no one other than the controlling few within the country. In most cases the rules that are created by society strip people of their autonomy."
This paper compares the nonlinear time construct presented in the essay, "A New Refutation of Time," by Jorge Luis Borges, and the stories "The Garden of Forking Paths," by Jorge Luis Borges, and "Confession" by Algernon Blackwood.
Abstract This paper compares the different essays dealing with the issue of time. It explains that Borges's essay provides a beautiful backdrop from which to discuss the literary use of a nonlinear time construct. The bending of time in "The Garden of Forking Paths," by Jorge Luis Borges, and "Confession," by Algernon Blackwood, provides an interesting way for the authors to invite the reader into a twisted world of endless possibilities.
From the Paper "Many people think of time as a linear construct: yesterday, today, tomorrow, but what if it was possible to warp that construct? It would be nothingness, like a clock without hands, leaving open a wide range of possibilities: traveling back and forth, seeing past present, and future converge into a single moment, or just being a thing of fiction created by the minds of people. Time, then, would be like a maze; the past, present, and future would come together as one, creating an almost endless array of possibilities for outcomes of events and interactions. This idea of nonlinear time is captured in the essay "A New Refutation of Time," by Jorge Luis Borges and the stories "The Garden of Forking Paths," by Jorge Luis Borges, and "Confession," by Algernon Blackwood."
Tags:algernon, blackwood, borges, constructs, jorge, luis, nonlinear, time
Abstract The paper describes the multifunctional flower pot that will be designed for nature lovers, environmentalists and simple people who desire to have flowers in their apartments but find it difficult to care for them. The paper explains the functionality of the product, its size and colour, the marketing process and how the product could reach the 'tipping point' and become a common product. The paper applies the law of the 'few', looks at the 'stickiness factor' and explains what makes the multifunctional flower pot a desirable product.
Outline:
The Product
The Tipping Point
Law of the Few
The Stickiness Factor
The Power of Context
From the Paper "The beneficial role of plants outside the home as well as inside the home is undoubted. Plants in all their forms absorb the carbon dioxide and release the vital oxygen. The need for more plants is becoming more and more obvious in the world today, moreover when deforestations are destroying the natural balance. However a solution to protect the entire environment is pretty difficult to find, we should approach the issue from a limited stand point and then expand. For instance, we should increase the number of plants we have at home, within the house and in our gardens. But the busy world we live in might prevent us from properly taking care of the plants, which in the end die. A revolutionary product to solve this problem is the Multifunctional Flower Pot."
Tags: stickiness, factor, law, of, the, 'few', tipping, point
Abstract This paper examines the contemporary meaning of the flowers used by Ophelia in ?Hamlet.? The meaning of the flowers have been carefully researched and their use and relevance is discussed. There is also a discussion about stage directions and Ophelia's lack of voice.
From the Paper "In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, it became a popular trend to speak in what was called ?the language of flowers:? a system where different flowers had different meanings, and entire thoughts could be conveyed through a carefully arranged bouquet. Throughout Shakespeare's tragic play, Hamlet, this language of flowers is used quite prominently, particularly in relation to Ophelia, Hamlet's love. Her flowers ultimately become her voice: all her life she is the lone female surrounded by father, brother and lover, but it is through this language of flowers which she may speak, not in words, but in a way which is completely understood by her contemporaries, since it is safe to say that Shakespeare's original viewers would have been knowledgeable about the "meanings" of different flowers, much more so than today's audience. This conclusion can be reached not only by looking at the period during which this trend was popular,[1] but mainly because some of the most important parts of the play make no sense without a basic knowledge of these meanings."
Abstract This paper examines how Robert Frost's "Wind and Window Flower" dramatizes the conflicts between stability and change, between love and death and between subtle and dramatic strength. It looks at how by personifying the wind and the window flower, the poet transforms observations of the natural world into characters in a story.
