Flowers for Algernon

by

Daniel Keyes

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Flowers for Algernon makes teaching easy.

Algernon’s Maze

It’s no secret that Algernon the mouse’s experiences symbolize Charlie Gordon’s own struggles with genius. Algernon becomes irritated with having to solve endless mazes designed to measure his intelligence, and thus Algernon’s mazes symbolize…

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Charlie’s Hallucinations (younger Charlie)

Especially in the second half of the novel, Charlie Gordon experiences vivid hallucinations of his younger self, often peering out from behind a window. Charlie’s visions prove that he hasn’t entirely overcome his own troubled…

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Adam and Eve

At several points in the book, Keyes references the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. In the book of Genesis, we’re told that Adam and Eve gave up a life of eternal happiness in the…

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