From the Paper "The poem consists of seven stanzas of four lines each. Each line has either six or seven syllables, but there is no strict regularity of syllables per line. The poem has a definite and compelling rhythm that helps dramatize the central narrative: the story of the wind and the window flower. Just as a deft storyteller will captivate his or her audience with the rhythmic intonations of the voice, so too does the narrator of the poem captivate the audience through poetic rhythm. The first stanza of the poem differs from the rest in both meaning and in rhythm, as in this stanza the narrator addresses the audience directly as an introduction to the tale."
Abstract This paper analyzes the Calyx and Corolla case. The writer refers to a company that offers a new way to order and receive flowers sent directly from the grower after an order comes in by phone or fax. The writer points out that the primary way prior to this, was to order by telephone or to go to a retail flower shop and to place an order.
From the Paper "The Calyx and Corolla case shows clearly the two underlying tasks facing any start up company. The first task is simply to get the business open and operating, and this has been achieved. The management team has demonstrated the viability of the idea behind the company and has shown not only that it can be successful but that it can do so using a very new method of sales and distribution. The second task is to show that the business can grow, and this is the task facing the management team today. The team has to decide how to grow, whether to challenge some of the existing operations on their own turf, or whether to develop a new product line or new service that fits closely with its existing business."
Abstract A case study analysis of Sunset Flowers, a New Zealand company that has experienced problems attempting to export their products to the United States. The company faces several challenges with their operations. This paper considers three of these challenges. It firstly describes each challenge, how it impacts the company and why it is important. It then offers several possible solutions for each of the challenges. The writer further provides a recommendation of how all of these challenges can be met, and finally describes how this solution can be put into effect and what it will achieve.
From the Paper "There are several instances where it is apparent that the owners of Sunset Flowers have little knowledge of their business once it is outside of New Zealand. On finding their returns declining they can only speculate as to the reasons for the price movements. It is also stated that they know little about world markets for fresh-cut flowers. After picking up samples from the airport the business owner is told of the need for a customs broker. He then gathers information on the procedures and costs of a customs broker.
This information gathered is all necessary for managing export operations.
These examples show the business is exporting without knowledge of :-
? export procedures
? the market it is exporting to
? the export company's actions
Clearly there is a lack of knowledge about the environment as well as the company itself.
Without information on the processes the company must undergo, such as the quarantine issue, the company cannot make intelligent decisions about the business. "
Abstract Friedrich Duerrenmatt's "The Visit" and Luigi Pirandello's "The Man with the Flower in His Mouth" are allegorical plays in which certain characters confront death. The paper shows that the human - an allegorical figure of death - is, in both plays, a female character. In Pirandello's short piece she is the wife of a terminally ill man who follows him everywhere, but does not speak. In "The Visit", death comes in the form of Claire Zachanassian, the multimillionaire who returns to her hometown looking for revenge--or justice--for the sufferings she went through as a girl.
From the Paper "In this idea of waiting for death at home, with time "measured by the ticking of the big clock in the dining room," is the notion that death should become part of life, which is symbolized by the clock and the passing of time (6). His wife, or death, is attempting to get him to integrate death with the rest of his experience. But he sees them as two completely separate things. Death is not the culmination of life but a terrible interruption that has nothing to do with living."
Abstract This study compares and contrast the nature and dramatic significance of the confrontations with death of the main characters in Stephen Crane's story "The Open Boat" and Luigi Pirandello's play "The Man with the Flower in His Mouth." The study focuses on death as a frightening, enraging and appalling force for the two men in Pirandello's play and a violent and powerful force of nature in Crane's story.
From the Paper "Crane's "The Open Boat" shows death to be a powerful force which is everywhere and cannot be denied or forgotten. Death in the form of the powerful sea confronts the four men in the story from beginning to end. Death waits for them in every thought as they consider trying to reach the shore. The men in the boat are simple men who must face death with no pretense, for their lives literally hang in the balance. They must either struggle to live, or prepare to die as best they can. The four individuals must not only deal with the very real possibility of their own deaths, but they must deal with the moral decision which may cost them their lives while saving the others' lives. The author seems to suggest that the Captain gave his life to make sure that the others survived (Crane 15)."
